As many of you have no doubt experienced over the summer, there is a great deal of excitement, splendor and power to encounter in the midst of God's created world.
The Church reminds us of God's call to develop a fruitful relationship with creation. The fifth Mark of Mission calls us "to strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth." Over the next few weeks, leading up to our Pet Blessing Service on Oct. 6th, we will take some time to explore what this means.
In July of this year delegates from across the Anglican Church of Canada gathered in Ottawa for a Joint Assembly of the Anglican and Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Canada. As part of their work, they passed several motions that relate to this Mark of Mission. For example, a new promise was added to the baptismal service: "Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God's creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the earth?"
One of the other aspects of this gathering that touched on our relationship with creation was a prayer event on Parliament Hill on July 6th led by the youth delegates. This event discussed the place of water in our lives, in our faith and in God's creation. It also expressed our commitment to share the gift of water with all those who need it. See the Joint Assembly website for more photos and videos from this event and the whole assembly.
As our summertime experiences of creation come to a close and we return to our usual pattern of life in the city, we can look for ways to bring that closeness with God's creation with us and allow it to shape our lives.
How do you and your family strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and renew and sustain the life of the earth? How can we do this as a Church community?
