Creationtide, referred to also as the Season of Creation, is a period in the annual church calendar where we think about God as Creator and Sustainer of all life. Creationtide season is from 1st September to 4th October and tends to be in the period leading up to and including Harvest Thanksgiving.
I’m not sure how you feel about the many issues happening internationally at this time. For me there is an undercurrent of powerlessness and anger about the territorial wars causing death, injury, displacement and loss in human terms. And there’s the destruction of infrastructure and buildings, homes, community, business and industry. I wonder as well about the effect of the massive use of weapons on the environment and climate.
The Church of England’s theme for the Season of Creation 2025 is peace with creation, based on Isaiah 32:14-18. The prophet Isaiah pictured the desolated Creation without peace because of the lack of justice and the broken relationship between people and God. This description of devastated cities and wastelands reveals how human destructive behaviours have a negative impact on the Earth.
Our hope: Creation will find peace when justice is restored. There is still hope, and the expectation for a peaceful Earth. To hope does not mean to stand still and quiet, but to act, pray, change, and reconcile with Creation and the Creator in unity, repentance and solidarity.1
When I’m in a bit of an anxious and powerless place, I find two prayers helpful:
The Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I repeat this and often find peace in this perspective. After all, I play my own part in different ways in contributing to the distress of creation.
And then, there’s the Lord’s Prayer, helping me to become re-grounded in God’s love and provision.
The Epistle for this Sunday is 1 Timothy 2:1-7. Here we find Paul giving us helpful instruction regarding prayer.
Instructions concerning Prayer
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all —this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
For me, especially in this season, the key is the instruction to us to pray; “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”
It’s vital that we pray for King Charles and members of our government who have responsibility, and include other world leaders, praying for them to seek justice and mercy in all parts of the world where there is conflict. Pray that they will end unnecessary violence and destruction “so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.”
I’m mindful of how big my own ego is…And I recall that Richard Rohr suggests that ego can be looked at as “edging God out.” Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
With many Blessings, this Creationtide,
Revd Dave
1 churchofengland.org/about/environment-and-climate-change/season-creation