Weaving a consideration of creation throughout the liturgical year ensures that the fifth sign of mission is integrated into the worship life of the congregation, as Reverend Sue Shillam of All Saints in Hemblington explains: Helpful.
All Saints Church is a small round-towered church set in a field to the east of Norwich. We have always been close to nature and have built a special relationship with our farmer neighbors. In fact, generations of farmers now rest in peace in our churchyards.
Our churchyard is a protected area and also serves as a large garden for passersby to take a break and enjoy the views and wildflowers. Our outdoor space management and care first earned us a Bronze Ecochurch Award and now a Silver Award.
Last year we created a special service for Creation Sunday and of course the Harvest. This year, we decided to focus on World Earth Day, Creator’s Day, and the Harvest. The challenge in creating these special services was that a lot of the content was similar. To resolve this issue, we reached out to the diocese’s Barbara Bryant. He provided some useful information along with some additional information from the cathedral.
We did not use the theme published for World Earth Day, instead focusing on “The Wisdom of Trees” and using materials from the Bible Reading Fellowship Green Reflections. Additional resources to help with the ideas were provided by the Church of England’s Creation Care Prayer Environment Programme. It was truly a labor of love to put together the worship service and allow a large congregation to participate in it.
These services attract many people from across the region and we hope to see more participation from local schools who are currently using our churchyard as part of their school studies.
We propose that the schedule for this production service be posted on the service calendar each year.
You can download a copy of Sue’s Earth Day Service Overview here.
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