SEI students have designated Monday 1 November as a day of prayer and fasting, focusing their attention on COP26 and the well-being of God’s creation.

From 6am till 9pm ordinands and Lay Reader candidates across the Province will hold brief times of prayer on each hour using a virtual prayer room set up on Moodle, their on-line learning management system. These short acts of worship will be punctuated by four longer Offices: Morning Prayer, Midday Prayer, Evening Prayer and Compline. At each, the climate bell will be rung for alarm, for justice and for praise.

Students have set up a rota for leading these times of prayer, each of which will focus specifically upon one of the issues driving the Conference’s ambition and action, as listed in the COP26 Presidency Programme e.g. ‘transition to Global net zero’, ‘keeping 1.5 degrees in reach’, and ‘protecting communities’.

SEI’s Eco-Congregation Scotland representative, second year Lay Reader candidate Patricia Ellison from the Diocese of Moray, Ross and Caithness, and one of the students organising the day, said: “Together we will weave a seamless ribbon of prayer to encircle our fragile planet whilst we hold all her forever children in our hearts.”