The Season of Creation: But What Is It?

Alecia Greenfield

August 26, 2021

Friends,

From September 1 to the Feast of St. Francis (October 4), we will observe the Season of Creation here at the church. Now you may be wondering, what this season is, and why you’ve not heard of it before! Is it a newfangled idea from the Vicar? Does this mean the colours on the altar have to change? What about Pentecost and how does this prepare us for the transition this fall into thanksgiving and Advent? These, and many more, are great questions for us to ask of this new season, some of which we can explore together below.

At general synod in 2019, the Anglican Church of Canada passed a resolution marking the time between September 1 and October 4 as “The Season of Creation.” This time of creation is not a new liturgical season, meaning the colours in the church don’t change, but a return to what has always been for us in that we know God to be present in every aspect of our lives. So this time is set aside as an intentional time of prayer, study, and renewed action on the road towards a more sustainable relationship with the earth.

This is the invitation held out for us as we move through the cycles of the lectionary over the coming fall. In the midst of our preparations for return to school and life, of warmth and fall colors, and the second coming of Jesus at the end of time, we are asked to reflect on this stark question in the midst of our thanksgiving and celebration. How does our care for creation reflect the kingdom values Jesus teaches us?

At our own synod in 2019, we declared a climate emergency by passing a resolution which called us through our baptismal commitments to live differently with our world. In light of that, the diocese has begun that work of identifying areas where we can work together by exploring the impacts of our personal and corporate financial footprints, exploring our own carbon footprints, building capacity and witness with our neighbours to seek change, to educate ourselves on climate justice and action, and to advocate for change in our world. The needs are vast as we listen to the news, but in the vastness there is also God, the God who calls us into relationship through Jesus everyday. It is in this invitation to relationship that I invite you to join me this month through the following opportunities:

Research

Every week in the weekly email we will provide information about a component of our diocesan climate justice work. From finances, to carbon footprint information from the city of Vancouver, and more, we are invited to dig down and listen with the ear of our heart for where God is calling us to grow and act in our world because of what we are learning together. Don’t fret, we will do more intentional work over the next few years together on various topics, so please hold these as place markers for more learning to come.

Pray

Our Missioner for Indigenous ministry, Kerry Baisley, has developed a beautiful prayer tool to help us engage in this week together. It draws on wisdom and reflections from Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis voices. Each week follows a theme from the lectionary and follows a pattern of gathering prayer, four directions/medicine wheel meditation, scripture reading and reflection, suggested actions for the week, and music. I commend it to your use as you move into the world in this season. Click on the link below to download your copy of the workbook today.

Click here to Download the Season of Creation Prayer Book (PDF)

Grow

Join with people from every corner of this country for curated conversations on zoom Thursdays in September about the work of creation care advocacy from “For the Love of Creation” an faith based group focused on equipping people for change. A registration link is below.

For the Love of Creation is hosting an advocacy webinar series over three Thursdays in September (7pm EDT). Join us for one or more of the following sessions:

September 9: Climate Financing
September 16: Indigenous Rights
September 23: Climate Ambition and Transition

Join us to hear from guest speakers, learn more about recent progress on the FLC advocacy priorities, and discuss what we will be urging the new federal government to do to advance climate justice.

Register for the Webinar Series

All of our research, prayer, and growth will come together for us this year on St. Francis day (Oct 3), as we bless our animals during the eucharist, and gather for a movie screening and conversation at 1pm. St. Francis was a lover of God in the cathedral of God's Creation so it's appropriate for us to mark his feast day in this way. Friends from neighboring parishes may join us as we listen and learn from Indigenous voices about the sacred relationship of water to life in our world. Please see the movie clip for more information and register below for links to the zoom viewing of this movie. This movie is brought to us the Native Counseling Services of Alberta and is used with their permission and our thanks.