Many people, this month, are celebrating Creation Season.
This site is committed to the three year lectionary (RC) and its derivative, the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). Rather than departing from that lectionary, in previous years resources have been provided on this site for a “creation reading” of our shared biblical texts. This means that this site has such creation reflections for Years C and A, and resources for this Creation Season for this year, Year B, will be added to that Creation Season resources page.
The lectionary for year B (2015, 2018, 2021…)
A creation reading of the lectionary for the Sunday between 11 and 17 September:
The Proverbs reading uses images certainly familiar to many, “panic strikes you like a storm, and your calamity comes like a whirlwind”; we are reaping the consequences of our actions (and inactions), we are “eating the fruit of our way”.
Psalm 19 is a wonderful proclamation of God’s creation.
The James text is littered with creation images and ideas (including how we humans harness and use, and, hence, possibly abuse creation): horses, strong winds, forests, fire, fresh water, fig trees, olives, and grapevines. It includes a text that is open to significant discussion and debate: “every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species”. When does “subduing” (וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ) and having “dominion over” (וּרְד֞וּ) creation (Gen 1:28) become destructive?
The Gospel reading has a wonderful creation-season question: “what will it profit them to gain the whole world”
In the last weekend I was at our diocesan synod. We made decisions about Climate Change, acknowledging that the church has been negligent. As well as having every ministry unit undertake study relating to climate change, we noted the Encyclical of Pope Francis’ “Laudato Si” (link here), and the Anglican Consultative Council 2015 text, The World is Our Host – a Call to Urgent Action for Climate Change.
We need to take action.
Here is last week’s reflection.
The additional value of using the agreed, shared texts of our three-year lectionary, rather than abandoning the lectionary to pick other, “convenient”, creation proof-texts using a concordance, is that by staying with the lectionary texts we demonstrate that creation is an integral thread woven through the whole Bible.
Please add, in the comments below, any further creation insights from the lectionary readings, as well as other creation resources that will be useful this month. Some of these ideas will be added to the Creation Season resource page which I encourage you to also check out.
If you appreciated this post, consider signing up for a not-very-often email, and/or like the liturgy facebook page…
