World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation

Touch the earth lightly,
		use the earth gently,
nourish the life of the world in our care:
		gift of great wonder,
		ours to surrender,
trust for the children tomorrow will bear.

                  Voices United 307 Vs 1

This is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation,  an ecumenical initiative involving Christian denominations from around our precious planetary home. While it began with the Orthodox communion in the late 1980s this day of prayer has been embraced by the Roman Catholic church and many others, including the United Church of Canada. The late Pope Francis was an enthusiastic supporter of the Season of Creation which begins today and concludes on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis, his namesake. Pope Leo is a strong supporter as well. 

During what the United Church calls Creation Time I will reflect on the importance of Christians engaging in the important work of becoming humble co-creators of shalom alongside our Creator. Our human arrogance has brought about a climate crisis yet we still have the opportunity to prayerfully step back from the brink of destruction  for the good of all creatures. It is appropriate that the Season of Creation/Creation Time/Creationtide begins on Labour Day because this must become a common  "labour of love" in Christ's name, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for the day: 

 PEACE WITH CREATION

Creator of all,

we praise you for the gift of life

and for the faith that unites us in care for our common home.

We confess how estranged we have become—

from one another, from your Creation, and from our truest selves.

We acknowledge that our greed and destructive impulses

have fractured our relationships with you, with others, and with the Earth.

Fertile fields have become barren,

forests lie desolate,

oceans and rivers are polluted.

Thriving communities have become places of suffering,

and the earth cries out.

Beloved Christ,

who spoke “Shalom” to frightened hearts,

stir us to compassionate action.

Inspire us to work for the end of conflict,

and for the full restoration of broken relationships—

with you, with the ecumenical community,

with the human family,

and with all Creation.

Prince of Peace,

through your wounds, teach us to stand in solidarity

with the woundedness of others,

of creation, and of the world.

Through your resurrection,

make us people of hope—

with a vision of swords turned into ploughshares

and tears transformed into joy.

May we come together as one family,

to labor for your peace—

a shalom where all your people

may dwell in safety,

and rest in quiet places.

Amen.

The Season of Creation “tree” logo was designed for the Season of Creation and orange was selected as the corresponding liturgical colour for the season.  Symbolically, orange is the colour of fire and flame: the red of passion tempered by the yellow of wisdom, the colour of harvest, fruitfulness, joy and symbolic of endurance and strength.

Flowing within and outside the Tree is a blue Circle, a symbol of God’s eternity. It is blue, the color of the sky and heaven and symbolic of wisdom and clarity.  A Cross of gold (worth, splendor, wealth and Jesus’ ‘royalty’) fills the Circle, both within and outside the Tree. It is an pattée cross, recalling the consecration cross of the very ancient church and thus the holiness of life. It also reminds us of a Celtic cross whose spirituality maintains the intricate link between humanity and nature. The square at the intersection of the cross recalls God as Mystery. The four colors also represent the four elements of creation: earth/brown, air/white, fire/orange and water/blue.

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