We will have special focus on the Season of Creation at worship, celebrated from the 1st of September to the feast of Holy Hermit St Francis of Assisi on the 4th of October.
2024 theme still being developed.
The theme for 2023 was "Let Justice and Peace Flow" which we embraced in our Co-creators with God Mini-Retreat on the 16th September.We also traveled through the Season with the All God's Creatures Study on Wednesdays.
Prophet Amos cries out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24) and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.
As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.
More resources can be found at the Season of Creation website and Season of Creation/Creation Time/Creationtide 2023 (ecocongregationscotland.org) and Let Climate Justice roll on like a river! Season of Creation 2023 Resources (mailchi.mp).
As a prayer activity you might visit the Threatened fauna of Australia - Wikipedia to pray over all the at risk species in Australia. The 7th of September is National Threatened Species Day - WWF-Australia.
You may also like to check out this Anglican Communion Environmental Network page, Final-Manual-2023_compressed.pdf (greenanglicans.org) and ACEN_Season-Of-Creation-Episcopal-Liturgical-Guide-2023.pdf (anglicancommunion.org)
Here is a fantastic reflective music album for this season too from The Porter’s Gate :
Creator of All,
From your communion of love life sprung forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being.
On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with the life-giving waters proclaiming
peace and justice for all creation.
You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right relationship with each creature, but we
failed to listen to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the most vulnerable.
We broke with the flowing communion of love and sinned against you by not safeguarding the conditions for life.
We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats, we grieve the loss of human cultures, along with the lives
and livelihoods that have been displaced or perished, and we ache at the sight of an economy of death, war and
violence that we have inflicted on ourselves and on the Earth.
Open our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the book of Scripture and the
book of creation. Bless us once again with your life-giving waters so that the Creator Spirit may let justice and peace
flow in our hearts and overflow into all creation.
Open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to share it with our suffering brothers and
sisters, all creatures around us, and all creation.
Bless us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams of the living waters of God’s justice
and peace may become a mighty river all over the Earth.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Creator of All, From your communion of love your Word went forth to create a symphony of life that sings your praise.
By your Holy Wisdom you made the Earth to bring forth a diversity of creatures who praise you in their being. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.
You called human beings to till and keep your garden. You placed us into right relationships with each creature so that we could listen to their voices, and learn how to safeguard the conditions for life. But we turn in on ourselves and away from our co-creatures. We close our ears to the counsel of our fellow creatures. We fail to listen to the cries of the poor and the needs of the most vulnerable. We silence the voices of those who hold the traditions that teach us to care for the Earth. We close our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the Scriptures.
We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats that will never speak again. We grieve the loss of human cultures, along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced or perished. Creation cries out as forests crackle, and animals alike flee the fires of injustice that we have lit by our unwillingness to listen.
In this Season of Creation, we pray that you would call to us, as from the burning bush, with the sustaining fire of your Spirit. Breathe upon us. Open our ears and move our hearts. Turn us from our inward gaze. Teach us to contemplate your creation, and listen for the voice of each creature declaring your glory. For “faith comes from hearing.”
Give us hearts to listen for the good news of your promise to renew the face of the Earth. Enlighten us with the grace to follow the Way of Christ as we learn to walk lightly upon this holy ground. Fill us with the hope to quench the fires of injustice with the light of your healing love that sustains our common home. In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.