Seeing Creation

The theme for the third Sunday of Advent is joy but I’m struggling to find something joyful to write about.  I’ll be honest; I don’t feel a lot of joy right now.  It’s just one of those times.  The senseless murder of innocent children and adults in Connecticut this past Friday hasn’t helped matters.  Neither have some problems at work.  I know it’s supposedly “the most wonderful time of the year” but there’s a lot about Christmas that also brings me sadness.  I miss loved ones who are no longer here especially at Christmas.  Many of the songs I hear played dampen my spirits rather than lift them.  We may have lit a pink candle at church today to represent joy but I find myself wondering right now, “Where is the joy?”

I raise that question periodically but deep down I always know the answer.  My primary joy always has been, and always will be, found in my relationship with God.  When I am sad and blue I rarely doubt God’s existence or His love for me.  I just don’t sense His presence or feel His love at such times.  And it is in such times that I have to hold on to my faith and realize that “this, too, will pass.”  It is also helpful to remember that what I’m going through is a very common experience for believers.  You cannot be joyful (or full of joy) all of the time.  Sad times are a part of life.  An honest reading of the Scriptures will reveal that most of our biblical heroes also struggled with sadness and a lack of joy at times.  If anyone tells you that you must be joyful at all times I’d suggest you tell them to “get real.”  My own experience, as well as my observation of others, reveals that feelings of sadness are inevitable.

My experience and observations also reveal that these feelings of sadness do not last forever.  They do, in fact, pass.  In Psalm 30 the writer declares “weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” (v.5)    The wise author of Ecclesiastes wrote “There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven.” (3:1)  A few verses later he added that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.”  Joy and sadness are cycles that come to each of our lives.  Such cycles are reflected throughout nature.  As the Psalmist indicated, sunrise eventually follows sunset.  The tide rolls out but it always rolls back in.  Winter comes each year but invariably spring follows.  The moon in the sky goes through its phases and so do we.

When I am sad both of God’s Books—Scripture and Creation—offer me encouragement to hang in there.  Both Books give me hope of better days to come.  Both Books remind me that the Creator is still in control and that joy will, in fact, return in time.  On this Third Sunday of Advent I am grateful for their faithful testimony.  In them I find reason to believe that “comfort and joy” will sooner or later be mine once again.

–Chuck

(I took the top image at Coyote Buttes in Arizona and the bottom two images at Big Bend National Park in Texas.)

“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”   Isaiah 55:12

Today is the second Sunday of Advent and the theme for this particular Sunday is peace.   Peace, though greatly desired by most people, can be hard to find these days.  It definitely seems to be in short supply.  Nations do battle with one another.  Arguments rage in the halls of Congress.  There is ongoing conflict in most homes and places of business.  I suspect that in the end all of this is symptomatic of the lack of peace that resides inside our own hearts.  Today we remember the coming of the Prince of Peace but at the same time cannot help but lament the lack of peace evident in the world and in our own lives.

One of the things I have come to realize is that I need peaceful refuges or sanctuaries in order to maintain what peace I do have.  This morning I went to church early and after turning the lights of our Chrismon Tree and Christmas wreaths on I simply sat and soaked in the sense of peace that pervaded the place.  I have in my home a study which is also for me a peaceful sanctuary.  There I am surrounded by my books and can find a variety of music to listen to that contribute to my peace of mind and soul.

I spent a couple of days in southern Florida with Rob this past week and while there I had a chance to take some walks in swamps and hammocks.  It always amazes me how God’s Creation generates feelings of peace and tranquility within me.  Yes, even in swampy areas filled with spiders and snakes and alligators I felt a peace I do not find in the normal hustle and bustle of life. The places Rob took me were all near populated and/or commercial areas.  Not far away thousands of cars were making their way here or there, but in these pockets of wildness I found sanctuaries of peace and a sense of the presence of God.

