[Oe List ...] Creation Liturgical Cycle

Sat Jun 2 10:23:51 EDT 2007

A few years ago I heard of Creation Season. It begins with the Feast Day of
St. Francis (October 4) and goes through advent. Here's a brief explanation.
I completed a D.Min. degree in 2003 and wrote my dissertation on the
subject. I have about a 12 page paper on it I could send to anyone who wants
it.

Herman

CREATION LITURGICAL CYCLE IN THE LOCAL CONGREGATION

Rev. Franklin E. Vilas, D.Min.
Rector, St. Paul's Church, Chatham, NJ
Chair, Environmental Commission, Diocese of Newark

For the past six years, an increasing number of congregations in the United
States have been celebrating an eight-week liturgical Creation Cycle in the
Season of Pentecost. Beginning on the Feast of St. Francis in the first week
of October and extending to the Feast of Christ the King on the last Sunday
before Advent, the Cycle was first endorsed by the convention of the Diocese
of Newark in January of 1994, and highlighted through a workshop at the
national "Caring For Creation" Conference in Kansas City, Missouri in April
of that year.

Originating in the Church of the Redeemer of Morristown, New Jersey, under
the leadership of its Rector, the Rev. Philip Wilson, the idea of an eight
week observation of. environmental spirituality caught fire in dozens of
other congregations, including the Cathedrals in the dioceses of Newark and
Maryland.

At St. Paul's in Chatham, New Jersey, the Cycle has, begun for six years
with the Blessing of the Animals on St. Francis Day. But it does not stop
there! In cooperation with the Rector, the liturgy committee has developed
for the parish lectionary readings, music and prayers that reflect the
importance of environmental issues, as well as the creativity of human
beings in their role as part of the Earth process.

Altar hangings and vestments have been created for the Cycle, utilizing a
background color of the Fall, and having embroidered on them images of the
Earth from space, animals and plant life-an organic response to the usual
conceptual nature of liturgical design. Tastefully designed and executed in
cooperation with the altar guild by Colleen Hintz, a member of the diocesan
environmental commission, they have won admiration from the congregation and
are welcomed now as an integral part of the liturgical season.

At St. Paul's, a major art exhibit expressing themes of the created order
covers the walls of the sanctuary during the eight weeks of the Cycle. The
theme for readings and sermons is that of the annual United Nation
Environmental Sabbath, developed by the U.N. Environmental Programme. In the
years since 1993, the themes have included the faith of indigenous peoples,
the family as an expression of God's Creation, the World Religions and their
Creation Myths, and the theme of "Justice, Peace and the Integrity of
creation" as an expression of the integrated nature of human issues.

Response to the Creation Cycle, has been most positive. It incorporates the
natural themes of stewardship, harvest and thanksgiving that are the themes
of Fall. All Saint's Day, which falls in the middle of the Cycle, is
celebrated as a feast of the whole created order. The extended period of
eight weeks takes the observance from the realm of "one-shot" events and
offers a chance for the deep experience of worship desired by the
congregation.

In 1997, the decision of the United Nations Environment Programme to move
its observance of an "Environmental Sabbath" to October offers a global
dimension to our regular observance.

Persons from St. Paul's have commented that the Cycle offers an opportunity
to celebrate the First Person of the Trinity-the Creator-who has been
largely forgotten in a liturgical year built solely around the Incarnation
of Jesus. Indeed, the recognition of Jesus as Lord of Creation gives added
meaning to the celebration of the Advent Season.

As Rector of St. Paul's, I have been most impressed with the new sense of
spiritual life that rises in the congregation during the eight-week period
of the creation Cycle. It is almost as if that time literally "grounds" our
theology, bringing it back to Earth and touching roots of the human soul
that are so often ignored in our cerebral worship.

An environmental outreach ministry to the interfaith community of the region
has developed from the parish. This is due, in large part, to the growing
awareness engendered by the Creation Cycle that the Christian faith calls us
to engagement with the crisis facing our planet. Our response to
environmental concerns issues from our deep sense of oneness with the
Creator and with the created order.

It is our hope that the celebration of the Creation Cycle will find its way
from the grass-roots expression it is increasingly enjoying to the
liturgical life at the core of the Episcopal Church. A new experience of the
Holy spirit and of Jesus Christ as the Lord of Creation may result.

*        *        *        *    *

-----Original Message-----
From: oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net [ <mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net>
mailto:oe-bounces at wedgeblade.net] On Behalf Of nancygrow
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 8:33 AM
To: Order Ecumenical Community
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Chart of the Church Year

Dear Charles,
         I have a stylized chart of the church year chart Joe did that I
used in seminary later. I'll be glad to send you a copy.  The breakdown is
three parts:
         I.  THE YEAR OF THE LORD
                 A.  Awakenment to Life
                         Advent  4 Sundays   purple
                          Christmas  12 days   white
                         Epiphany - varies       gold or green
                  B. Awakenment to Death
                         Lent 40 days           purple or blue
                         Holy Week  7 days  black
                         Easter 50 days        white
         II Pentecost  8 days          red
         III The Year of the Church   The Long March of Care     varies
green
The actual chart has categories of  beginning, historic precedent, theme,
rubrics, existential mood, and related celebrations.  But I don't want to
drown you if this is all you want.
         Hope this helps.  Best to you all, and , may I say, G & P?  Nan

At 07:08 PM 5/31/07 -0700, you wrote:
>Greetings all!
>I am in great need of a copy of the chart of the
>church year that Joe did.  It had two halves: one was something like
>The Christ half year (or year) and the other something like The Church
>half year (or year). I think I could reconstruct it, but there are
>probably subtleties I would miss.  If anyone has it, I would
>greatly appreciate your help. Soon if possible.
>Thanks.
>Charles Hahn
>
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>OE mailing list
>OE at wedgeblade.net
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