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Editor’s note: This ELCA Worship document gives the background and practical implications for an addition to the church year calendar. Creation in Christ (or Feast of Creation), to be observed on Sept. 1 or the Sunday following, is supported with lectionary readings and worship resources.
Following several years of study, prayer and collaboration, a new ecumenical observance is encouraged in the church throughout the world. Grounded in the ancient liturgical tradition of the Orthodox church, Creation in Christ (or Feast of Creation) celebrates God as creator and ponders the great mystery that everything was created through Christ. And, as a result, it also inspires us to care for the gift of the created world. Although the rich theme of Christ’s activity in creation abounds throughout the liturgical year, setting aside this day brings an important focus to this mystery.
As summarized on the Feast of Creation website: “Since the 1989 invitation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate to pray together on September 1, many churches and ecumenical networks have adopted the Creation Day observance and collaborated to encourage its celebration. In 2023, various global Christian bodies began to dialogue about the ancient roots of Creation Day in the Byzantine liturgical calendar and its potential to enrich non-Byzantine calendars even more meaningfully. Since then, a series of theological dialogues have taken place in what came to be known as ‘The Assisi Process,’ with the participation of 13 Christian world communions and various ecumenical bodies.” ELCA Worship shared a blog post written by Benjamin Stewart in Sept. 2024 that introduced this process to ELCA congregations, specifically noting the churches that convened in Assisi in March of 2024. (Learn more about the process here and more about its theological grounding here.)
The ELCA is a member of both the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches (WCC), two of the more than 13 Christian communions that have encouraged the adoption of this festival. (The LWF shared information on this last March and the WCC offered a webinar on the topic.)
For the past two years, the Consultation on Common Texts (CCT)—of which the ELCA is a member—has worked with the ecumenical conveners of this proposed celebration, namely in the task of selecting lectionary texts. (See a listing of the proposed texts and the methodology report approved by the CCT.) The CCT also suggests the name of the day be Creation in Christ (or Feast of Creation) for Christological clarity, ecumenical breadth and alignment with the Revised Common Lectionary naming conventions. For example, Creation in Christ is similar to Christ the King (or Reign of Christ) or Baptism of Our Lord.
Worship resources for Creation in Christ
What does this mean for the ELCA? Supported by the LWF and the WCC, ELCA worshiping communities are encouraged to celebrate the day, using the lectionary texts provided by the CCT. The date to observe Creation in Christ will need to be determined locally. Although celebration is encouraged on Sept. 1 or the Sunday following, with the observance of Labor Day in the United States, some communities may opt to celebrate in late August or later in September, perhaps aligning with the autumnal equinox. Yet others may keep a Season of Creation,
beginning on or near Sept. 1 and ending with the commemoration of Francis of Assisi on or Oct. 4.
We anticipate that adopting this new date on the liturgical calendar will be an evolving process, just as the process to get to this point involved much thought, prayer and deliberation. Communities are encouraged to discern what works best in their context, knowing that resourcing and support for this day will be available over time and will be renewed and refined along the way.
Resources are now available to assist you in preparation and planning. These include liturgical texts (including prayer of the day and prayers of intercession), preaching guidance and music suggestions. These are available as a resource from ELCA worship and to Sundays and Seasons subscribers.
In addition, subscribers to Sundays and Seasons can find an essay by Benjamin Stewart, “Joining the Cosmic Choir: An Introduction to a Liturgical Festival of Creation” as well as “Planning a Festival of Creation” as part of the Seasonal Rites for Autumn in the 2027 print edition and online, both in the library and in the Day Resources for Creation in Christ (Sept. 1).
Earlier in 2026, an ecumenical call was put out to submit resources to be considered for wider sharing. These are accessible on the Feast of Creation website and will be updated and expanded.
This is an exciting time, as the last time there was an addition to the liturgical calendar was Christ the King (Reign of Christ) in the 1920s (though it was only adopted by Western churches). It is the first time a new feast/festival has been adopted since the release of the common lectionary in 1983. To be in communion with the Eastern church in celebration of Creation in Christ (Feast of Creation), holds great promise, even in this time of global crisis and uncertainty.
