In this series of four short films, the Bishop of Reading, the Rt Revd Olivia Graham, reflects on the environmental crisis and on how Christian faith shapes our relationship with the created world. Each film is under ten minutes – ideal for watching on your own or sharing with a group.
Incarnation
How the idea of God becoming flesh shapes the way we see the rest of creation – and whether there is really any line between the sacred and the everyday.
To ponder: How does the incarnation help us think about our relationship with the rest of creation – and how we respond to the environmental emergency?
Some viewers felt this film blurred the line between God and creation. The Diocese published a clarification (archived copy) explaining what Bishop Olivia did – and didn’t – mean.
Sin and salvation
Revisiting the creation stories in Genesis to think about our responsibility for the world – and sin as something we share as a society, not just as individuals.
To ponder: Where do we see carelessness towards creation in our own lives, and in our life together – and what would turning away from it look like?
Heart knowledge
Knowing God with the heart as well as the mind: slowing down to notice God’s presence in the detail of the natural world.
To ponder: When did you last stop long enough to really notice God in the world around you?
A Kairos moment
Why this is a decisive moment, and the shifts it asks of us – from “I” to “we”, and from valuing productivity to valuing life.
To ponder: Which of these shifts feels hardest for you, for your church, or for our town?
Using the films in your church
- Show one film a week to a house group, Lent group or study evening, followed by the question on its card.
- Watch the full series together in about half an hour, as a starting point for a conversation about caring for creation in your church.
- More questions for each episode are on the YouTube page, and more resources are on the Diocese of Oxford environment pages.