At Creation Care Singapore, we have been celebrating the Season of Creation with the global church since 2020. For the uninitiated, this post will share about what happens during the season, why we celebrate it, and when it takes place.
What is the Season of Creation?
The Season of Creation (SoC) is an annual celebration of prayer and action to protect creation. During this period of time, churches and Christians are encouraged to participate through prayer, practice, advocacy, and action.
A short history
In 1989, September 1 was proclaimed as a day of prayer for creation by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I for the Orthodox, and this was embraced by the other major Christian European churches in 2001 and by Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015.
In 2008, the World Council of Churches (WCC) issued a statement on global warming and climate change, and amongst other things, the WCC "urges member churches to observe through prayers and action a special time for creation, its care and stewardship, starting on September 1st every year".
In Singapore, we were not aware of any churches celebrating the Season of Creation in 2020. That was when we decided to take part in it ourselves, and encourage others to do so with us too. In 2020, the theme for the Season of Creation was 'Jubilee for the Earth', and in 2021, it was 'A Home for All? Renewing the Oikos of God'.
When does it happen?
The SoC begins on the Day of Prayer for Creation on September 1 and ends on the Feast of St. Francis on October 4.
Our Involvement
On our Instagram page, we shared different ways that we, as the Singapore church, can participate in the SoC together. You can check out those posts here.
While we have only celebrated it twice so far, we look forward to our continued participation in this for many more years to come. If you also hope to initiate activities in your church or community during the SoC, feel free to reach out to us, we would be glad to connect with you!
Find out more about the Season of Creation at https://seasonofcreation.org/.
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