An Ethiopian boy lights a candle in the grotto of the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank. The church is built on the site believed to be where Jesus was born.
Daily Creation Care Reflection Guides and Worship Resources For the Christian Church Season of Advent
Advent is a season of the church year observed in most Christian Denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for Christmas. According to Romans 8:19 in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, All Creation waits with eager longing for the deep connection with God that the birth of Jesus brings. Advent 2022 begins Sunday, November 27 and ends Saturday, December 24.
ICCT is marking Advent by offering you and your congregation an Advent Daily Reflection Guide on Creation care, suggestions for Advent Creation care worship resources, and twelve ways to care for Creation as we celebrate.
Advent Daily Reflection Guide on Creation Care. Whether or not your church prepares Advent Guides with daily reflections for its members, you may wish to choose one for yourself that is focused on Creation Care. And you may wish to encourage your clergy and worship council to offer an Advent Guide on Creation Care this year as the main guide or as a supplement. For example, the NC Conference of United Methodists recommends using an Advent guide in 2022 that was originally published in 2015 and is based on Laudato Si’: on Care for our Common Home by Pope Francis. See them here:
- The first week of Advent: Daily meditations with Laudato Si’ (Pope Francis, 2015)
- Week 2 of Advent meditations with Laudato Si’: Shift to a deeper vision
- Week 3 of Advent meditations with Laudato Si’: Putting ourselves out there
- Week 4 of Advent meditations with Laudato Si’: Can I be all embracing?
For more inspiration leading to contemplation and action you’re invited to watch two recorded Advent sermons by Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, Episcopal priest serving as Missioner for Creation Care in New England regions for the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ. You can see the video of her first Sunday Advent sermon as well as the video and the text of her fourth Sunday Advent sermon.
If your church or denomination has created a Creation Care Advent Guide or other resources for 2022, please send us the links and we will share them with the ICCT network.
Advent Creation Care Worship Resources. Many churches celebrate Advent at worship services each Sunday during the season. Your clergy and worship council may be interested in resources from Let All Creation Praise, an ecumenical endeavor providing resources for Christian worship promoting love of and care for God’s creation. They offer Advent worship planning themes for 2022 that reflect the schedule in Year A Revised Common Lectionary of Bible passages used in worship by many churches. For example, in week one of Advent, the theme suggested is prophet Isaiah’s vision of beating swords into plowshares, guiding modern reflections on how our resources and technology may be for earth-care instead of causing the destruction of life.
How to Care for Creation during Advent. Headquartered in Singapore, SG Creation Care suggests twelve ways we can care for the Earth as we celebrate. You may want to set an intention to try one or more of these ways, decide how, and share it in your church newsletter or on your church Facebook page along with an invitation to others to join you in making an intention and sharing it.
- Gift experiences, not material gifts. Try gifting experiences instead of physical presents this year! Support our local attractions by buying vouchers or entry passes for your friends and family.
- Shop locally. If you’re more traditional when it comes to gifts, try buying locally made gifts! Not only are you supporting local businesses, but this also reduces the heavy carbon footprint that comes with air and sea transportation.
- Try plantable cards. Like to write letters to your friends during this season? Try getting plantable cards this time around – zero-waste, they can be planted by your friend and grown into a plant if they wish!
- Don’t buy live gifts for others. That said, don’t buy live gifts for others. A pet (or plant) is a long-term commitment. Unless you’re sure that they really want and can commit to providing for a pet or plant, don’t make that choice for them.
- Reuse spare paper as wrapping paper. Rather than purchasing new wrapping paper (that is single use), why not reuse spare paper that you have for wrapping gifts? It reduces the paper we use and will probably be the most uniquely wrapped gift your friends will get.
- Use LED Christmas lights. Get energy-saving LED Christmas lights instead of incandescent ones to reduce your electricity consumption; and turn them off when you leave the house or go to sleep.
- Get sustainable Christmas decorations. Purchase decor that you can reuse annually or consider upcycling spare materials lying around to DIY your own decor.
- Eat less meat this season. Meat is really unsustainable, and the meat industry has not had the best track record for animal welfare. Give an animal a new lease of life by committing to consuming less meat this season and beyond!
- Cook or eat out instead of ordering in. Tis’ the season for feasts with friends and family! If you can, cook or dine out instead of ordering in to save on disposable waste.
- Watch out for over-ordering. While we might want to over-order to make sure there is enough food to go around, the best way to prevent food wastage is to order appropriate amounts of food. If you feel unsure about ordering less than usual, remember that you can always order additional food later on if need be. Another solution to reduce food wastage is to try bringing out your own containers to take the leftovers home.
- Donate to charities that do the work of caring for creation. Consider giving to charities in Singapore and around the world that do the work of caring for creation – both people and nature.
- Share why you care for creation. As you meet your friends and family this season, share with them why you care for creation. Share why Jesus’s coming is important, and how He will come to restore all of creation to its full glory2
