Men and women of many faiths are demonstrating their commitment to climate justice. On this page are website links that relate to this topic of climate change and information about our Australian response to it.
Prophet Amos cries out: “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24) and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.
As the people of God, we must work together on behalf of all Creation, as part of that mighty river of peace and justice.
This year we will unite around the theme “Let Justice and Peace Flow” with the symbol of A Mighty River. Through prayer, practical advocacy, and sustainable actions, this 2023 Season of Creation can prophetically renew our ecumenical unity and care for our common home.
FROM REV BALABANSKI
Season of Creation. Please bring friends and family to these important services in September, and book up October 1 at 2.00 pm with your pets for the Blessing of the Animals service.
Our liturgies and readings will remain those of the season of Pentecost but the focus of our thoughts and prayers will be our relationship with our common home. If we needed any reminders of the urgency of this focus, the ‘natural’ disasters of the past weeks and months across the globe should leave us in no doubt.
Here are links to some of the resources we’ll be drawing on.
The Anglican Communion overview is here
https://acen.anglicancommunion.org/
The African material is always great, and helpfully themed
https://www.greenanglicans.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Final-Manual-2023_compressed.pdf
And I always find the Church of Scotland material very helpful. https://www.ecocongregationscotland.org/season-of-creation-creation-time-creationtide-2023/
The Catholic Liturgical Guide for the Season of Creation has been developed by Laudato Si’ Movement Member Organizations. They have also sent us the very moving Season of Creation message from Pope Francis. https://seasonofcreation.org/2023/05/25/message-of-pope-francis-for-creation-day-2023/
And finally, here is the Season of Creation ecumenical prayer which I ask that you revisit regularly.
Creator of All,
From your communion of love, life sprang forth like a mighty river and the whole cosmos came into being.
On this Earth of overflowing love, the Word was made flesh and went forth with the life-giving waters proclaiming peace and justice for all creation.
You called human beings to till and protect your garden. You placed us into right relationship with each creature, but we failed to listen to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the most vulnerable. We broke with the flowing communion of love and sinned against you by not safeguarding the conditions for life.
We lament the loss of our fellow species and their habitats, we grieve the loss of human cultures, along with the lives and livelihoods that have been displaced or perished, and we ache at the sight of an economy of death, war and violence that we have inflicted on ourselves and on the Earth.
Open our ears to your creative, reconciling and sustaining Word that calls to us through the book of Scripture and the book of creation. Bless us once again with your life-giving waters so that the Creator Spirit may let justice and peace flow in our hearts and overflow into all creation.
Open our hearts to receive the living waters of God’s justice and peace, and to share it with our suffering brothers and sisters, all creatures around us, and all creation.
Bless us to walk together with all people of good will so that the many streams of the living waters of God’s justice and peace may become a mighty river all over the Earth.
In the name of the One who came to proclaim good news to all creation, Jesus Christ. Amen.