The Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentary

by David Rhoads, H. Paul Santmire, Norman C. Habel (Editor)

Overview

As the global climate crisis worsens, many churches have sought to respond by instituting a movement to observe a liturgical season of creation. Scholars who have pioneered the connections between biblical scholarship, ecological theology, liturgy, and homiletics provide here a comprehensive resource for preaching and leading worship in this new season. Included are theological and practical introductions to observance of the season, biblical texts for its twelve Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, and astute commentary to help preachers and worship leaders guide their congregations into deeper connection with our imperiled planet.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780800696573
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	780,830
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

David Rhoads is Professor of New Testament Emeritus at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and the author of The Challenge of Diversity: The Witness of Paul and the Gospels (1996) and Reading Mark: Engaging the Gospel (2004); editor of From Every People and Nation: The Book of Revelation in Intercultural Perspective (2005); and coeditor of The Season of Creation: A Preaching Commentary (2011), all from Fortress Press.

H. Paul Santmirehas been a leader in the field of ecological theology for more than forty years. Ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), he is the author of The Travail of Nature: The Ambiguous Ecological Promise of Christian Theology(1985),Nature Reborn: The Ecological and Cosmic Promise of Christian Theology(2000), andRitualizing Nature: Renewing Christian Liturgy in a Time of Crisis (2008), all from Fortress Press.

Norman C. Habel is a Professorial Fellow at Flinders University in Adelaide. He has long been involved in issues of biblical interpretation, including reading the Bible from an ecological and a decolonizing perspective.

Table of Contents

Preface v

Part 1 Theology, Liturgy, Bible Engaging the Season

1 Introducing the Season of Creation 3

A Special Season of the Church Year 3

Why a Season of Creation? 5

Origins and Growth 7

Features of the Season of Creation 9

Readings for the Season of Creation 11

The Season of Creation Web Site and Logo 14

2 A Theology of Liturgy in a New Key: Worshiping with Creation 16

Worship as Reorientation 17

A Theology of Worship 19

Care for Creation in the Seasons and Days of the Church Year 21

A Theology of the Liturgy 23

The Invocation: The God of All Creation and a Theology of Earth Sanctuary 24

The Invitation and Gloria: A Theology of Kinship with Creation 26

The Confession: A Theology of Alienation and Reconciliation 30

The Scripture Readings: A Theology of Listening 33

Proclaiming the Gospel: A Theology of Incarnation and Reconciliation 37

Prayer and Offering: A Theology of Creation as Gift 41

The Sacraments: A Theology of Presence 44

The Commission and Blessing: A Theology of Ministry 47

3 Engaging the Bible in a New Key: Reading and Preaching with Creation 54

Conscious of the Creation Context 55

Suspecting a Human Bias 56

Identifying with Earth 58

Retrieving the Voices of Creation 60

Discerning the Restorative Powers of Earth 61

Human Justice in Ecological Justice 63

Connecting with Christ 64

Conclusion 65

Part 2 Spirit, Word, Wisdom Engaging the Sundays and Readings

Year A The Spirit Series

First Sunday in Creation: Forest Sunday Theodore Hiebert 70

Second Sunday in Creation: Land Sunday Ched Myers 83

Third Sunday in Creation: Wilderness Sunday Alice M. Sinnott 100

Fourth Sunday in Creation: River Sunday Barbara R. Rossing 112

Year B The Word Series

First Sunday in Creation: Earth Sunday Gerald West 126

Second Sunday in Creation: Humanity Sunday Norman C. Habel 143

Third Sunday in Creation: Sky Sunday Susan Miller 153

Fourth Sunday in Creation: Mountain Sunday H. Paul Santmire 164

Year C The Wisdom Seises

First Sunday in Creation: Ocean Sunday Jione Havea 180

Second Sunday in Creation: Fauna Sunday Dianne Bergant 192

Third Sunday in Creation: Storm Sunday Monica Joytsna Melanchthon 202

Fourth Sunday in Creation: Cosmos Sunday Vicky Balabanski Shirley Joh Wurst 214

Afterword: Blessing the Animals: A Sermon David Rhoads 228

Contributors 232