News for September

Season of Creationtide

As Christians we are called to care for God's creation. Oxford Diocesan Synod declared a climate emergency in March 2020 and their example has been followed by many other dioceses since then as well as the national Church, which now encourages its parishes to set aside the period from 1st September to the feast of St Francis of Assisi (on 4th October) as a time to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation and consider our response to the issues facing our planet as global warming has ever more dramatic consequences.

The diocese has set up an Environment Task Group to oversee an ambitious programme of change with three key strategic aims: to equip the people of God to respond to the threat of climate change, to better care for the buildings and land which we hold in trust from God for future generations to ensure that these are as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible, and to work in partnership with other organisations seeking to do likewise.

However, for now, the question that we are all being asked to consider prayerfully during this season is this: will you strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth? Let us hope that we will be able to affirm with others in the diocese this month, ‘With the help of God I will’.

Over the next five weeks we will seek to explore and understand some of the Biblical reasons why this is such an important aspect of our Christian discipleship, consider what we might do to help others affected by the climate crisis, and how we might respond to the reality that:

‘The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
The world and all those who live in it.
For he has founded it on the seas
And established it on the rivers’.

(Psalm 24 verses 1-2)

What’s happening in September 2023?

• 4 September at 8pm – Julian Prayer Group Meeting at St Mary’s, Addington
• 9 September from 10am -12 noon – Mother’s Union Coffee Morning in the St Laurence Room
• 10 September at 5pm – Patronal Festival for St Mary at St Mary’s, Addington
• 25 September at 6.45pm – Book Group to discuss The City is my Monastery: a contemporary rule of life by Richard Carter . Please contact Didier for details by email ([email protected])