On Saturday 31 August, Rev Allen Sleith, minister of Hillsborough Presbyterian Church and Presbyterian rep on the ECI committee, wrote this article for the Belfast Telegraph:
Just now we’re conscious of that annual change from summer to autumn, part of the perennial pattern within which we live. There’s a freshness in the air, daylight hours are shortening, leaves are subtly changing colour, fruits are ripening, and the house martins in our neighbourhoods are likely to depart in the next couple of weeks.
Constancy and change are interwoven in intricate delicate ways. The bible portrays earthly life in fine detail and with a probing gaze. The sprawling wonder of God’s good creation is depicted in Genesis, throughout the Psalms, and by the prophets, to name but a few. But its pages also poignantly lay bare the ways in which we human creatures not only appreciate and use well the gifts of creation but also often take them for granted or tragically abuse them.
For some years now, an increasing body of Christian church traditions has designated the period from early September to early October the ‘Season of Creation’. Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost have long been established points in the Christian calendar. Their particular emphasis is God’s work of salvation in Jesus Christ. But salvation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happened and still does so, within and upon God’s good creation but in a fallen world in which things are no longer right. In short, human sin has distorted and broken the relationships and connections we have with God, other people, ourselves and the rest of creation.
‘Join the Dots Together’ is a network of local people, many of Christian faith, who seek to promote the ‘Season of Creation’ and the vocation of creation care. Some public events are upcoming and these can be accessed via the links www.jointhedotstogether.org or [email protected] to learn more and sign up.
FaithInvest Founding President and prominent environmental campaigner Martin Palmer will join faith-based organizations and civil society groups in Northern Ireland for a series of related events: A conference at Corrymeela Ballycastle on ‘Peace, Justice and Care for the Earth’ on Thursday 19 September; a Youth and Politicians Forum at QUB on Friday morning 20th; a ‘Land and Lough’ Forum at Glengormley Methodist Church that evening; a half-day conference at Belfast South Methodist Church and Agape Centre on Saturday 21st; and finally ‘A Celebration of Difference’ at St Anne’s Cathedral, Belfast that evening.