Churches and faith communities throughout Ireland are encouraged to join Christians throughout the world in celebrating Creation Time from 1st September to 4th October (the Feast of St Francis).
There are many ways to observe Creation Time, including holding a climate justice service and organising environmental events e.g. a litter pick, a nature walk or inviting a speaker to speak on an environmental theme.
Creation Time, which is celebrated every year by churches throughout the world, is a great opportunity for Christians to reflect on the wonder and mystery of Creation and to choose better ways to relate to Creation, ways that reflect God’s ways of justice and peace.
The Creation Time focus this year follows the World Council of Churches’ theme, Joining the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace, in anticipation of the important UN climate talks, known as COP21, that will take place in Paris in early December.
Eco-Congregation Ireland has prepared intercessory prayers to help all faith communities to focus on Creation.You can see them by clicking here. We have also prepared a ready-made service of prayer and reflection, which you can find here.
Our sister organisation, Eco-Congregation Scotland, has produced resources too, which you can find here.
The World Council of Churches has links to some great resources too, which you can see here.
All these resources are aimed at preparing and equipping parishes and faith communities to respond appropriately to the COP21 gathering, which will see leaders and representatives of more than 190 countries meet together to try to agree measures necessary to avoid damaging changes to the planet and its inhabitants, including a possibly catastrophic 2°C rise in global temperatures.
The material, which includes liturgy, prayers, sermon notes and suggested hymns, follows the Revised Common Lectionary readings for September, with a particular emphasis on the Gospel readings, which feature Jesus journeying on the road.
We would also encourage you to make use of the ECI climate change resource, which includes a theological response to climate change, prayers for the environment and advice on how to reduce your carbon footprint. The resource, which also includes some of the latest data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 5th assessment report, was launched and endorsed last November by Prof John Sweeney of NUI Maynooth, who is widely considered as Ireland’s leading climate scientist.
“The resource provides a valuable perspective on the nature and impacts of climate change in an Irish context,” said Prof Sweeney. “On a practical level it highlights the connection between local action and global consequences. It also demonstrates that the problem of climate change can only be tackled if ethical principles are coupled with scientific knowledge to inform and motivate policy makers. The disconnect between the science and the politics of national interest have bedevilled attempts to tackle our greenhouse gas emissions and the authors of the report are to be congratulated on highlighting these vital linkages.”
The resource includes quotes from Mary Robinson as well as environmentalists Gavin Harte and Éanna Ní Lamhna, BBC television presenter Rev Peter Owen-Jones, Alex Hill of the Met Office, Columban eco-theologian Fr Seán McDonagh, Monsignor Dermot Lane, President of the Mater Dei Institute, and Bishop David Atkinson, former Bishop of Thetford – all of whom have spoken at events ECI has organised over the past few years.
We hope these resources will encourage Christians in Ireland to incorporate eco-friendly habits into their lives – as churches, communities and as individuals – as they come to terms with the reality of climate change and the urgent need for climate justice – for the sake in particular of the world’s poor, of the whole of Creation and of future generations.
To find out about how Creation Time came about, click here.