Creation in Christ Sunday (Genesis 2)

The season of creation is a relatively new annual ecumenical period of prayer and action for the environment. 

It occurs in September and ends on October 4, the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, 

who is known for his care of creation and particularly animals and birds.

During this Season, Christians worldwide unite to reflect, pray and take practical steps to protect the planet and care for communities affected by environmental degradation.

In 1989, ecumenical conversations began to launch a single-day festival of creation.

These conversations occurred across denominations and even Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

September 1st long served the orthodox Church as the beginning of their liturgical year as it was associated with the beginning of creation.

There’s even a charming tradition among orthodox Christians that dates the first day of creation to September 1, 5509 BCE.

September is also a good time of the year to celebrate creation, not only because of its connection to the beginning of the harvest season, when we take stock of how we are dependent on creation to feed ourselves.

But another connection is to 

the Fall equinox this year on September 22nd, 

the only time the day is essentially equal in the northern and the southern hemispheres, a day where light and darkness is in balance.

This is a sign of equity and equality that is sought in environmental justice.

In 2024 a major conference in Assisi, Italy gathered to propose a Feast of Creation, with delegations from both Eastern and Western Christian Traditions.

Efforts continue to develop this festival, but they are not yet fully realized.

Getting hundreds of different denominations on board to agree on anything is no small feat!

However, for now, the World Council of Churches, the ELCA and ELCIC and the Lutheran World Federation are its main supporters. 

The feast of the Creation in Christ was formalized just this year in April with the release of provisional readings by the Consultation on Common Texts, the working group responsible for the Revised Common Lectionary (the list of our Sunday readings.)

It’s the first time a new feast has been adopted since 1983,

When the lectionary was first released, and the Feasts of “Baptism of our Lord”, and "Christ the King” were adopted.

The beginning of September is a good time to celebrate it, 

firstly because of the connection in the Orthodox tradition going back to the 7th century,

And maybe also in North America since Labor Day weekend, while a secular holiday, has historically been associated with picnics, outdoor activities, cottages and for some the last weekend to go camping, in other words, for people to be out in Creation.

The purpose of this Creation in Christ Sunday is to bring creation themes present throughout the year to a special prominence. It’s not like we forget about Creation for the rest of the year, but one day a year, we give it a particular focus,

Just like for some of our other special commemoration Sundays throughout the year.

There are a few themes that are focussed on this Sunday in particular:

First, to acknowledge that Creation is God's creative act,

Our God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.

Second, that Creation occurs through Christ, the Word made Flesh, and the whole Trinity is involved in Creation, not just God the Father.

Thirdly, that Creation is a sacramental and covenantal gift,

That is, Creation is expressed through words and things, and our tending of Creation is a sacred contractual duty…we are called by God to tend to Creation. 

We need to listen to creation’s current need for healing, and to do something about it.

Genesis 2

Our first reading today is from Genesis Chapter 2.

I find it interesting that this second Creation account is not included in our normal Sunday cycle of readings, so it’s a good opportunity to hear it in its entirety.

It’s described as a “companion to the first Creation account which reflects more God's transcendence and omnipotence, 

(The idea that God is out there and distant, able to create all that there is with just a few simple words, showcasing her immense creative power.)

By contrast, the account we hear today from Genesis 2 reflects God's immanence and desire for relationship with human beings.

This story showcases a more hands-on creator.

This more close and personal creator, forms a human from the dust of the Earth, 

And you may have noticed our translation today Uses the perhaps better translation for Adam:human, rather than man, as it brings out the connection to humus, or earth or in Hebrew adamah, (Adam-Adamah) (human-humus)The fact that the first human is male is not entirely clear in the original.

Adam might be even translated as “earthling”.

In any case, this close and personal Creator performs CPR, breathes into the nostrils of this earth creature the breath of life, and so creates the first human.

Later the close and personal Creator performs surgery, by taking one side of the rib cage, probably not a single rib, and creating a helpmate for that first human.

In this creation account, God is intimately involved with these humans and God sets these humans as stewards to take care of the garden and to name all of creation. Because here, the Lord God formed every animal and bird, in a active hands-on way, not by a simple and distant word from beyond the universe.

This account from Genesis 2 reminds us that the Creator is in Relationship with all Creatures.

The Triune God is at work now and since the beginning in Creation

—Genesis 2 also reminds us of our responsibility for Creation.

And that there is a balance and creative tension between the two opposites:

The Earth is very good but also it is deeply wounded.

We are environmental saints and sinners:

Saints because most of us care to a certain extent about the environment and most of us, I’d think, like nature,

But we’re also environmental sinners: 

Because we don’t do nearly enough individually and as a community 

to take care of Creation.

I include myself in that:

yes, I recycle, but environmental topics currently don’t hold my attention.

And yet right now,

“We face humanity’s greatest moment of ecological peril as the earth faces it’s sixth mass extinction event (the first, however caused by a single species)” 

Except for very few people, we mostly all agree that we are in a time of an environmental tipping point to disaster.

Are there ecological themes that particularly concern you?

for example:

climate change

plastic pollution or

nuclear waste?

If we have any interest in the matter, we need to consider what things we can do, as individuals, as a community of faith and as society:

Things we can do as individuals is perhaps the most approachable place to begin,

As we might ponder choices like

Turning down the heat in winter, and up in summer

Or considering hybrid or electric vehicles

As a church, one of the decisions we can make is to make sure our development project employs 

energy efficient standards.

And as society, we need to do more to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and 

Consider what kind of a planet 

we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.

Beyond wrestling in a practical way with what it means to be stewards of God’s creation, a first good step is to set aside one day a year to ponder Creation in Christ and remind ourselves that

“We are called to join the unending hymn of all creation that began before humans existed” and highlight various Creation themes that occur throughout Scripture.

Pope Francis (in “Laudato Si” 2015) quoted that “to sense each creature singing the hymn of its existence is to live joyfully in God’s love and hope.”

In one of the earliest accounts of Christian worship from outside the Bible, Justin Martyr (died c. 165) summarized the reason Christians come together on Sunday for worship. His reference to the resurrection is secondary, coming after he describes Sunday as marking the beginning of creation: “We hold this meeting together on the day of the sun 

since it is the first day, on which day God, having transformed darkness and matter, made the world. On the same day Jesus Christ our savior rose from the dead” 

(First Apology, 67). For Justin, the first reason to worship weekly on Sunday is to give thanks for God’s creation.

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Psalm 148

Our Psalm this morning invites us to join the diverse creation in praise,

To Praise God in creation

Just as Creation itself praises God.

Christ is the origin, the source of all that is,

And so today we praise Christ in Creation.

*Hymn of the Day (see page 7) “Christ is the Life” (tune Kingsfold 636) 

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Sources: 

Benjamin Stewart, elca.org, “Preaching” Creation in Christ, Year A

“Joining the Cosmic Choir: an introduction to a Liturgical Festival of Creation” sundaysandseasons.com 2026

feastofcreation.com