Chaplaincies from across our diocese have been celebrating, learning, sharing fellowship, and taking action over the last month in participation with Creationtide.  Here are share some of these stories.

We begin by hearing from one of the amazing volunteers that create such beautiful spaces in our places of worship at times like Creationtide. Ann Turner worships at St Boniface Anglican church, Antwerp;

'Harvest is eagerly anticipated by our small but dedicated group of flower arrangers. We are all amateurs with a passion for our magnificent church and using floral arrangements to show it off to its full glory. God’s gifts of flowers is amazing and we love the colours available in Creationtide!

We allow about 3 hours to complete the job of decorating and then treat ourselves to coffee and a slice of Belgium’ best patisserie! All of us have been volunteering for a number of years and donate the flowers if possible. The next big festival for our group will be Christmas and every Easter we pull out all the stops.'

A busy time across the diocese, here are some of the events that took place.

Rev Jacob Quick, Curate at St Edmund's in Oslo writes;

The Chaplaincy of Norway has been sharing the joy of creation through hikes, lectures and discussions, harvest celebrations, and getting involved in local activities that support the well-being of God's earth.

Creationtide Hike
A group of us went on a lovely Creationtide hike in Oslo to appreciate the beauty of God's creation. We intended to go further out into the forest, but the heavy rainfall proved to be an obstacle. So we pivoted and stayed closer to central Oslo, where we enjoyed the thunder of Norwegian waterfalls, and the wonder at the joy of ducks, swans, and other local wildlife. If you are planning a creationtide event, be encouraged that it is worth it to spend time in creation together, even if the weather poses challenges!

Lecture on God and the Climate
The Revd Dr Jacob Quick gave a lecture about how the Council of Nicaea and the Nicene Creed help us relate to creation and the climate crisis today.

Members of our chaplaincy have also been participating in local demonstrations, marches, and protests on behalf of the climate in Norway. There has been a strong presence of many Christian denominations at these events, which is encouraging and offers great opportunities for ecumenism!

Rev Dr James Hadley, Chaplain at All Saints Anglican Church, Milan writes;

'On Sunday All Saints' Milan celebrated their Harvest Festival at the close of the Season of Creation.  The pet-friendly service included goldfish, hamsters, dogs, and turtles.  We were especially happy to invite the mounted horse police of Milan to participate in the blessing of the animals (given Saturday was the national feast day of Italy - St Francis of Assisi).  Our all-age service focused on the theme of gifts and our responsibility to care for all the good things God gives to us - Our pets, the planet, family, friends, and community.'

Rev Jackie Sellin of St Andrews, Zurich;

'We started the season of creation with the Archdeaconry Choir Festival – a celebration of music telling of the wonders of God’s generosity and creativity.  We ended the season with our Harvest Festival, with our choir singing “Fear not, O land” by Elgar and with our harvest charity collections.  Our harvest display was enhanced by the work of one of our choir members, Sabrina, who made the harvest sheaf out of bread which was then shared with the congregation during our shared harvest lunch.  The season was brought to a close with a Taizé styled service celebrating St Francis and encouraging us to continue our concern for creation beyond this season.'

Rev Alison Heal, Curate at All Saints Luxembourg;

'In the church building, All Saints members and friends took part in a Climate Fresk workshop, a Harvest service and evensong, and hosted a special Siren Prayer for climate justice.

Out and about in Luxembourg, the clergy team represented the Anglican church at a Round Table event in the Luxembourg Urban Garden Science Hub, discussing the role of faith in caring for the climate.'

Please join with us in action and prayer as we seek to care for God's creation.  

We encourage all chaplaincies to write to us about any initiatives, however small, as we care for creation. Resources are here: Care for Creation - likewise, let us know of any ideas or resources you think would be of interest to others.