The Season of Creation, between 1 September and 4 October, is a time to renew our relationship with our Creator and all creation.
On this page
To Hope and Act with Creation
This year, the theme draws on chapter 8 of Paul’s letter to the Romans and recognises that to address the environmental crises facing the world, all people need to work together with, and as part of, nature, in hope and expectation of a better future.
Find out more about this year's theme for the Season of Creation and the resources availble for indivuduals and churches on the Season of Creation website.
Faith leaders invite you to the 2024 Season of Creation
Click on the button below to watch Season of Creation 2024 launch video.
Watch the launch video
Season of Creation Prayer
Triune God, Creator of all, we praise you for your goodness, visible in all the diversity that you have created, making us a cosmic family living in a common home. Through the Earth you created, we experience love and nourishment, home and protection.
We confess that we do not relate to the Earth as a Mothering gift from you, our Creator. Our selfishness, greed, neglect, and abuse have caused the climate crisis, loss of biodiversity, human suffering as well as the suffering of all our fellow creatures. We confess that we have failed to listen to the groans of the Earth, the groans of all creatures, and the groans of the Spirit of hope and justice that lives within us.
May your Creator Spirit help us in our weakness, so that we may know the redeeming power of Christ and the hope found in him. May the groans of the Spirit birth in us a willingness to serve you faithfully, so that we may hear and heal Creation, to hope and act together with her, so that the first fruits of hope may blossom. Loving and Creator God, we pray that you will make us sensitive to these groans and enable us to have the same compassion as that of Jesus, the
redeeming Lord. Grant us a fresh vision of our relationship with Earth, and with one another, as creatures that are made in your image.
In the name of the one who came to proclaim the good news to all Creation, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Further Resources
Further resources to use during the Season of Creation can be found on the 'Worship and theology resources' section of our Environment webpages.
Restore Nature Now
There is a vital need to restore nature in the UK, one of the world's most nature-depleted countries.
On 22 June this year, tens of thousands of people joined a demonstration asking the new UK government (not yet elected at that stage) to take action to “Restore Nature Now.” Clement, aged 12, was there. He says the number of passionate people and charities involved indicated to him “how imminent this issue is and how it might threaten life on this earth.”
Read Clement's article
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The Restore Nature Now March 22nd June 2024
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The Restore Nature Now March 22nd June 2024
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The Restore Nature Now March 22nd June 2024
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Clement made a paper swift for the march
Events
This year our main Season of Creation event will be on October 2nd in Chelmsford Cathedral between 4pm and 7.45pm. It will start with refreshments and stalls, followed by Evening prayer with contributions from young people, and finish with a Q&A panel addressing the question "How do we Hope and Act with Creation?"
There are details of this event and other events taking place across the Diocese during the Season of Creation below. These include a walk, an open air service, the Essex County Harvest Service, a reflective retreat and a film night.
Days of Creation Walk (2 miles)
All Saints Churchyard, Springfield, CM1 7HS, Sunday 1 September 2.30pm
A gentle walk through Springfield's beautiful green spaces, ending with a reading from Genesis and prayer, followed by refreshments.
An Environmental Evening with Ruth Valerio
Mulberry House Hotel, Chelmsford Road, High Ongar, CM5 9NL, Monday 16 September 7.45pm (optional buffet 7pm)
Ruth has written extensively on justice, environment and lifestyle issues. She was a Director for Tearfund and carries a vision to inspire and equip people to a whole-life response to environmental breakdown and poverty.
Open Air Service
Fozearth Nature Reserve: Sunday 22 September 3pm
"Lessons from Noah, the first conservationist"
Speaker: Professor James Pearce-Higgins, Science Director, British Trust for Ornithology
Essex County Harvest Service
Chelmsford Cathedral: Sunday 29 September, 3.30pm.
Everyone is warmly invited to attend the County Harvest Service held at Chelmsford Cathedral.
During this Harvest Festival season, the service provides the opportunity for us all to reflect on the fruitfulness of creation. As our farmers gather with us to worship, we will give thanks for their work during the weather challenges of 2024 and for their commitment to sustainably producing the food which nourishes us.
This year we are pleased to celebrate the bicentenary of one of our iconic local food producers, Marriages the Millers. This Chelmsford mill sources most of its wheat from the farms of our Diocese and produces a range of high-quality flours. To complete the field-to-fork experience, Marriages are generously providing our refreshments after the service!
Reflective Retreat “Hope in a time of climate crisis"
Chapter House: Wednesday 2 October, 1.30pm -3.45pm
Led by Rev. Sandra Eldridge, Diocesan Environmental Officer.
Across the world, people often have negative emotions when they think of the climate crisis: anxiety, grief, anger, hopelessness, for example. A question often asked is: How can we have hope in this time of climate crisis? This retreat is a space to reflect from a Christian perspective on how we feel, different understandings of hope, what we might draw on to give us hope, and how we can start to give hope to others. The Retreat will be led by Rev. Sandra Eldridge, Diocesan Environmental Officer.
Book your place by registering below:
Service to celebrate and re-commit to hoping and acting with Creation, with stalls and Q&A panel
Chelmsford Cathedral: Wednesday 2 October, from 4pm.
On 2 October, as the Season of Creation comes to an end, join others in Chelmsford Cathedral for a time of celebration of, and commitment to, our Creator and creation. There will be tea and cake and chat at 4pm, followed by evening prayer with input from young people and then a panel Q&A discussion. You might want to wear something or bring something to suggest the better future that you want to see!
4pm - 5pm: Refreshments and an opportunity to find out what is happening in Essex and east London
Come and chat with others. There will be tea and cake and stalls from Christian Aid, Green Christian, Thaxted Church, Love Your Chelmsford, and about the Net Zero Carbon work in the Diocese.
5.15pm - 6.15pm: Evening prayer with input from young people
Many churches, schools, communities and staff in the Chelmsford Diocese are hoping and working for a more environmentally sustainable future. We want to celebrate that aspiration and energy. Evening prayer will focus on Creation, and include contributions from three schools in the Diocese, and other individuals representing some of the amazing work over the past year.
6.30pm - 7.45pm: Panel Q&A “How do we hope and act with creation?”
This year’s Season of Creation theme is “To hope and act with Creation”, but how exactly can we do this?
Mark Smith from Love Your Chelmsford, Steven Green, Essex organic farmer sensitive to the environment, and Melanie Nazareth, Churches Engagement Officer with Green Christian, will help us to explore this question.
They will be explaining actions they have taken, what motivated and continues to motivates them, challenges they've faced, and how they see the relationship between hope and action. There will be plenty of time to ask them questions.
(No registration needed for the sessions above).
Deanery film night
St Nicholas Church, Witham: Saturday 5 October 7.30pm
"Six Inches of Soil", a film about regenerative farming.
