Environment Sunday 2006

This year for Environment Sunday Sage took part in a special service at St. Frideswide's church on the Botley Rd. in Oxford. The schedule was as follows:

10.30-11.30 Service (Eucharist)

11.30-12 Drinks.

12-1 Walk from the church to South Hinksey.

1-1.30 Picnic lunch.

1.30- 2.30 Walk back to the church.

The Service

Fr. Russell Dewhurst led the service. Here is the order of service we used:

Hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy (New English Hymnal 146)

Welcome (Russell)

Call to worship (Russell)

Confession (Russell)

Peruvian Gloria (Russell) A capella

Collect (Russell)

Readings (from lectionary)

Isaiah 6: 1-8 (Richard)

Psalm 29 (Karl)

Romans 8: 12-17 (Kaihsu)

Hymn: All Creatures of our God and King (New English Hymnal 263)

Gospel John 3: 1-17 (Russell)

Sermon (Martin)

Creed (Felicity & Clare)

Intercessions (Felicity and Clare)

Peace (Russell)

Offertory hymn: Anthem for A Rocha.

Communion (Russell) Eucharistic prayer F.

Hymn: I the Lord of Sea and Sky.

Blessing (Russell)

The Walk

The route we took was along Ferry Hinksey Road and then the Monks Causeway,  joining North Hinksey Lane at the Fishes pub. We turned left along North Hinksey Lane and then left again across a stile onto the permissive path to South Hinksey. This joined a long straight track which crossed a footpath near South Hinksey village. We then turned left along the footpath, over the railway bridge and then over Hinksey Lake, and on through Hinksey Park (where we had our picnic) onto Marlborough Road. We turned left onto Whitehouse Road, and followed this into Grandpont Nature Park, then onto the Thames Path back to Osney.

THANKS are due to all those who took part in the service and to the Sage members who came along to give their support. Special thanks to Karl Wallendszus (now church warden at St. Frideswide's), who had the idea for bringing Environment Sunday to St. Frideswide's, and to the priest, Fr. Russell Dewhurst, for his advice in planning the service. If your church would like to celebrate Environment Sunday in 2008 then contact us at info@sageoxford.org.uk