Do you wonder if you should take Isaiah 55:12 literally, comfortable that trees of the field can indeed “clap their hands?”
You can join the many Christians who, this month, are worshipping with creation – with the forests, rivers and fields – in praise of the Creator. It’s part of a worldwide Christian movement called the Season of Creation, which reminds Man that he shares the earth with all God made.
Each of the five Sundays in September is devoted to an aspect of creation. Tomorrow for instance is Sky Sunday, when churches like the Clarence Uniting Church in Hobart will have lectionary-based readings appreciating the sky. While the congregation will not worship the sky, it will celebrate with it – a recognition of the divine presence within all of nature.
Clarence Uniting has observed the Season of Creation for some time. When minister Denis Hawkey took over two years ago, he chose to continue the tradition. “I’m a greenie,” he says staunchly. “I love the Season of Creation as it gives me an opportunity to talk about environmental issues.
“Today we work from a sort of take-all-from-creation mentality, reaping the harvest too greedily. We’re unconcerned about tomorrow.”
Remembering to protect, rather than exploit, creation is a key focus of the movement.
“Without creation there is no humanity,” says Dr Miriam Pepper, founding member of UnitingEarthweb and Secretary of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC). “There’d be no supply of food to begin with, no natural resources to build with.”
The Season of Creation also promotes an understanding that God is the God of all life, not just of humanity.
“When looking at ecology, we need to revisit ancient wisdoms,“ she says. “The Scriptures say that the heavens declare the glory of God. It’s not just that the sky inspires the Psalmist to praise God – the sky in its own way, praises God as well!”
“Today we see the otherness of the other species of creation, a species not given a voice. But it’s not a they versus us thing… we are part of creation.”
The Season of Creation, Pepper says, is an opportunity for humans to pause and look at our place in life, in a different way.
“If we read Scripture through ecological eyes, we’ll see that there is a sensitivity to creation. We need to take a little more care of the world around us, and to pray… because we pray for what we care about, and care for what we pray about.”
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