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September 4, 2026

Beloved in Christ,

In 1989, the Eastern Orthodox Church pronounced September 1st to be a day of prayer for creation. In a wonderful expression of ecumenism (many churches working together), that day of prayer expanded to become the Season of Creation that spans from Sept 1 through Oct 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

This "mini-season" co-exists with "Ordinary Time," but it offers the Church an opportunity to remind us all of the custodianship God has endowed humans with in this good Creation. It is a sacred obligation to our Creator and to our neighbors, to care and tend the magnificent blessing we have been given, and acknowledge the multitude of ways we fall short of fulfilling that obligation.

I recommend to you this video from Pope Leo XIV that offers a beautiful introduction to this Season and why it is important to not only pay attention to matters of creation care, but also that we should do something about the issues caused by human carelessness.

This year, the steering committee for the Season of Creation has chosen to focus on water, an essential part of life. The verses they reference are from the prophet Ezekiel, "Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish once these waters reach there. It will become fresh, and everything will live where the river goes . . .On the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing." (v. 9,12)

A similar passage is written in the Book of Revelation, "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." (Rev 22:1-2)

Both of these visions show water flowing out from the God-seat (temple or throne) into the creation, providing food and healing. It is a new Eden, redemption from "the fall" and renewal of God's covenantal relationship with all. It is reassuring and inviting, knowing what God wants for our future, but also dependent on our willingness to do the work to get there.

There is a lot of work to be done. We are incredibly fortunate that we can turn on a faucet and know that the water is safe to drink (even if we spend lots of money on water filtration systems). Access to clean water is a huge issue in many parts of the world, and we take it for granted. Even in the US there are places where toxins, like lead, are in the water - usually in places where historically oppressed people live.

As we enter into this Season of Creation, I encourage you to think about your use of water. What your life would be like without an abundance of clean water? What could we as a church community do for those who lack access to fresh water? What can we do to help prevent pollution or climate change, even in small ways? By working together as God's children, we can all be a part of Ezekiel's vision.

In Christ, the Living Water,

Rev. Valerie+