Creation Care

The Episcopal Church highlights creation and our call to steward the many gifts God has given us with a special Season of Creation from September 1 through October 4. This holy time is celebrated by Christians around the world for renewing, repairing and restoring our relationship to God, one another, and all of creation. The Episcopal Church joins this international effort of prayer and action for climate justice, an end to environmental racism, and working toward ecological restoration.

There is a Season for Creation website you can access HERE. We (the Anglican Communion) is just one of many partners working together to renew our relationship with God and all creation through celebration, conversion, and commitment. During the Season of Creation, we join ecumenical sisters and brothers in prayer and action for our common home.

There is a Season of Creation liturgy and guide you can read and download HERE. This would be a good time to have a service in the a park or somewhere outside. If you decided to use these resources on a Sunday, please remember only approved Eucharistic liturgies may be used on Sundays although weekday services offer more flexibility. En Español aquí.

The 2025 theme is Peace with Creation. In celebrating the Season, we are invited to consider anew our ways of living. The Season of Creation may be a great opportunity to hold an outdoor worship service or ministry event. If you share about your Season of Creation activities on social media, please use the hashtags #Episcopal #SeasonofCreation.

Episcopalians in Province One are offering a daily email during the Season of Creation (September 1 – October 4) which will highlight different keystone species in their newly-designated Province One EcoRegion. Each email will include a photo, a brief description of the species for the day, a few thoughts on how the species reflects our image of God, and a closing prayer. Sign up for this daily devotion HERE.

Below is an easy to follow list of Creation Care activity suggestions for both Episcopal Principal Feasts and Fasts, and Major American Holidays made by Debi White and Gayle Bowers (adapted for the website) with Climate Action Days listed by season at the very bottom of the page.

Episcopal Principal Feast Days, Major American Holidays (approximate days from 2024/2025)

Date

Pray

Winter

December 5 - World Soil Day

December 11 - International Mountain Day

January 10 - World Cut Your Energy Cost Day

January 26 - International Day of Clean Energy

January 28 - International Reducing CO2 Emissions Day

February 2 - World Wetlands Day

Summer

June 3 - World Bicycle Day

June 5 - World Environment Day - Plastic Pollution

June 8 - World Oceans Day

June 18 - Sustainable Gastronomy Day

July 12 - International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms

Activities and Education

Earth Day

BCP pg 827-8, Prayer 40: For Knowledge of God’s Creation, Prayer 41: For the Conservation of National Resources, Prayer 42: For the Harvest of Lands and Waters, Prayer 43: For Rain

Easter

BCP pg 290, Canticle 9

BCP pg 89, A Song of Creation, the Earth and its Creatures

Rogation Days

BCP pg 207-8, Collects 19 - I,II,III

BCP pg 384, Form I Prayers of the People 4 5 “For seasonable weather…”

Ascension Day

BCP pg 827, Prayer 40

Memorial Day

BCP pg 828, Prayer 44 Philippians 1:3, Matthew 26:13

Pentecost

BCP pg 828, Prayer 42

Trinity Sunday

BCP pg 814, Prayer 1 For God’s Joy in Creation

Juneteenth National Independence Day

BCP pg 208, Collect 11 BCP pg 840, Thanksgiving 7 2 Corinthians 3:17

Fourth of July

BCP pg 827, Prayer 41 BCP pg 838-9, Paragraphs 1,2 Numbers 35:34, Psalm 24:1

Labor Day

BCP pg 825, Prayer 34 Leviticus 19:13, Colossians 4:1 Matthew 20: 1-16, Parable of Workers in Vineyard

Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day

BCP pg 208, Collect 19-III “For the Stewardship of Creation” BCP pg 840, Thanksgiving 7 Isaiah 1:17, Luke 4:18

All Saints Day

BCP pg 828, Prayer 44

Thanksgiving

BCP pg 194, Thanksgiving Day Collect BCP pg 840, Thanksgiving 8, 9 Psalm 100: 4-5, Colossians 2: 6-7

Christmas Day

BCP pg 212, Second Collect on Dec 25

New Year’s Day

BCP pg 48, I-III “The Earth and its Creatures” Psalm 96: 11-12

Martin Luther King’s Birthday

BCP pg 388, Form IV Prayers of the People line 3 “Give us all reverence for the Earth…” Ephesians 6: 7-8, Peter 4: 10-11

Washington’s Birthday

BCP pg 592, Psalter, Psalm 8 v. 7-9 Genesis 1: 20-26

Ash Wednesday and Lent

BCP pg 827, Prayer 41

BCP pg 840, Thanksgiving 8, 9 For the Beauty of Earth, For the Harvest

BCP pg 828-9, Prayers for the Natural Order Prayers 40, 41, 42, 43

All the activities and education listed below, but not limited to this listing.

