A growing ecumenical movement is reshaping church calendars worldwide. The Feast of Creation — celebrated annually on Sept. 1 and also known as Creation Day or the World Day of Prayer for Creation — is being formally added to the liturgical calendars of many churches.
The World Communion of Reformed Churches is supporting the initiative alongside the World Council of Churches, Middle East Council of Churches, Anglican Communion, Lutheran World Federation and the World Methodist Council.
The modern ecumenical observance began in 1989, when the Eastern Orthodox Church invited Christians worldwide to pray for creation on Sept. 1, drawing on ancient liturgical tradition. In recent years, an ecumenical process chaired by the World Council of Churches, in collaboration with 13 Christian world communions, proposed elevating the day from a “World Day of Prayer” to an official liturgical feast in non-Byzantine church calendars.
Following international consultations in Assisi, broad consensus emerged across denominations. Several national churches are now preparing to institute the Feast of Creation — formally proposed as the “Feast of Creation in Christ” — in their calendars. The feast is also expected to be incorporated into the Revised Common Lectionary used by many Protestant churches.
Organizers say the initiative, inspired in part by the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, represents a significant step toward visible Christian unity while renewing theological attention to creation amid ongoing ecological crisis.
Opportunities to Engage
A webinar, “A New Liturgical Feast, a Gift for the Third Millennium,” on March 18 and 19, outlining the ecumenical process, theological foundations and practical guidance. For registration click here.
A proposal encouraging national churches to formally institute the feast, or recommend its observance where formal calendars are not used. Details can be found here.
Online workshops in April and May exploring liturgical prayers, lectionary readings and worship resources. Registration for online workshops can be found here.
Churches are encouraged to share the invitations widely and begin preparing for the September celebration.
