Church gives earthly matters top priority

The cover of Sharing God's Planet: a fire fighter 'capping off' an oil refinery fire illustrates the impact humanity can have on God's creation

The General Synod has encouraged parishes and diocesan and national Church organisations to carry out environmental audits. Synod was debating, at its February sessions, a Christian vision of a greener world in the report Sharing God's Planet.

In his foreword to the report, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams urged Christians to recognise their duty to celebrate and care for every part of God's creation. "Receive the world that God has given," he wrote. "Go for a walk. Get wet. Dig the earth."

Dr Williams stressed that, for the Church of the 21st century, good ecology is not an optional extra but a matter of justice. It is central to what it means to be a Christian.

Synod also welcomed the Government making climate change a priority in its chairing of the G8 and presidency of the European Union in 2005 and urged it to fund environmentally friendly sources of energy. It commended the approach of 'contraction and convergence' to those who consume material and energy; and commended safe, secure and sustainable products and processes based on near-zero carbon-emitting sources to those who produce material and energy systems.

Sharing God's Planet has practical ideas for the local church to adopt at ground level, from recycling to car-pooling, and there is an education programme in place to promote this to churches with government backing. But the report goes further, suggesting spiritual dimensions that can be brought into Christian worship.

'Creation Care Prayers' and the use of natural materials in worship, such as organic bread and wine, are just some of the ideas suggested in the chapter "a practical Christian response". These ideas are commended by the Archbishop in his foreword: "I have called upon our Church to undertake an ecological audit...such local, internal responses are vital."

Sharing God’s Planet is published by Church House Publishing, price £5.99. To buy a copy, contact 020 7898 1300 or www.chbookshop.co.uk or download