Wide Range of Creation Care Resources Available

Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and ecumenical groups around the world are waking up to how much God loves every inch of the universe. So the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has prepared a resource guide to help people — in the Christian Reformed Church and beyond — more deeply experience God’s creating, sustaining, and redeeming presence. God created us as part of, not separate from, the web of life.

We who find our stories within God’s big story know that the Bible begins in the garden of Eden, with God loving the cosmos into existence. The Bible presents humanity as part of an abundant, integrated creation, which is why St. Francis of Assisi praised God all of the creation — the sun, the air, the moon, water and Earth.

Prophets and psalmists tell us that the whole earth — the actual planet we live on — is full of God’s glorious presence. In fact, creation calls us to join in praising our Creator (Ps. 19).

However, many Christians live in cultures where people worry about not having enough. Some churches spiritualize the Bible’s real-life, earth-based examples. They somehow miss that Jesus got thirsty, hungry, and tired and that he peppered his stories with sheep, rocks, sand, water, soil, and seed. This Jesus is the same cosmic Christ, says Colossians 1, through whom and for whom all things were created. He is reconciling the entire creation to himself.

With all of these ideas in mind, the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship has put together this wide ranging resource in  six parts:

• Creator and Creation celebrates God, who created this planet as an abundant home for all to share.
• Lament and Blessing looks at how we humans claim and hoard what God has given, rather than sharing with those who suffer and leaving enough for generations to come.
• Earth Keepers and Caretakers gives ideas for cooperating as Christ renews all things.
• Music suggests songs about creation, lament, and caretaking from many cultures.
• Sermon Planning offers general, liturgical, and lectionary resources for creation-themed preaching.
• Service and Series Planning will help you integrate care of creation themes into special Sundays, church-year seasons, or parts of worship.