Plant fruit trees (flowers symbolizing new life and growth); spring cleaning and donations; reusable Easter baskets; reusable Easter egg hunt; eco-friendly, low-waste celebration; bee, butterfly, and other pollinators awareness education

Nature walk to bless local park, garden, or church grounds used to benefit the community; organize tree-planting event on church grounds or at a local park; gardening chores including, weeding, soil prep, composting, mulching; implementation of water conservation, rain-catching methods; create habitats to attract pollinators or feed birds; green education including responsible stewardship of God’s Creations

Kite-flying activity, symbolizing the ascent of Jesus; cloud-watching picnic; nature walk; educate about wind power, the process of converting wind into usable power

Plant a Memorial Day tree, or participate in a community planting program; grow or glean, then donate produce to a food pantry or food bank; BBQ with reusable of compostable supplies; Support Veteran-owned “green” businesses in your community or online

Decorate with greenery to symbolize new life int he Holy Spirit; experience or study the power of wind: kites, wind-socks, wind mills; arrange for a parish energy audit to provide more funds for mission/community benefit projects; scatter wild flower seeds in church grounds/private yards to illustrate the Parable of the Sower

Plant shamrocks, which usually have three parts and are also pollinator plants which help God’s creation; Pansies are often referred to as “Trinity Flowers” due to their three colorful petals; plant pansies on church grounds/gardens or local park, coupled with a Trinity lesson

Learn about Black leaders who have revolutionized Creation Care initiatives; support Black-owned “green” businesses in your community or online; celebrate with reusable or compostable supplies

Attend a drone and/or laser light show, not live fireworks displays (if possible); “Leave No Trace” plans for celebrations in public places; park, beach, and river clean-ups on July 5th; spend time in nature hiking, camping, or plan a staycation

Plant a pollinator-friendly or native plant garden; visit a farmers’ market for fresh, local produce; grow or glean, then donate produce to a food pantry or food bank; organize or participate in a. community clean-up; make plans to plant bulbs or other plants for early spring gardens

Honor indigenous traditions of stewardship for and conservation/protection of the environment by planting native species and protecting the land and flora; support indigenous-owned “green” businesses in your community or online

Plant a tree or garden in memory of a loved one; use wax candle rather than plastic or battery-operated candles; use natural or natural-material based flowers and wreaths rather than plastic memorials

Use local, seasonal foods in your feast; go “heavy” on serving veggies and produce, lighter in turkey and meats; recycle and compost to reduce food waste; travel sustainably when possible; volunteer at a local shelter, resilience center, soup kitchen, food pantry, and/or community garden; give thanks for God’s creation’s and our beautiful world

Annual Christmas Day bird count (Audubon Society); star-gazing walk, possible combined with caroling; use live Christmas tree and plant it after Christmas; make homemade gifts or give consumable gifts; send Christmas cards online rather than by snail mail

See resolutions below for Lent; resolve to spend more time outdoors; start a compost pile; make plans to start a spring garden, seed catalogues are published in January; give thanks to God for fresh starts and new opportunities

Volunteer at local resilience center, soup kitchen, food pantry, and/or community garden; grow or glean, then donate produce to a food pantry or food bank; participate in a public park, beach, or river clean-up; arrange a parish energy audit to save funds for mission and community projects

Build (and use or donate) a greenhouse, bird house, or dog house; Washington oversaw farm operations at Mount Vernon and designed a 16-sided barn that improved a method of threshing

Reflect on your role as a steward of God’s creations

Resolutions: conserve water; reduce meat consumption, eat vegetarian for 1-2 days a week; use more eco-friendly transportation; reuse, rewear, and recycle, rather than buying new; reduce food waste and compost food scraps; buy only locally grown/produced food (100-mile rule); start or help in community produce garden