In the beginning, God created the heavens
and the earth…Creator God, fill and shape the time you have given us... open
our eyes to see you reflected in every human face. [Mark Earey: In the
Beginning*]
Enter God’s
presence with joy...Enter…The courtyard
with thanks and praise… [Psalm 100:1b, 3a**]
The word of God is
living and active... able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart...Let us...approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may
receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews
4:12 a,b; 16]
It
is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is
rich to enter the kingdom of God...[but] for God all things are possible...many
who are first will be last, and the last will be first. [Mark
10:25, 27b, 31]
Welcome to the Season of Creation!
This
liturgical Season of Creation originated in the Anglican
Church of South Africa in 2008 and is designed for us to explore our faith from
a Creation perspective. We are to realize our place in the order of God’s
creating and to see and act upon the need to care for our entire life-support
system ~ the air we breathe, the water we drink, the soil in which we grow our
crops ~ not merely humanity, but our total environment, as it pertains to ALL
life.
From the early days of the Season
of Creation at the US Episcopal Parish of Sts. Andrew and Matthew [SsAM] in Wilmington,
Delaware, it was established that “the primary aim of the events of
the season is to enable adults and youth to celebrate and experience the
inextricable link which binds together the destinies of all of God’s creatures.”
It is a moment of pause to remind ourselves that God calls us to see “what
great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions” and for us to renew our
commitment to making real the biblical vision of the earth at unity with
itself. It is a vision of human beings of all races, backgrounds and walks
of life in local communities and among the nations of the earth, living
together in love and peace with justice for all. "As disciples of Christ,
we are called through our Baptismal Covenant, to be instruments for the healing
of our broken world," and with a renewed commitment to personal and
communal prayer and action.
We will use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific
theme of each of the 7 weeks. Alternate readings used will be noted with asterisks.
This Week's Theme is: In the
Beginning
We
begin this Season at the Beginning. Professor Wangari
Maathai, 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, describes the Book of Genesis as
"the book for environmentalists." "If we had been created on
Tuesday," she said, "there would have been nowhere for us to stand!
God, with infinite wisdom, waited until the last day!"
* In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. In the
empty void and crushing darkness, God spoke light into being. Creator God,
bring light into our darkness. In the beginning, God took eternity and formed
time and space, seasons, days and years. Creator God, fill and shape the time
you have given us. In the beginning, God took land and sea and filled them with
life of every kind. Creator God, help us find our place within your diverse
creation. In the beginning, God spoke his very image, and the returning echo
formed humanity. Creator God, open our eyes to see you reflected in every human
face. In the beginning, God created, and it was good. © Mark Earey, Co-Director of The Centre for Ministerial Formation and Tutor for Worship
and Liturgy at the Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical and Theological Education
on Birmingham, England.
**Psalm 100: 1. Shout
for joy to the Lord, all earth, Serve the Lord with gladness, Enter God’s
presence with joy! 2. Know
that the Lord is God, Our maker to whom we be long, Our shepherd, and we the
flock. 3. Enter
the temple gates, The courtyard with thanks and praise; Give thanks and bless God’s name. 4. Indeed
the Lord is good! God’s love is for ever, Faithful from age to age. From “The
Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering”, Liturgy Training Publications
(International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994
In our appointed Epistle
and Gospel for today, the writer of Hebrews tells us that the word of God is
living and active and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of
the heart, as before him no creature is hidden. Mark tells us about
Jesus and a rich man who is looking for the path to inherit eternal life
and goes away shocked and grieving when Jesus said for him to sell
all that he owned to give his money to the poor. It is in this passage that we
hear the famous it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle
than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. We’re also
reminded that for God all things are possible as we examine our earthly
possessions to see what we truly need in this life as we look ahead to the
age to come for eternal life.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Creator God, draw back the veil
of darkness we pull over ourselves, as You speak light into being within us.
Quiet the incessant distractions of everyday life, that we may open ourselves
and invite You to fill and shape the time You have given us in this place.
Lord
God, our
Maker
RESPONSE:
Let us turn to You in joy and praise
~
Creator
God, open the eyes of all who hold political authority on land and sea and in
the air across Your diverse Creation, that they may see You reflected in
themselves, in every human face, in every grain of sand, and govern in all good
faith. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord
God, our Maker
Let us turn to
You in joy and praise
~
Creator God, as You raise up strength for all Your people, grant healing to the
spirits of those laid low by earthly illness or infirmity, and energy to all
who give them care.
We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions
Lord
God, our Maker
Let us turn to
You in joy and praise
~
Creator
God, may the echoes of sweet memory quell the pain of earth-bound grief, as the
souls of those who’ve left this ground, now soar in the peace and glory of
everlasting life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
Lord
God, our Maker
Let us turn to
You in joy and praise
~
Creator
God, we pause in this moment to offer You our
other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Lord
God, our Maker
Let us turn to
You in joy and praise
~
Creator
God, we give thanksgiving for Your loyal servants anointed to awaken us to the
wonders of all Your works, and who guide us to find our true place in You
forever. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord
God, our Maker
Let us turn to
You in joy and praise
The Celebrant adds: Holy God, Living and Active, as
we are not hidden to Your eyes, encourage us to boldly approach Your Throne of
Grace seeking good and finding mercy in time of need. Propel us to faithful
action and release us from the thrall of earth-bound possessions, knowing all
things are possible with You. We ask through Jesus, the Son of God; and the
Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You, reign as One God
through all time, forever and ever. Amen.
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