The Consultation on Common Texts supports an ecumenical Festival of Creation

 — May 15, 202615 mai 2026

The Consultation on Common Texts supports an ecumenical Festival of Creation and makes editorial changes in the alternative texts for Holy Week, Easter Season, and early Pentecost.

The Consultation on Common Texts (CCT) held its annual meeting in Decatur, Georgia on April 20 to 21, 2026. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship hosted the meeting at its headquarters, with the fellowship’s Executive Coordinator Paul Baxley extending a welcome in person to attending CCT members.

The CCT adopted a report from a subcommittee of members that had been serving on an ecumenical working group seeking to create a new festival in the church calendar celebrating God’s role in creation. CCT members Lisa Hancock and Cheryl Lindsay, respectively participants in the working group’s lectionary  and theology committees, reported on proposals for the designation of September 1, or the Sunday following September 1 as the date for the festival, the adoption of the name Festival of Creation in Christ (or the Feast of Creation), and a proposed three-year rotation of lessons. The CCT commended these three proposals to member churches for a three-year period of trial use (2026-2028). Trial use is typically followed by feedback from member churches, alterations as needed, and a CCT recommendation for permanent adoption by member churches. Member churches act upon and make alterations on proposal as meet their own timetables and liturgical sensibilities.

Among other matters decided at the meeting was the adoption of editorial changes to the textual citations in the Alternative Texts proposed in 2025 for a three-year trial (2025-2028). The changes, which generally adjusted the length of passages, did not affect the major intention of the proposed lessons‒addressing the anti-Judaic interpretation historically given to some lessons read in Lent and Easter season. An updated version of those lessons and the report that accompanied them can be found at Addressing Anti-Judaism in the Lectionary April 2025.

In addition, the CCT received a report about the work of the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC), an international body to which it sends representatives that met in Paris in July of 2025. Despite the English Language in its name, the ELLC has become increasingly interested in recent years in the use of the Revised Common Lectionary in non-English language countries. Newly elected ELLC chair, Adam Couchman of St. Francis College Brisbane, Australia supports this focus. The 2027 meeting of the ELLC, which usually meets in Europe, will be held in Brazil.  David Gambrell and Cheryl Lindsay represent the American members of the CCT; Sarah Kathleen Johnson and a yet to be selected second member represent the Canadian CCT members.

The CCT adopted a plan to assist in next steps in the distribution of a lectionary guide titled “Why that Text?,” which has been prepared by CCT consultant and former member Fritz West. It was decided that the 2027 CCT meeting will be held in Chicago on April 19 and 20th and that the 2028 meeting will be held in Toronto.

Posted: May 15, 2026 • Permanent link: ecumenism.net/?p=14952
Categories: News • In this article: creation, liturgy, Revised Common Lectionary Transmis : 15 mai 2026 • Lien permanente : ecumenism.net/?p=14952
Catégorie : News • Dans cet article : creation, liturgy, Revised Common Lectionary