From the Rector – September 2026

Our Beautiful Earth

The extraordinary weather this summer has brought the forces of nature and the vulnerability of our environment to the forefront of people’s attention, in Europe and around the world. Amazing sunshine was wonderful for many, but heatwaves and drought have been terrible for many more. Forest fires across Southern Europe led to the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people, and on a smaller scale fires in Britain have caused damage and heartbreak too. Elsewhere, floods, earthquakes and landslides have taken their toll. In Europe’s heatwaves, nature has struggled to survive - plants, trees and animals have been pushed to their limits and farmers have faced hardship through the loss of their crops. These changes are a reminder that our relationship with nature is out of balance, and that global warming is the result of our exploitation of the natural world.

In the Church of England, as in other parts of the church, September is a month when we particularly consider our relationship with nature. ‘Creationtide’ has become the season, running to St Francis of Assisi’s day on October 4, when churches and congregations are called to pay special attention to the responsibilityof humanity for the Earth and for all that lives upon it. The Bible has always been aware that all that we have comes from God, and has celebrated nature for its beauty and as a sign of God’s great generosity. Psalm 104, written around three thousand years ago, is a poetic retelling of the creation story, and it is recited as the introduction to the evening service of Vespers in Orthodox Churches every day. Its words praise God for the wonder of the created world, which his care sustains:

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
they flow between the hills,
giving drink to every wild animal;
the wild asses quench their thirst.
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
they sing among the branches.
From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
You cause the grass to grow for the cattle
and plants for people to cultivate,
to bring forth food from the earth
and wine to gladden the human heart,
oil to make the face shine
and bread to strengthen the human heart.

Sadly, today the human role in climate change and the spoiling of nature is clear, and we are aware that human activity profoundly affects not only God’s creation, but our own lives too. This September, as we Christians celebrate God’s handiwork and consider our responsibilities towards all created things, we pray that a new commitment may emerge among the people of the world to work together for the protection of our precious planet, our beautiful earth.

Revd Ralph Williamson – Rector