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Creation Care

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Upcoming Event

Holly Stroll

Have you ever heard of a holy stroll? It’s kind of a thing.

It is a spiritual practice that is strolling its way throughout the community of environmentalists, nature lovers, and people who embrace creation care. 

Created in Japan, the Japanese describe it as  “shinrin-yuko” - immersing oneself in the essence of the forest, or more popularly known as “forest bathing”. It is not a hike in the woods, but a slower, more mindful stroll under the canopy of trees, paying close attention to the sights, sounds, smells, and feel of the environment. 

Strollers frequently stop to observe the sunlight on the leaves, the wind in the branches, and bird songs overhead. They examine tree bark and leaf shapes to identify the species of trees in the forest. They deeply breathe the aromas in the air and consider the other flora and fauna about them. 

Those of us who practice creation care see this as a way to appreciate God’s creation on a deeper level; to learn with an intimate practice the world that The Creator created. Done quietly, slowly, we develop a new relationship with creation, and find that of God in these restful moments.

Thomas Merton captured the practice well when he wrote, ”I just need to have long periods of no talking and no special thinking, and immediate contact with the sun, the grass, the dirt, the leaves, undistracted by jokes, statements, opinions, the news…”

I will be holding a Zoom webinar twice on holy strolling on Wednesday, April 15,  the first at 1:30 pm and another, the same day at 7:00 pm. I will go deeper into the background of holy strolling, its health benefits, and the theology/spirituality of it. You must RSVP with me to register, as it will not be open to the general public. Later on in the summer, I will host some holy strolls across the diocese, and I will be looking for parishes to assist as co-hosts. 


Please contact me via email by April 12  to register - kjpmcgrane@yahoo.com.  I look forward to introducing you to a holy stroll.

 

-photo by K. McGrane, Japanese garden at MOBOT. 





 

Yearly Events

Each year during the Season of Creation, Christians around the world join in prayer and action to honor the Earth entrusted to our care. This season calls us to deepen our worship by lifting up creation as part of the Gospel story, reminding us that our faith is bound up with the well-being of the whole Earth community.

Drawing from prayers, readings, hymns, and liturgies across the Anglican Communion and beyond, these resources invite us to see worship through an ecological lens. They help us expand our Sunday prayers and liturgies so that they reflect more fully the “whole Gospel for the whole world.” What began as a collaboration of clergy and leaders in 2022 has now grown into a perennial guide for the wider Church—endorsed by diocesan bishops across The Episcopal Church and strengthened by the Episcopal Path for Creation Justice.

Updated in 2025, this collection is commended as a gift for congregational worship and personal devotion alike. Reading it is an education in eco-justice; praying it is an act of hope and transformation. May these words and songs draw us deeper into God’s presence and strengthen our resolve to follow Jesus in this urgent time for all Creation.

 Download the Season of Creation Guide

About Creation Care

In the Book of Genesis, God called all creation into being and called it good. God blessed humanity with reason and skills and named us stewards of the good creation. In Jesus’ life and ministry he often cared for and reflected on God’s creation. But we have often misused and abused God’s creation.

The Episcopal Church has made a commitment to practice loving formation, liberating advocacy, and life-giving conversation surrounding the care of creation. The Diocese of Missouri invites individuals, congregations and ministries to join our efforts through our Creation Care Ministry.

The Rev. Kevin McGrane is the Missioner for Creation Care and Stewardship in the Diocese of Missouri. He is tasked with mobilizing a wave of religious activism within and beyond the Diocese to protect and heal God’s Creation. The Missioner is to invite us as a Diocesan household to recapture our original mandate as stewards of creation.

The Missioner’s responsibilities include:

  • Work with the Creation Care Commission of the Diocese of Missouri as a Council of Advice.
  • In collaboration with the Creation Care Commission, offer liturgical and learning resources to the Diocese around the care of creation and climate change advocacy.
  • Create a clearinghouse of best practices, formation materials, etc., to enable congregations to reduce their carbon footprints.
  • In consultation with the Creation Care Commission, provide for a Diocesan celebration of creation on an annual basis.
  • Work collaboratively with the Missioner for Jubilee Ministries in promoting and encouraging “Good News Gardens” across the Diocese.
  • Promote the use of the Season of Creation as a time to celebrate, grieve, pray, and engage in creation and climate issues.
  • Represent the Bishop and Diocese at environmental conferences and other gatherings so that the Church has a seat at the table for one of the most crucial issues of our time.
  • Preach and teach in communities of faith that make up the Diocese.
  • Submit an annual report to the Diocesan Convention.
  • Offer presentations to Diocesan Council which highlight the ongoing work of creation care.

We invite you to learn more and become active in creation care by engaging with the resources on this page.

Creation Care Resources