Jubilee for the Earth
In Leviticus 25:8-12 we learn about “jubilee”, a year that came every 50 years. During the Jubilee year, property that had been taken for unpaid debts would be returned to the families who originally owned it. In addition, the land would rest and there would be no reaping, planting or harvesting; the fields would be open to everyone to eat whatever grew.
“Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope” is the theme of this year’s Season of Creation, September 1 – October 4. This is a very fitting theme for a year when COVID-19 social distancing and travel restrictions have upended our lives and lessened our impact on the earth. As we look forward to a time beyond COVID-19, “New Rhythms, New Hope” helps to center our thoughts on the direction in which we should be headed.
September 1 is chosen as the first day of the Season because it is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The Season ends on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis and the traditional day for the blessing of the animals.
The World Council of Churches offers a celebration guide for the 2020 Season of Creation. The guide is intended for you to learn about the Season and to help your church celebrate it. There are several resources for prayer, practice, action and advocacy, some that can be used virtually this Season. More can be accessed through their website.
Another website, Let All Creation Praise, offers scripture readings for years A, B, and C, liturgies, sermons and commentaries. The Season of Creation is an optional season for the church and an opportunity to emphasize God as Creator and our human obligation to care for the earth and all that is in it. Ideally, we would intentionally include elements of honoring God’s creation in every worship service and not just a few times during the year.
“Jubilee for the Earth: New Rhythms, New Hope” is the theme of this year’s Season of Creation, September 1 – October 4. This is a very fitting theme for a year when COVID-19 social distancing and travel restrictions have upended our lives and lessened our impact on the earth. As we look forward to a time beyond COVID-19, “New Rhythms, New Hope” helps to center our thoughts on the direction in which we should be headed.
September 1 is chosen as the first day of the Season because it is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. The Season ends on October 4, the Feast of St. Francis and the traditional day for the blessing of the animals.
The World Council of Churches offers a celebration guide for the 2020 Season of Creation. The guide is intended for you to learn about the Season and to help your church celebrate it. There are several resources for prayer, practice, action and advocacy, some that can be used virtually this Season. More can be accessed through their website.
Another website, Let All Creation Praise, offers scripture readings for years A, B, and C, liturgies, sermons and commentaries. The Season of Creation is an optional season for the church and an opportunity to emphasize God as Creator and our human obligation to care for the earth and all that is in it. Ideally, we would intentionally include elements of honoring God’s creation in every worship service and not just a few times during the year.
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