The Church of England is encouraging its parishioners to pray for those impacted by drought, heatwaves and wildfires, in what could well become Britain’s hottest and driest summer on record.
This summer there have already been five heatwaves. According to the green think tank Verdant, the heatwaves may have cost Britain £4.4 billion in lost productivity.
Agriculture has been hit particularly hard, with the severe lack of rainfall reducing cereal and oilseed yields by 2.5 million tonnes, according to another think tank, the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit.
Similar trends across Europe mean that food prices are likely to rise.
Aside from the economic impact, there have been wildfires and it has been reported that 2,877 people died from “heat related” deaths in July.
In response, churches have been doing what they can to offer practical and spiritual support.
The Church of England has also re-released its resource A Time for Creation, which includes prayers for farmers in times of crisis and prayers for times of extreme weather.
The Bishop of Lichfield, Michael Ipgrave, Chair of the Church of England’s Liturgical Commission, noted that prayers for rain go back at least to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.
“For centuries, the people of England have turned to prayer in times of extreme weather of all sorts," he said.
"In this fearful time of excessive heat and drought, we remember in particular those affected by fires, farmers, and people suffering because of the heat, and all those who care for them.”
He continued, “The prayer book asks that we may receive ‘in our necessity such moderate rain and showers’ as we need. Our prayers invite us to ask, to wait and to know the glory and awesomeness of God when they are answered.”
Indeed, prayers for rain can even be found in the Old Testament, most famously in the case of the prophet Elijah who prayed for an end to a three and half year drought. Even prior to Elijah, King Solomon prayed that God would send rain during times of drought during the dedication of the Temple.
