Season of Creation
This is the period in the annual church calendar, from 1st September to 4th October, dedicated to God as Creator and Sustainer of all life. There are extensive resources on the Eco Congregation website.
Below are some simple, achievable activities for each week throughout the season. Some are suitable for churches working together, some for individuals and some for families. We would suggest that you select a few which appeal to you and use them as a starting point to deepen your understanding of our place in creation. In most cases we have given sources for further information and inspiration.
Week 1: Nature
Find 5 flowers
Give praise for their beauty
Let an area of grass grow long
Even a small area provides shelter and habitat for insects and so food for birds.
Our native grasses are beautiful when allowed to grow long.
RSPB – Activities – Get involved and help us save nature
Create a winter hibernation space
Many of us tidy up our garden too much leaving no room for animals to survive the winter.
The Blue Campaign Hub – A Rewilded Garden
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.
(Matthew 6 28-29)
Week 2: Food
A prayerful, praiseful meal
Think, talk, pray and praise your way through a meal. So much of the world’s resources and the work of so many people come together in even the simplest meal. If we appreciate the impact of our meals on the whole of creation we will not take it for granted.
If your church offers refreshments after the service, do you use fairly-traded and ethically- produced goods?
The communities already facing extreme hardship due to unfair trade feel the worst effects of climate change.
Make a meal or day a meat free day
The “carbon foot print” of meat varies enormously but meat has a much higher impact than most vegetarian options.
BBC – Vegan v flexitarian – which will save the planet?
Tasty – A tasty and easy recipe – Potatoe Curry
Eat more local, seasonal produce
Food which is grown in season locally should be grown without unnecessary transport, packaging and without the need for extra heating and lighting to make it grow.
EUFIC – Are seasonal fruit and vegetables better for the environment?
Learn more
The more you know about the impact of food the better your decision making
This is an impressively comprehensive article on the environmental impact of food I have found but it is not an easy read:
Our World in Data – Environmental Impacts of Food Production
Some hae meat and canna eat
And some wad eat that want it:
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.
Week 3: Waste
To take our role in creation we must first engage and see, as God did, that it is good. We accept the need to care.
List everything thrown away either at home or church on Sunday.
Don’t forget water.
Waste took energy and the planet’s resources to make but often those resources are lost or, even worse, become pollution.
YouTube – Kicking the plastic habit – TED Talk
Green your clean! Make cloths out of old tshirts etc.
This avoids waste and gives you a supply of free re-usable cloths.
Make a draught excluder
Draughty homes mean higher fuel use and higher energy cost.
Energy Saving Trust – Draught Proofing
YouTube – Free motion Christmas tree draught excluder tutorial by Debbie Shore
Walk to a place you love. See and hear the things you love about it. Give praise. Note any litter and waste. Pray.
(Genesis 1: 31, Genesis 2: 15)
God of creation, who loves all he has made and all that has evolved, open the eyes of your people, that your love might be reflected in our care for the planet. Through Jesus Christ, who walked this earth and calls us by name. Amen
(Nicholas Baines; Bishop of Leeds)
Week 4: Energy
In your home, observe and give thanks for the technology that makes your life better
Technology allows us to be warm, clean, entertained, safe, connected. All of this is good but it comes with more than just a financial cost and we must use it responsibly, carefully and in moderation. We should not take it for granted. Could we use less and enjoy it more?
All Poetry – An Old Woman of the Fields
Buy the next item of clothing you need from a charity shop
The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions according to the world bank.
World Bank – How Much Do Our Wardrobes Cost to the Environment?
Oxfam – Second Hand September Campaign
When light bulbs in church and at home fail, replace with LED bulbs.
LED lightbulbs consume approximately 15% of the energy of halogen bulbs.
Energy Saving Trust – Lighting
Cook with a lid on the saucepan
The saves between 20-30% energy compared to keeping the lid off.
Week 5: Travel
If you usually drive then plan to switch one journey this week to public transport or walking if possible, or lift share to remove a vehicle from the road.
Driving contributes a great deal to our carbon footprint, to air and noise pollution.
Give yourself a break. We can get so caught up in the need to rush here and there. Can you cut out just one journey this week and spend the time in prayer?
(Luke 10: 40-42)
Create around me God,
Amen
a place of stillness and of peace;
a place where I might find the time
to reflect and relax;
a place where I might hear your
still small voice;
a place where I might be renewed.