An Anglican Reflection for the Season of Creation 2026
“Wherever the river goes, every living creature will live.” — Ezekiel 47:9
Every year from 1 September to 4 October, Christians around the world enter the Season of Creation. This Season of Creation is a time when we remember our relationship with God, with each other and with the world around us. This year the theme is Living Water. The symbol for this year is Immersion in Living Water. This makes the Church think about one of the powerful images in the Bible. Water is not something we need to survive. In the Bible, water is a sign of God’s presence, God’s love and God’s plan.
The prophet Ezekiel had a vision in which he stood in front of the Temple. Saw a small stream coming out from under the door. As the water flowed away from the Temple, it became a river. This river brought life to every place it touched. The dry places became green; the empty waters were filled with fish. The trees had fruit all year round. This change did not start in the desert. In the presence of God. The river flowed out from the Temple because life always comes from God.
This idea of moving from worship to service is a part of the Anglican faith. Every Sunday the Church gathers to read the Bible and take part in the Lord’s Supper. We are fed by the Bible, refreshed by prayer and strengthened by the Lord’s Table. The Church does not stop at the church door. When we leave the church, we are sent out into the world to love and serve God. Our worship is not about what we do inside the church alone but about how we live out our faith in our daily lives.
The image of the river helps us understand what our own Church is called to do. The Church is not like a lake that just holds water. The Church is like a river that flows with God’s love. Rivers do not exist for themselves. They give life to every place they touch. So, the Church does its job when it takes God’s love, kindness, justice, and hope out into the world where we live.
This idea is very clear in the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Water is the start of the journey. When we are baptized, we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. We become part of his body. Are called to be part of God’s plan. The symbol of Immersion in Living Water is not about being renewed as individuals but about being called to serve.
Jesus talks about this in his meeting with the woman at the well. He says that the water he gives will satisfy our thirst and will be like a spring that gives us eternal life. The living water that Christ gives is never still. It flows out from the people who believe in him and becomes acts of love, kindness and service. Being a Christian is not about getting God’s love but about letting that love flow out from us.
The last part of the Bible talks about this image again. In the book of Revelation, the River of Life flows from God’s throne through the city of God. On the banks of this river is a tree that heals the nations. The Bible starts in a garden that God takes care of and ends with a world that God’s River gives life to. The Church’s job is to be a sign of this world that is coming.
This idea also shapes how the Anglican Church thinks about the world. We are called to take care of the earth and keep it safe. This is not only about being kind to the environment. It is about being who we are as Christians and being part of God’s plan to make things right. When we protect rivers, take care of water, reduce waste and help communities that are hurt by the way we treat the earth, we are showing the world what God is like.
Ezekiel’s river started as a stream flowing out from the Temple. God often starts his work in ways: a faithful group of people, a shared prayer, a fixed relationship, a local act of taking care of the earth, a community gathered to read the Bible and take part in the Lord’s Supper. When we give these things to God, they can become ways for God’s love to renew the world.
May this Season of Creation fill us again with the living water of Christ. May our churches become rivers of hope, bringing healing where there is hurt, renewal where there is tiredness and signs of God’s love wherever the river of God’s love flows.
Author’s note: This reflection was written during the author’s work of translating the 2026 Season of Creation Resource Book into Malayalam, an experience that deepened his meditation on the theme “Living Water.”
Living Water: The Church as a River of Hope
An Anglican Reflection for the Season of Creation 2026
“Wherever the river goes, every living creature will live.” — Ezekiel 47:9
Every year from 1 September to 4 October, Christians around the world enter the Season of Creation. This Season of Creation is a time when we remember our relationship with God, with each other and with the world around us. This year the theme is Living Water. The symbol for this year is Immersion in Living Water. This makes the Church think about one of the powerful images in the Bible. Water is not something we need to survive. In the Bible, water is a sign of God’s presence, God’s love and God’s plan.
The prophet Ezekiel had a vision in which he stood in front of the Temple. Saw a small stream coming out from under the door. As the water flowed away from the Temple, it became a river. This river brought life to every place it touched. The dry places became green; the empty waters were filled with fish. The trees had fruit all year round. This change did not start in the desert. In the presence of God. The river flowed out from the Temple because life always comes from God.
This idea of moving from worship to service is a part of the Anglican faith. Every Sunday the Church gathers to read the Bible and take part in the Lord’s Supper. We are fed by the Bible, refreshed by prayer and strengthened by the Lord’s Table. The Church does not stop at the church door. When we leave the church, we are sent out into the world to love and serve God. Our worship is not about what we do inside the church alone but about how we live out our faith in our daily lives.
The image of the river helps us understand what our own Church is called to do. The Church is not like a lake that just holds water. The Church is like a river that flows with God’s love. Rivers do not exist for themselves. They give life to every place they touch. So, the Church does its job when it takes God’s love, kindness, justice, and hope out into the world where we live.
This idea is very clear in the sacrament of Holy Baptism. Water is the start of the journey. When we are baptized, we are united with Christ in his death and resurrection. We become part of his body. Are called to be part of God’s plan. The symbol of Immersion in Living Water is not about being renewed as individuals but about being called to serve.
Jesus talks about this in his meeting with the woman at the well. He says that the water he gives will satisfy our thirst and will be like a spring that gives us eternal life. The living water that Christ gives is never still. It flows out from the people who believe in him and becomes acts of love, kindness and service. Being a Christian is not about getting God’s love but about letting that love flow out from us.
The last part of the Bible talks about this image again. In the book of Revelation, the River of Life flows from God’s throne through the city of God. On the banks of this river is a tree that heals the nations. The Bible starts in a garden that God takes care of and ends with a world that God’s River gives life to. The Church’s job is to be a sign of this world that is coming.
This idea also shapes how the Anglican Church thinks about the world. We are called to take care of the earth and keep it safe. This is not only about being kind to the environment. It is about being who we are as Christians and being part of God’s plan to make things right. When we protect rivers, take care of water, reduce waste and help communities that are hurt by the way we treat the earth, we are showing the world what God is like.
Ezekiel’s river started as a stream flowing out from the Temple. God often starts his work in ways: a faithful group of people, a shared prayer, a fixed relationship, a local act of taking care of the earth, a community gathered to read the Bible and take part in the Lord’s Supper. When we give these things to God, they can become ways for God’s love to renew the world.
May this Season of Creation fill us again with the living water of Christ. May our churches become rivers of hope, bringing healing where there is hurt, renewal where there is tiredness and signs of God’s love wherever the river of God’s love flows.
Author’s note: This reflection was written during the author’s work of translating the 2026 Season of Creation Resource Book into Malayalam, an experience that deepened his meditation on the theme “Living Water.”
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