Dear Good Samaritans,

I have gotten a couple questions about the non-scriptural readings that we have been hearing on Sundays for the Season of Creation (September 1-October 4). I wanted to address these questions so that we can all be on the same page.

How did these readings come about? The Season of Creation is an ecumenical season during ordinary time (the long green season) where we spend a few weeks thinking, praying, and meditating on God’s creation and our relationship to it. As has been true in past years, the Bishops of the Episcopal Church have arranged resources for us to use that they believe will help us to deepen our connections and spirituality during this time. They included new versions of traditional prayers, new prayers, readings, and hymns dedicated to honoring the sacredness of God’s creation. This resource was approved (and encouraged) by our Bishop, as well as most Bishops in the Episcopal Church, for public worship with the hope that “these prayers and readings deepen our response to the living God and strengthen our resolve to follow Jesus in this critical time for all of Creation.” It should be noted that the readings and prayers are only to be used from September 1-October 4. After that we are to return to previously approved and authorized liturgical resources from the Episcopal Church.

Why aren’t we hearing an Epistle? As part of the readings that the bishops authorized, we are hearing passages from non-scriptural resources. These, and others, may substituted for the Epistle during the Season of Creation. The Book of Common Prayer indicates that the second lesson (most often an Epistle, except during Eastertide) is suggested, but not required. Conceivably, although I don’t really know why someone would choose to, the Epistle could be omitted each Sunday. So, it makes the most sense to place these Creation-based texts in this place.

Should we be allowing secular work in the church? It really depends on who you ask. I, for one, believe that God can (and does) inspire, act, and teach us through all the things of the world; religious and secular, sacred and profane, church and popular culture. God has given us creativity and imagination and may just as readily act through a committed atheist as well as through the most devout of bishops.

That said, all of the readings that we will hear are from writers or texts with a Judeo-Christian context. Fyodor Dostoevsky was a devote member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Elizabeth Johnson is a feminist Roman Catholic theologian as well as a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood. The Babylonian Talmud is, after the Hebrew Bible, the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and a primary source for both Jewish theology as well as elucidating laws. Walter Rauschenbusch (whom we will hear this Sunday) was an American Theologian and Baptist Pastor in the early 20th century. And next week, the last week of the Season of Creation this year, we will hear from Meister Eckhart. He was a Roman Catholic priest as well as a mystic. The assortment of backgrounds and experiences allows these writers to speak to us about the sacredness of God’s creation from a variety of vantage points, all different from ours. By thinking, pondering, and wondering about God and God’s world in different ways we deepen our connection to the divine all around us.

It is important to remember, though, that the sacred scriptures do hold a special place for us in our corporate worship life (in addition to being vital to individuals as well). These authorized texts are not scripture and as such we changed the response after just these readings. Instead of “Hear what the spirit is saying to all God’s Creation” or “Holy Word, Holy Wisdom,” we say, “Here ends the lesson” as a way of denoting the difference.

All in all, these texts and prayers, with their new terms and titles, may be unfamiliar. And, that’s the point. When we read the same thing over and over it becomes engrained and runs the risk of becoming rote, instead of being full, active, conscious prayer and listening. Occasionally making changes ensures that we remain in the moment by requiring us to pay closer attention.

I hope you will lean into these new aspects of our liturgy over these final weeks of Creationtide. It truly is meant to help us grow closer to ourselves and to God.

Peace,

Fr. Chris