Three months to the Sunday from my lovely retirement service and celebration I can say that I have no qualms about my choice to move on from pastoral ministry. I do miss many of the fine people from my final congregation and the others I served through the years but I was ready to explore other facets of Christ's call in the world.
We spent the month of July in Newfoundland, where ordained ministry began, and I will admit that on our drive home my mind automatically asked the question of what I would do for Creation Time. This is the ecumenical and world-wide mini-season of the Christian Year which begins this weekend and continues through to October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis. Most congregations which observe Creation Time during worship will begin to do so next weekend, but September 1st is the official start of this season in which we reflect on the joys and travails of the exquisite web of God's created order.
The challenge is to give God praise and to express gratitude as we acknowledge the effects of human depredation and degradation. This summer we have been aware of vast forest fires in British Columbia which are the result of high temperatures, lack of rainfall, and forests which have been reduced to fuel by invasive insects.
In other areas of the world, including Texas, massive floods have caused widespread damage and loss of life. The Texas deluge has been described as an "800-year storm" yet this is the third year in a row that Houston has experienced flood-inducing rainfall events.
I appreciate climate scientist and Christian Katherine Hayhoe's persistent reminders that global warming and climate change are not political or religious. They can be scientifically measured, described, and projected (if not predicted.) Hayhoe is a Canadian who now lives and works in Texas. Creation Time is an opportunity to celebrate, but also a call to action by the faithful of all traditions. We don't want the sins of the fathers and mothers to be visited on the children and grandchildren we claim to cherish.
Have you become more aware of Creation Time in recent years? Do you feel helpless in the face of global climate change, or are you hopeful? Does your faith motivate you to act?
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