Creation Care
"A crisis is a decision point, a time of judgement. We can choose to change our destructive and overly consumptive ways, or we can ignore the consequences of our actions and slowly steam like proverbial frogs in a soup pot. We still have some opportunity to choose, but that kairos moment will not last long. We have before us this day life and death. Which will we choose?" -- Katharine Jefferts Schori, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, The Climate Change Crisis
The Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Washington are committed to promoting respectful care of God’s creation, and particularly to working against climate change and on behalf of climate justice. Sign up for the Episcopal Creation Care newsletter and follow the diocese’s activities by following the EDOW Environmental Network on Facebook.
Liturgical Resources
- Liturgical Materials for Honoring God in Creation by the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music offers propers, prayers and liturgies during the Season of Creation. Also available in Spanish.
- Season of Creation: A six-Sunday program from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The Season of Creation liturgies focus on biodiversity, land, water, climate change, need not greed, and caring for God's creation. Each Sunday's theme includes a study guide.
- Sustainable and responsible investment resources from the diocese’s Sustainable and Responsible Investment Committee.
Formation Resources
- Engage with these ecumenical weekly devotions during the Season of Creation as an individual, a household or faith community.
- Looking for a way to connect to households? Consider sending home a Creation Care box with a Godly-Play creation story set, a packet of seeds to plant, a season of creation prayer card, and a trash bag with the invitation for households to pick up trash in a local park. (Thanks to Sarah Allred for the ideas!)
- This Resource Guide is chock full of ideas for preaching, prayer, and community engagement.
Taking Action
- Sustaining Earth, Our Island Home: A Call to Action for All Episcopalians from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry
- Episcopal Covenant to Care of Creation: Putting it into Practice: Individuals and faith communities can use this grid to guide engagement with the Covenant for Care and Creation and its commitment to Loving Formation, Liberating Advocacy, and Life-Giving Conservation.
- The Episcopal Public Policy Network: EPPN is authorized by the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to advocate for public policy positions that advance the mission and values of the church provides numerous resources, including The Episcopal Church and Climate Change.
- Creation Justice Ministries: Creation Justice Ministries represents the creation care and environmental justice policies of major Christian denominations, including the Episcopal Church, throughout the United States.
- Interfaith Power and Light: Interfaith Power & Light effort began in 1998 with Episcopal Power & Light and the support of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco as a unique coalition of Episcopal churches aggregated to purchase renewable energy. In 2000, this Episcopal effort broadened its focus, brought in other faith partners.