This season is shared worldwide as a means to help Christians to better understand the climate and ecological crisis and to connect this to their faith. The season attempts to provide a space to consider our response to the crises unfolding in our world.

Together we are encouraged to build moral courage and create the conditions for the rapid and prophetic action that is so desperatelyneeded to ‘safeguard the integrity of creation’.

I wonder, how does our perception change when we begin to experience the natural world as sacred? For those who joined Mike Mullins from ‘Soul Rewilding’ earlier in the summer, (https://www.soulrewilding.co.uk/home) there was the opportunity to consider our relationship to the trees in our churchyard.

I wonder, how do our hearts change when we begin to care not only about our own children and grandchildren, but also about future generations and other species?

This Creationtide let’s set out together on a journey of transformation as we look deeply into our sources of hope for the world, think hard about our own repentance and really imagine ways in which we can work together to build a just and sustainable future.

We are called to fall in love with the world that God made, that world is in peril but we humans still have the capacity to transform it with our God given lives, our God given love, our God given community.

Our thinking about the third mark of mission will be broadened and enhanced this month when we are joined by two visiting preachers, The Rev Vanessa Elston, Chaplain to Bishop Martin and Archdeacon of Reigate and Tandridge, The Ven Moira Astin, please do come and join in the conversation!

Lord God,

We are part of Your Creation

We look around, we use and abuse
We can see what we’ll lose
But now it’s time for us to choose

We are part of Your Creation

We moan and we complain
We are quick to point the blame
But everything just stays the same

We are part of Your Creation

We express our concern
We now worry, not if but when
But … we never seem to learn

We are part of Your Creation

But what we do takes its toll
We look around, what is our goal
We are involved, we have a role

For we are part of Your Creation

The time is now to get involved
To care for all, for we are blessed
We can address what we have messed

For we are part of Your Creation

In seeing Your beauty all around
The beauty and wonder may still be found
We commit ourselves for we are bound

For we are part of Your Creation

Your creation was for all
Help us now to hear that call
We respond for time eternal

For we are part of Your Creation

Bless us as we seek to care
And do everything that we might dare
We leave a legacy for all to share

For we are part of Your Creation

Let us nurture every generation
In every corner of every nation

For… we are part of Your Creation.

Rt Rev Dr Shaw Paterson