Since 2018, Season of Creation has been a moment of celebration, prayer and action for the Common Grace community as we call together for creation and climate justice.
Observed from 1 September to 4 October, Season of Creation, also known as Creationtide in Eastern Orthodox churches, is an opportunity for Christians across the world to come together in a time of celebration, prayer, and advocacy for God’s beautiful creation.
While most will be familiar with Christians celebrating the annual seasons of the Church calendar such as Advent, Lent, and Pentecost; the more contemporary addition of Season of Creation is not as well known.
In 1989 Patriarch Dimitrios I, the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church proclaimed 1 September as a Day of Prayer for Creation, coinciding with the start of their liturgical year.
Here in Australia serendipitously 1 September is also National Wattle Day and the first day of spring!
And this is where Season of Creation has a significant, but less well recognised Australian connection. In the early 2000s Rev Dr Norm Habel AM was instrumental in encouraging Australian churches to set aside four weeks to celebrate creation. Working with several churches and faith communities, he slowly but inexorably brought more denominations and individual churches together to celebrate a season of creation. By 2005, churches abroad, including New Zealand and USA, were making their own plans to introduce Season of Creation into their annual Christian calendars.
Meanwhile in 2007 the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu, Romania proposed a 5-week “Time for Creation” be celebrated, recommending “Christians and churches in Europe are called to use the Creation time (from 1st September to St Francis of Assisi Day) to pray and act in response to this ecological crisis which already affects the lives of millions of people and the whole creation.” This saw the international celebration of creation extended to 4th October, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi Day: the patron saint of animals and ecology, and a much loved saint across many denominations. The World Council of Churches joined the call for a Season of Creation the following year.
In August 2015 Pope Francis announced that the Roman Catholic Church would join in celebrating 1st September as World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and since then Pope Francis has released an annual message for Season of Creation.
In recent years an increasing number of national and international church leaders from numerous denominations have added their support to celebrating Season of Creation, seeing it become an ecumenical and global significant moment for the Christian community.
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24)
Amidst the growing climate emergency, this season provides us with time to celebrate and reflect on the wonderful gift of God’s precious and beautiful creation. Let creation inspire us to pursue justice and peace, for a collective river of change that aligns with God’s desire and design for the flourishing of all his creation.
We invite you to join with thousands of other Christians during Season of Creation to celebrate and take action together in hope.