Kirk launches Creation Time 2018 resources

Worship leaders from around the world will be turning to Scotland for prayers, sermon ideas and activities Christians can use during Creation Time—the 5-week period dedicated to celebrating and protecting God's creation.

An ecumenical team with contributors from the Church of Scotland, the Roman Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, the Scottish Episcopal Church, and the United Reformed Church have put together Creation Time worship materials on the theme of ‘Passing our Planet on: God's Gift to us'.

Passing our Planet on: God's Gift to us

Rt Rev Susan Brown, Moderator of the Church of Scotland's General Assembly, welcomed the resources and thanked the authors, saying:

"We cannot afford to take the world around us and all it contains for granted. We need to celebrate it, care for it and nourish it as people of faith, giving thanks to God for it and looking for His signature in it.

"These resources will enable us to do just that in a variety of ways. Please use, share and enjoy them."

Adrian Shaw, the Church of Scotland's climate change officer, said this year's theme links to Scotland's Year of Young People.

"It reflects on our planet passing on from one generation to the next, and the gifts given us by God to support and guide us in our care for creation."

Stretching from 1 September (the first day of the Orthodox Church year) to 4 October (the Feast of St Francis), Creation Time has been dedicated to prayer for creation and the adoption of sustainable lifestyles that reverse our human contribution to climate change.

A joint statement of support for the Season of Creation

Creation Time started in the Orthodox Church in 1989 and has since gained support from other churches as well as the European Christian Environmental Network and the European Ecumenical Assembly. This year for the first time Christian leaders signed a joint statement of support for the Season of Creation.

The members of the Creation Time 2018 writing group are:

• Rev Sally Foster-Fulton, Head of Christian Aid Scotland;
• Richard Murray, a lay reader in the Scottish Episcopal Church and a member of its Church in Society committee;
• Callum and Emma Newton, lieutenants in the Stornoway corps of the Salvation Army;
• Miriam McHardy, a member of the Roman Catholic Church who has worked for many years in the area of faith, justice and the environment; and
• Rev Lindsey Sanderson, a United Reformed Church minister, serving three congregations in East Kilbride and Hamilton.

Creation Time Eco-Congregation Scotland Resources

You can access the full list of resources on both the Worship pages and on the Eco-Congregation Scotland website.