Season of Creation Liturgy

Over the past decades, an ecumenical movement has grown to both identify a Feast Day of God as Creator (Sep 1), and set aside a liturgical Season of Creation where communities of faith can explore and deepen our understanding of and relationship with creation, of which we are but a small part. This season begins Sep 1 with the Day of Prayer for All Creation, and ends with the Feast Day of St. Francis, Oct 4. This same group designates a theme for each season, this year, it is the biblical image of living water: “Set amid exile and loss, the image of living water flowing from God’s sanctuary reveals divine healing that renews land, water, biodiversity, and human responsibility towards the whole creation.” 

At Christ Church, we join with the Church around the world by entering into a liturgical Season of Creation starting with the Sunday closest to Aug 31, and ending on Oct 4th with The Blessing of the Animals (3pm) and an Evensong of St. Francis (4pm). The texts of our Sunday liturgies during this time, including Morning Prayer on Aug 30 and Sep 6 and subsequent Eucharists, will include material from Season of Creation: A Celebration Guide for Episcopal Parishes approved for use by Bishop Phil and selected by me and members of the Greening Ministry: Frances Blair, Roxy Giddings, Don Johnson, Linda Johnson, Elizabeth Keathley, Dee Schoenfeld, King Schoenfeld. 

Our liturgies will open with A Penitential Order for Creation which emphasizes the ways we have forgotten that we are creatures that are a part of creation, not above it, and asks for forgiveness and the strength, confident in the graciousness of God who never ceases to call us more deeply as disciples into a life that cares for all creation.

The Song of Praise for the season, typically a “Gloria,” will be taken from Psalm 19 which reminds us that creation reveals God’s magnificent glory. Rather than the second Lectionary reading from a New Testament Epistle (letter), we will read from modern-day ‘letters’ that reflect on our current relationship with creation. 

Our Confession of Faith is from a text traditionally attributed to St. Patrick. This creed, by a 5th century saint, comes to us from a 7th c. biographical collection of the Irish Bishop Tírechán, and is included in a 10th c. text of St. Patrick’s life. The Prayers of the People will focus on our relations with creation. Our Eucharistic prayer comes from Salal + Cedar, an Anglican Community in the Diocese of New Westminster (Vancouver, BC) that focuses its ministry around climate justice. Our version of the prayer is edited to reflect the natural world unique to our watershed.

Our liturgical focus on creation will be reflected in our Formation. Starting Sep 13th, formation will be led by Dan Oberg of Sacred Waters (the new name for our Diocesan retreat center), then Dr. Kevin O’Brien of PLU will spend two weeks conversing with us about Environmental Ethics, and we will conclude with Dr. Kristen Daley Mosier with a discussion of Watershed Ethics. 

I hope the new language of our liturgy sparks in you a new connection to God and creation, or perhaps deepens a part of your relation to God’s world that you take with you well beyond this season. May this season of orienting ourselves towards creation renew our love for, enjoyment of, and commitment to God’s abundant and beautiful creation.

In love,