October letter 2026

Dear Friends,

The Church of England General Synod has told its churches to celebrate a new Christian festival: the Festival of Creation in Christ.

I am always happy to celebrate the fruitfulness of God’s creation at Harvest Festival, and to include our calling to care responsibly for the world in which we have been placed. (Harvest Festival is on 4th October) But now it seems that the leaders of several of the longer established Christian denominations have been pushing for a longer annual focus on these issues: an extended festival.

We are told ‘Creation in Christ’ Sunday is to be the first Sunday of September each year, and will mark the beginning of a season called ‘Creationtide’. Creationtide is meant to run from the first Sunday of September through to Harvest Sunday in October. The CofE has followed the other denominations who are enthusiastic about the updated Revised Common Lectionary: newly chosen Bible Readings to reflect the new longer festival.

You might discern just a hint of reluctance from me. I lack enthusiasm for this initiative. But I don’t want to be misunderstood.

I am pleased that the Sunday is called ‘Creation in Christ’, and is meant to celebrate Jesus’ role as the Creator and Sustained of all things. That underlying theology is good and right.

My first misgiving is that I can foresee that many church leaders will miss out the Christ. ‘Creation in Christ’ Sunday does not trip off the tongue. Many churches I foresee will call it ‘Creation Sunday’ or think of it as ‘Creation Sunday’, and use it to repeat contemporary emphases on climate and environment, rather than focus on Jesus and his authority over our created world.

My second misgiving is that the new extended festival might be used to reinforce climate anxiety, rather than the reassurance which comes from knowing Jesus is in charge. It is important that we recognise the challenges of our changing climate. But we do well to remember that, over the long term, significant climate change is normal, and Jesus has been given authority over all things.

We are right to care responsibly for the world’s plants and animals. We are wise to recognise that nothing stays the same. ‘There is a season for every activity under heaven.’ Everything on this earth changes all the time. It is only Jesus the king of heaven who is the same, yesterday, today and forever.

That is why the ‘In Christ’ of ‘Creation in Christ’ Sunday is so important. It reminds us of the bigger picture (the Lord Jesus and his eternal authority over our world) behind what many of our contemporaries seem to emphasise as the big picture (climate crisis and environmental disaster). With Jesus as our big picture, we need not fear change and we are helped to avoid the tendency to catastrophise. With Jesus as our creator and sustainer, we may embrace the future happily and boldly.

So, at St Luke’s we will celebrate Harvest Festival with thanksgiving on Sunday 4th October. And we will encourage one another to care responsibly for the earth and all its creatures.

At the same time, our main teaching through the rest of September and October is from the Book of Romans. If we were always celebrating extra festivals, we would miss the great benefits of a weekly nourishing regular diet of God’s Word.

Would you not agree that a nourishing regular diet is what usually serves us best in this mortal life?

Yours in Christ,

Rob