In the month of September, and concluding on the feast of St Francis on October 4, many people focus on creation. For Christians, creation is not merely an academic discussion about evolution or not – it is now, much more, seen as an essential part of mission, in partnership with others who share concern for what Pope Francis, in his encyclical Laudato Si, calls “our common home”.
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 this year, Year A. This year was the first year since these resources were created that an earlier Sunday in September required extending those resources.
A creation reading of the lectionary for the Sunday between 28 August and 3 September:
The Exodus reading is full of creation images – flock, wilderness, mountain, fire, bush, and God being pleased that Moses is noticing. Then there is ground which is sacred. This is followed by the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey.
Jeremiah has an eating metaphor, and a deceitful brook, with waters that fail.
Paul writes to the Romans about hunger and thirst.
The Gospel reading talks about gaining the whole world, and about life.
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.
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“by staying with the lectionary texts we demonstrate that creation is an integral thread woven through the whole Bible.”
I like that.
Many Blessings
Unfortunately, the RCL has no provisions for the Septuagesima-tide, which is the traditional season of the creation, not only in the pre-Reformation books, but also in the BCP 1662.
September we have the Fall ember days, which are also something important. But again, I suppose the RCL has nothing to do with it.
If we care about the creation, the only efficient means is to become vegan. Abolish the psychological and physical pain of the sentient creatures that are the animals. Thereby, the ecological imprint on the planet will also be hugely reduced. Creating a supplementary “creation season” is only a beam in the eye, which will prevent us from metanoia, from questioning our permanent consumption habits.
As Derek Olsen put it in another context, «[…] clergy could minister to anyone older than they were but only to people up to 15 years younger. For folks younger than that, they were simply out of touch.» Fr Bosco, try to become younger in your mind. Go meet some atheist/agnostic vegan younger folks, and talk with them, «for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light». You will than be able to see how this your creation season is cheap. Then «focus on creation» and «essential part of mission» will reach some real meaning.
We may be misunderstanding each other, George. I meet and talk with plenty of “atheist/agnostic vegan younger folks”. And it is not “my” creation season. I am responding to the “creation season” produced by others with a way of finding such creation threads throughout the year, throughout the Bible, rather than, as I say, the creation proof-texts approach of some other approaches to making this month a “creation season”. Blessings.