Minute for Mission: Earth Day

April 22, 2020

Provided by Interfaith Power & Light

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans — 10% of the U.S. population at the time — took to the streets, college campuses and hundreds of cities to protest environmental ignorance and demand a new way forward for our planet. That first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event.

This year, the Presbyterian Hunger Program is joining with Presbyterians for Earth Care in partnering to promote Interfaith Power & Light’s Faith Climate Action Week 2020. This year’s theme is “Love Made Visible: Engaging in Sacred Activism” to protect the people we love who are most impacted by climate change.

On this 50th anniversary of Earth Day you are invited to join the National Earth Day Climate Prayer by reciting the following prayer at noon local time on Earth Day.

You can also pray along throughout today on IPL’s Facebook page with videos of the Rev. Susan Hendershot, president of IPL, and religious leaders from various traditions saying prayers for the earth.

Let us pray:

Interfaith Climate Prayer in English and Spanish (La bendición climática)

We Hold the Earth

We hold brothers and sisters who suffer from storms and droughts intensified by climate change.We hold all species that suffer.We hold world leaders delegated to make decisions for life.We pray that the web of life may be mended through courageous actions to limit carbon emissions.We pray for right actions for adaptation and mitigation to help our already suffering earth community.We pray that love and wisdom might inspire my actions and our actions as communities …so that we may, with integrity, look into the eyes of brothers and sisters and all beings and truthfully say we are doing our part to care for them and the future of the children.May love transform us and our world with new steps toward life.Amen.

Sostenemos la tierra

Sostenemos hermanos y hermanas quienes sufren de tormentas y sequías intensificadas por el cambio climático.Sostenemos todas las especies que sufren.Sostenemos líderes mundial delegados a tomar decisiones por la vida.Rezamos que la red de la vida se pueda reparar a través de acciones valientes en limitar la emisión de carbonoRezamos por acciones correctas en ajustacion y mitigación para ayudar nuestra comunidad mundial que sufreRezamos que el amor y sabiduría enspire mis acciones y nuestras acciones como comunidad …para que podamos, con integridad, mirar a los ojos de los hermanos y hermanas y todos los seres y en verdaddigamos, estamos haciendo nuestra parte para cuidar de ellos y el futuro de los niñosPara que el amor nos transforme y el mundo con nuevos pasos hacia la vida.Amen.

Let us join in prayer for: 

PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Laura Bryan, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Dana Bryant, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation