Why this blog, and what's the title about ? Thank you for wondering !
For some years I have been asking myself the question how can the
Eucharist (Holy Communion, the Mass, the Lord's Supper, etc) help us
engage with the vital issue of climate change, and be better citizens of
this planet. This has become an area of research for me with the Urban
Theology Unit in Sheffield and Birmingham University, and over the last
few months some excellent people from the Church where I am a priest (St
Mary's and St James' West Derby) have been helping me with this task. They are my co-researchers and I am grateful for their support.One of the high points has been celebrating together a Eucharist for St Francis' anniversary. We heard stories of his love for animals, we reflected where the bread and wine we consumed came from (the loaf of bread was from Asda but we know Alan baked it !) and we thanked God for "the community of creation" without which there would have been no offering. We were sustained by the bees, bugs, plants, sunshine, water, farmers, shop workers to name but a few who made it all happen. That cool dark October evening the Eucharist brought us closer to all that sustains us - animal, vegetable, mineral, human, Divine.
This blog will follow this thought a bit further - as we experiment together we shall learn, I pray, how to be more engaged.