Inaugural Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Today is the inaugural Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and a new day added to the WEA’s annual calendar for evangelicals to celebrate. On this day, and every September 1st in the future, Christian churches and communities around the world–be they Protestant, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox—will be unified in prayer for the gift of creation, and our joy and responsibility to be good stewards of this gift.
The vision for this day started in 1989 when the late Patriarch Demetrios II installed September 1st as a Day of Prayer for Creation for the Orthodox Church. Then in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical on creation care, Patriarch Bartholomäus invited the Catholic Church to be united in prayer for creation with the Orthodox Church. This led to Pope Francis’ August announcement of the Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation for the Roman Catholic Church, and invited other Christians to adopt this day too.
The WEA responded affirmatively, thereby added this day of prayer to the evangelical calendar. The WEA’s Creation Care Task Force (CCTF) will develop and promote resources for evangelicals to thoughtfully, sincerely & actively participate in this dedicated day of prayer. However, given the late announcement there was insufficient time to plan activities for this year’s Global Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Nevertheless, the CCTF encourages prayers for the care of creation today as individuals, at meals with family or friends, in bible studies, and in church services. If you reside in North America you can also join an online prayer event happening at 8:00 PM EST. To learn more go to this link.