Hope for Creation – a time for worship and action is the theme for Creation Time 2008, which runs from September 1st to October 4th.
The initiative follows a resolution made at the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in 2007, attended by representatives of Europe’s Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and Protestant churches, that this time be “dedicated to prayer for the protection of Creation and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our contribution to climate change.”
The initiative has been backed by the four co-presidents of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI). A programme of resources has been developed by CBTI to assist the churches in celebrating this time. These include two sets of sermon materials, based on the Hope for Creation theme, using either the Lord’s Prayer or the Revised Common Lectionary, and a range of liturgies and other resources suitable for use in worship services, study groups, children’s activities and action ideas. They are downloadable from www.ctbi.org.uk/creationtime
Representatives of the ‘four nations’ participated in the preparation of these resources, with Ireland represented by Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI). The languages of the ‘four nations’ are honoured in the materials – Gaeilge, Scots Gaelic and Welsh as well as English.
ECI has written to all Irish church leaders, urgently imploring them to promote this time of prayer and action by drawing the attention of their faith communities to the resources available.
“Scriptural Holiness … is the way of life, inspired by the Holy Scriptures and empowered by the Holy Spirit, which seeks to let the presence and love of God be known in every part of God’s creation, loving by both word and deed. It seeks … to read the signs of the times and interpret them in the light of the Gospel” -Methodist Church in Ireland mission statement 1993
“Whatever our project or wherever we focus our energy, unless we are situating that within the context of the total community of life on the planet, we are failing to be faithful interpreters of the signs of the times.” – Fr Thomas Berry C.P.