The CaSTLE Project in partnership with Wartburg Theological Seminary has released Creation in Christ: A Resource for Rural Churches, created by the Rev. Dr. Clayton Faulkner. The resource introduces “Creation in Christ,” also known as the “Feast of Creation,” a new ecumenical observance emphasizing Christ’s role in creation and the church’s calling to care for all God has made. Its themes are especially meaningful for communities shaped by farming, ranching, and other work close to the earth.
Clayton provides lectionary readings and adaptable liturgies for congregations, including a Thanksgiving for Creation and blessings for fields, animals, agricultural equipment, and church grounds. These prayers connect worship with the places, responsibilities, joys, and uncertainties of rural life while recognizing care for the land and its creatures as faithful service to the neighbor.
The resource also features practical creation-care ideas for worship, education, church property, and congregational life, along with additional theological and musical resources. Congregations are invited to adapt these materials to their own context as they explore how caring for creation can become part of their shared witness to Jesus Christ.
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