This year, churches around the world from many traditions are adding a new days to the calendar. The Orthodox Church has celebrated the Feast of Creation in Christ on September 1 and now Catholic and Protestant churches are joining them. The Revised Common Lectionary will include new texts for Years A, B, and C for this celebration, starting with 2026. There are many ways that the new observance may take place:
- First, consider celebrating the Feast Day itself on September 1 with an ecumenical gathering in person in Seattle, WA, or by livestream at 6:30 pm Pacific/7:30pm Mountain/8:30pm Central/9:30 pm Eastern. More on that service here.
- On the first Sunday of September this year, and in all following years, consider planning a special Creation in Christ Sunday for your congregation. This could include special worship observances, garden tours, local foods for fellowship time, calls to action for reducing our ecological footprint, and more.
- Throughout the month of September, bring the Season of Creation to life in your context with hymns, texts, themes, sermons, prayers, and calls in worship and/or with classes for students of any age.
Any of these ideas, written by the Worship Team from UMCJM, may make use of new resources for worship and education, called Salt+Soil+Seawater, that introduce the lectionary texts for this year’s feast day and provide ideas for up to four weeks of worship and six weeks of study. They are available to all churches free of charge. Learn more and access the resources here.
Especially, take note of the resources, found at the link above, for children by Rev. Tura Foster-Gillespie and for youth by Rev. Laura Baumgartner. Both of these contributors have experience working with young disciples and have assembled ideas for engaging them in worship and beyond worship through tasks that are meaningful and invitational. Often, the young people in our churches bring a passion for environmental stewardship, a focus on justice for those most affected by natural and human-formed disasters, and a deep concern for the creatures who share this planet with us. During this season, highlight their gifts and hear their voices, for they are leading the church already in ways that God is calling.
Events:
Feast of Creation Ecumenical Worship Livestream
September 1 6:30 pm Pacific/7:30 pm Mountain/8:30 pm Central/9:30 pm Eastern
Hosted by the Center for Ecumenical and Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University and partners, including some from our UMCJM worship team, this service draws on the new lectionary texts and diverse theological liturgical resources. It will focus on the sacredness of Creation, Earth care, and Climate justice.
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AGKaUPG1ZY