St. Francis icon
This year's Season of Creation observance will begin Sept. 1 with a prayer service in Assisi, Italy, home of Saint Francis, known as the author of "Canticle of the Creatures." (Ryan Rodrick Beiler/LWF)
Sept. 1 marks the World Day of Prayer for Creation and the opening of the Season of Creation, meant to be a “spiritual walk” with various steps through the city of Saint Francis in Assisi, Italy.
During the prayer service, top representatives of the world’s Christian traditions will call the faithful to care for the Earth during the Season of Creation. They will also call for ambition at this December’s UN climate negotiations in Poland.
In Assisi, Rev. Henrik Grape, coordinator of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Working Group on Climate Change will share a reflection on Galatians 3:26-28.
Season of Creation
The Assisi event will open an annual global celebration of prayer and action to protect the Earth, the Season of Creation. From Sept, 1 to Oct, 4, Christians around the world unite to pray and care for creation.The Season of Creation is supported by leaders of the world’s major Christian denominations. It will be observed with hundreds of hands-on events on six continents.
The proposal to celebrate a "Time for Creation" during these five weeks was made by the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in 2007. The following year, the WCC Central Committee invited churches to observe "Time for Creation" through prayers and actions. Throughout the years, major Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Anglican organizations have joined to encourage the 2.2 billion Christians worldwide to pray and act on ecological issues.
The Season of Creation is facilitated by the World Council of Churches, the Global Catholic Climate Movement, ACT Alliance, the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and the Anglican Communion Environmental Network.
For United Methodists, Discipleship Ministries provides resources for the observance of the Season of Creation. This year's schedule is:
Week 1: Sept. 2 Planting Sunday: Good Beginnings Song of Solomon 2:8-13
Week 2: Sept. 9 Mountain Sunday: Protection and Care Psalm 125
Week 3: Sept, 16 Sky Sunday: Dominion and Exploitation Psalm 19
Week 4: Sept. 23 Harvest Sunday: Cultivation and Fruits Psalm 1
Week 5: Sept. 30 Blessing All Creatures: Bring It! Psalm 124
For information on the United Methodist Earthkeepers program, an initiative of the General Board of Global Ministries, see the Caretakers of God's Creation website.
Learn more about Season of Creation
Information from several WCC News reports and the Discipleship Ministries website was used in this article.