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Listen to the Voice of Creation

By Christine Jack

This year the theme for Season of Creation is ‘Listen to the Voice of Creation’. The Season of Creation, or Creationtide, it is the part of the Church Year, running from 1st September to 4th October, when churches across the diocese and around the world will celebrate and cherish God’s creation and Sunday by Sunday join with all creation in worship.

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth
    and their words to the end of the world. 
Psalm 19

Creation cries out both in glory and in pain. Our starting point is that we are all creatures living in relationship with our Creator. This influences how we relate not only to our fellow living creatures, but with everything that is created. We belong to creation as much as being stewards of it. Care for the earth is founded upon relationship.

All is not always well with creation. Romans 8 tells us of the ‘groaning of creation’; the unexpected heat waves and lack of rain have caused an outbreak of roaring fires on our parched dry land. The prevalence of unnatural fires and the destruction of the burning land can be seen as a sign of the devastating effects that climate change has on our farmland and our farmers, on us as consumers and on the most vulnerable of our planet. 

Creation cries out as fields and forests crackle, animals flee, and people are forced to migrate due to the fires of injustice. The cry of creation is heard in the voices of those suffering from climate change. The parched and hardened ground is unable to receive the rain even when it comes, the land has become so hard and compacted. Drought and flood alternate.

Yet the voice from the burning bush in Exodus 3.1-12, which called to Moses as he tended the flock on Mount Horeb did not consume or destroy the bush. 

This flame of the Spirit revealed God’s presence. This holy fire affirmed that God heard the cries of all who suffered and promised to be with us as we followed in faith to our deliverance from injustice. The covenant with Noah also brings hope, it will not always be like this. Rain brings both flood and new life. It is our responsibility as ‘tillers and keepers’ of the soil to work against the current prevailing destructive forces. 

It is our responsibility not only to hear, the cries of the victims, but to respond and to bring the voices from various communities to the public forum of our businesses and governments, and of our own everyday lives. It is this responsibility and respect for the whole of creation under God which is at the heart of our thinking and acting as the people of God. It is the theological starting point we also share with people of other faiths. 

We must respond to ‘the signs of the times; God in Christ has reconciled the world to Himself; God’s saving purpose is for the whole of creation. Saving creation was part of Christ’s sacrificial mission and as his followers is part of ours. 

Listen to the Voice of Creation - Christine Jack - September 2022
Saving the Planet and Saving Money? - Jan Goodair - September 2022
The Diary of a Prodigal Parishioner 5 - The Big Clothes Disposal - Sue Young - July 2022
The Diary of a Prodigal Parishioner 4 - The Dreaded Wardrobe Audit - Sue Young - May 2022 
The Diary of a Prodigal Parishioner 3 - "Who would know Grandma?" - Sue Young - May 2022
The Diary of a Prodigal Parishioner 2 - Decluttering - Sue Young - March 2022
The Diary of a Prodigal Parishioner 1 - A Journey Towards Environmental Concern and Climate Change - Sue Young - March 2022
Green and Platinum Jubilee Celebrations? - Christine Jack - May 2022
What do we do with the Leftovers? - Jan Goodair - March 2022
Don't Look Up: Or Perhaps We Should - Jan Goodair - January 2022
Planning for a Greener Christmas - Jan Goodair - November 2021
Code Red for Humanity - Jan Goodair - September 2021
Good COP, bad COP - What is COP26 and why is it so important? - Jemima Parker - September 2021
Summer Sabbath Rest - Jan Goodair - July 2021
Quick Action Stations! There's a COP Coming! - Jan Goodair - July 2021
Trees of Life - Jan Goodair - May 2021
Books, Ecology and New Life - Christine Jack - May 2021
My Lent Challenge - Jemima Parker - March 2021
Zero Carbon Church: You Must Be Joking! - Jemima Parker - January 2021
Hoping for a Green Recovery - Ian Fletcher - November 2020
Food Glorious Food - Jemima Parker - September 2020
If Only We Had Known - Jemima Parker - July 2020
Where to Worship - Jemima Parker - April 2020
Let Your Love Shine for 2020 - Jemima Parker - January 2020
The 3 Rs - David Eggleston - June 2019
The C Word: Carbon - Andy Ive - May 2019
The Forgotten Climate Change Buster - David Eggleston - January 2019