Pausing to Take in the Beauty of Creation

Taking time to look at and appreciate creation is a good thing to do – taking time to look at creation through the eyes of a child is a wonderful thing to do.  Early this morning I took our two year old grandson down to say good morning to the lake.  It was a beautiful, warm, sunny beginning to the day.  Had it not been for Elias, I would have missed the spider, ants and bugs along the way.  It took a little longer to get to the water’s edge, but it was worth every moment.  And once we did, we saw a fish swimming around a rock, a loon resting nearby and lots of sea gulls.  We heard birds tweeting (much better than twitter tweets) and chipmunks chattering.  It was a time to soak it all in and see more than I could have ever imagined - this time through the eyes of childhood wonder. 

The clouds seem bigger and the sun brighter at this time of year with Minnesota daylight lingering on the horizon until 11 p.m. and picking back up around 3:45 a.m.  Sunsets and sunrises are on an equal par, both shining with such radiant colors of red, pink and orange in the sky and water’s reflection.  And there’s nothing like the breeze blowing through shimmering birch leaves as their shadows dance on the ground like pixie dust.  Experiencing nature in all its splendor and wonder is a gift to behold.

Barbara Kingsolver in her book of essays, Small Wonder, shares these thoughts: 

There once was a time when Thoreau wrote, “I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” By the power vested in everything living, let us keep to that faith. I’m a scientist who thinks it wise to enter the doors of creation not with a lion tamer’s whip and chair, but with the reverence humankind has traditionally summoned for entering places of worship: a temple, a mosque, or a cathedral. A sacred grove, as ancient as time.

Nothing can replace our sacred space and place of worship at the Neighborhood Church, our beloved sanctuary.  And yet, perhaps this time away can help us see the beauty that is all around us – things in the everyday of life that we might have missed if not for the eyes of wonder and mystery.

The web of life is beyond comprehension when we consider the vastness of God’s incredible creation.  How God has tied it all together, how God sustains everything, how God cares and loves – these are things to ponder and appreciate.  But never in a million years will we ever comprehend it all.  So let’s give thanks to the One who makes it all possible – and yes, let’s share in loving and caring for this amazing gift.

In Wonder and Gratitude,

Rev. Dr. David D. Young
Senior Minister