Creation Time 2021

Creation Time 2021

This year Eco-Congregation Scotland and Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT) combine to provide a bank of resources of real value to congregations, in a variety of current media, to facilitate ‘Creation Time/Creationtide/Season of Creation’ as, with Christians around the world, we dedicate this short season to reflection on our often troubled relationship with the Earth.

In this year of the COP26 United Nations climate conference taking place in Glasgow from 31 October to 12 November, we are delighted to produce new weekly resources prepared by our Eco-Chaplain Reverend David Coleman and diverse volunteers in partnership with the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT). 

After a year’s postponement, COP26 has become the stimulating backdrop to prayer and preaching in 2021, drawing together many churches and faith traditions. Under the harsh glare of greater awareness of global crisis, the scriptures blossom with meaning and significance as resources for encouragement and reflection.

Congregations in Scotland will value both the challenge of welcome and the legacy: church simply must be “something different” – whilst also becoming even more profoundly communities of authentic prayer and commitment.

JPIT is a partnership between the Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and Baptist Union of Great Britain (Baptist Churches outwith Scotland) with the Church of Scotland as an associate partner. Its purpose is to help the Churches work together for peace and justice through listening, learning, praying, speaking and acting on public policy issues.

JPIT's presentation of our co-produced Season of Creation resources: https://www.jointpublicissues.org.uk/creation/

 

Week 1 Sep 5th
Week 2 Sep 12th
Week 3 Sep 19th
Week 4 Sep 26th
Week 5 Oct 3rd
General Items and all 5
Psalms under heaven : location reading of psalms for the season
Gospels Earthed : Dramatic reading of the Lectionary Gospels by playwright and performer Jo Clifford
Church of Scotland : Weekly Worship - September 2021
Scottish Episcopal Church : Season of Creation / Creationtide Experimental Liturgies
SCIAF - Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund : Season of Creation - Parish Resources
Justice and Peace Scotland : A Prayer for Our Earth - A Service in Preparation for COP26
Wild Goose printed book 'Living faithfully in the time of Creation' : editors Kathy Galloway, Katharine Preston
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland : Season of Creation / Creation Time 2021
Season of Creation global ecumenical resources : A home for all? Renewing the Oikos of God

What is Creation Time?

In 1989 the Ecumenical Patriarch suggested that 1 September, the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Church year, should be observed as a day "of protection of the natural environment". Ten years later the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) widened this proposal, urging churches to adopt a Time for Creation stretching from 1 September to the feast of St Francis on 4 October and this was endorsed by the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, Romania in 2007, which recommended that the period "be dedicated to prayer for the protection of Creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our contribution to climate change".
Since 2008 Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) has compiled a programme of resources to encourage and assist churches to observe Creation Time. These include suggestions on a variety of ways in which churches, groups and individuals could choose to focus on a creation theme at this particular time of the year. Pope Francis made the Catholic Church’s warm welcoming of the season official in 2015 and last year encouraged participation in the ecumenical Season of Creation:
“This is the season for letting our prayer be inspired anew by closeness to nature...to reflect on our lifestyles...for undertaking prophetic actions...directing the planet towards life, not death.”