Congregations join Christians around the world to celebrate Creation Time

Congregations across Scotland will soon be joining Christians around the world to celebrate Creation Time throughout the month of September.

The annual event runs from the first day of the Orthodox calendar on Sunday 1 Sptember until the feast of St Francis on Wednesday 4 October.

Even you

An ecumenical group led by Eco-Congregation Scotland has put together coordinated resources for churches to celebrate the environment through worship on the theme of 'Even You'.

Rev David Coleman, who is the chaplain for Eco-Congregation Scotland said: "Creation Time, this year, is a humble attempt to encourage churches to open up the question of what it means to follow Christ in a time of threat and crisis.

"Everyone is involved, 'Even You' because we share, in the Earth, a common home.

"As we see frequently in the Bible passages for September, there are no excuses, no one is too bad or good for the invitation to partnership with God and the rest of Creation.

"Status quo is no safe haven.

"The vehicle for this urgent journey is the discernment of Christian faith and scripture in our regular weekly prayer and worship."

Creation Time

Creation Time was established in 1989 when the Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Church, which has its headquarters in Turkey, stated there should be a day of "protection of the natural environment".

In the following decade, the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN) recommended the proposal and the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, Romania formally endorsed the Christian movement in 2007.

This year, the material has been created by people from a range of denominations including the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church, the United Reformed Church and the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Rt Rev Colin Sinclair said: "Since God is our Creator we take the world seriously.

"We see God's fingerprints in its beauty and variety and in its majesty and detail.

"We have been called to be stewards of the earth but climate change and the damage to our ecosystem show how far we have fallen short.

"These resources help to focus our thoughts, prayer and action in caring for God's creation, being grateful for it, and playing our part to make a difference."

Link to Creation Time resources

Find out more about Eco-Congregation Scotland