Season
of Creation
An Ecumenical Celebration
Liturgical resources for celebrating the season from September 1st,
the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation,
to October 4th, Feast of St. Francis of Assisi,
with a perennial lectionary for Years A, B, and C.
May be authorized for use in Episcopal dioceses
by their canonical authorities.
Contents
- Introduction
- The Lectionary
- The Holy Eucharist: Communion with Creation
- The Daily Office: Prayer with Creation
- Resources: Prayers, Readings, and Music
About this Resource
During the Season of Creation, we join with Christians around the world to celebrate in prayer and action our Gospel calling to protect the Earth that God entrusted to our care. Collecting prayers, readings, hymns, and liturgies created all over the global Anglican Communion and beyond, this anthology not only provides special liturgies for the season, but also suggests ways to expand our familiar Sunday liturgies and prayers so that they more accurately reflect the whole Gospel for the whole world.
In 2022, the Rev. John Elliott Lein (artist and priest in Downeast Maine) partnered with the Rev. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas (Creation Care leader in Massachusetts) to assemble and present liturgical resources for this Season for the benefit of interested yet overwhelmed parish worship leaders. Year by year, contributions and diocesan endorsements have grown. We are grateful to the many diocesan bishops across The Episcopal Church who endorsed each Lectionary Year 2022-4. We particularly acknowledge the early endorsement of the Dioceses in Massachusetts and the support of the Episcopal Path for Creation Justice. Now updated in 2025 with a perennial Lectionary, we release the project to the larger Church as a gift. Please continue to send feedback to creation@newcreationliturgies.org.
We commend the Guide to you for both congregational worship and personal prayer. Simply reading this resource will be an education in eco-justice, but praying it will move mountains! May these prayers and readings deepen our response to the living God and strengthen our resolve to follow Jesus in this critical time for all of Creation.
Introduction
The Season of Creation
The celebration of this Season began in 1989 when Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I established September 1 as a Day of Prayer for Creation for the Orthodox Church. The World Council of Churches extended the celebration to October 4th, the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.
The yearly themes, logos, and other resources are provided by the ecumenical organization to which we belong as members of the Anglican Communion. Brazilian theologian Paulo Ueti of the Anglican Alliance represents our tradition on the steering committee in 2025. More information and resources for various activities and events outside of the primary Sunday morning worship service may be found on the website: SeasonOfCreation.org
A Word from the General Convention in 2022
The 80th General Convention of the Episcopal Church recognized climate change as
“an all-encompassing social crisis and moral emergency that impacts and interconnects every aspect of pastoral concern including health, poverty, employment, racism, social justice, and family life and that can only be addressed by a Great Work involving every sector of society, including the Church.”