I am thankful that no matter where you live nearby there is likely to be a natural sanctuary of peace.  Due to crime most churches are not able to keep their doors unlocked at all times.  For that reason few people have the option I do of going into a church sanctuary anytime they want and spending peaceful moments there alone.  But in nature we can find a place of peaceful refuge twenty-four hours a day.  I realize that some parks also have locks but there are always pockets of wildness waiting to be made into sanctuaries of peace.  I cannot help but believe that the God who first made Himself known to others in a garden still waits in a variety of gardens and natural habitats to make Himself known.  And when we give God that opportunity the peace we so urgently need is usually found as well.  Where do you find your own sanctuaries of peace?  Have you been there lately?

–Chuck

(I took the images above near West Palm Beach, Florida, this past Thursday and Friday.)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

It is the first week of Advent and the theme for the week is hope.  In coming weeks the theme will change to peace, joy and love.  Of the four, I think hope may be the most important.  No one wants to live a life without peace, joy or love but I’m convinced that no one can live life without hope.  It is that important.  In his classic work, Theology of Hope, Jurgen Moltmann wrote, “Totally without hope one cannot live. To live without hope is to cease to live. Hell is hopelessness. It is no accident that above the entrance to Dante’s hell is the inscription: ‘Leave behind all hope, you who enter here.’”   Martin Luther King, Jr. echoed this sentiment when he said, “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.”

The Bible has much to say about hope.  From beginning to end the Scriptures call for us to hold on to hope.  Even when we find ourselves in what appear to be hopeless situations we are challenged to maintain hope.  Why?  Because with God in the picture there is always cause for hope.  Always!

The story of Noah and the great Flood concludes with God making a covenant with Noah and the rest of Creation.  Genesis 9:13 says “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”  Ever since God did this rainbows have been associated with hope.  I cannot see a rainbow without remembering the Genesis story and also its message of hope.  But even on the days that we don’t see rainbows we still have the assurance of God’s presence and love.  That’s what Advent and Christmas are all about.  And because we have this assurance, we are never without hope.

I will close today with some words that have come to mean a lot to me.  I’m not sure who wrote the following words but I keep them taped to my computer at work: “Whatever you do, hold on to hope!  The tiniest thread will twist into an unbreakable cord.  Let hope anchor you in the possibility that this is not the end of your story, that change will bring you to peaceful shores.”  Whether things are going well for you right now or they seem to be falling apart, I encourage you to hold on to hope, hold on to God.

–Chuck

(I took the top image at Cumberland Falls in Kentucky, the middle image at Yellowstone National park, and the bottom one near Devils Tower National Monument.

Today is the first day of Advent.  Advent is a word that means “coming.”  In the four weeks leading up to Christmas Christians will be asked to reflect on the coming of Jesus long ago and also on the fact that Scripture declares that he will one day come again.  We tend to place the most emphasis on the former but Advent calls us to remember both “comings.”  When I was a child I recall hearing preachers say that Jesus was coming back anytime now.  It was a message I heard often enough that I remember eventually coming to the conclusion that he sure was taking his time.  It’s not easy for children to wait.  I’m not sure it’s much easier for adults.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten.”  Yes, waiting can be difficult, especially this time of the year.  Children will certainly be restless between now and Christmas.  For them it will be a long wait before the big day arrives and they get to open presents.  Advent is likewise difficult for us adults as we wait and wait and wait for Christ’s return.  This waiting can be as painful for us as it is for our kids waiting for Santa Claus to come.  But wait we must.

Interestingly enough, we do not wait alone.  The Bible indicates that all of Creation also awaits the coming of Christ.  In Romans 8 Paul talks about how “the creation waits in eager expectation” for the glory that will be revealed.  And there is good reason for Creation to wait in eager expectation.    In vs. 20-21 Paul writes, “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.”

In v. 22 Paul goes to add, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”  This verse contains both bad news and good news.  The bad news is Creation suffers today.  It is in pain from the “bondage of decay” brought upon it by the sin of man.  In his commentary on the Book of Romans, Paul Achtemeier says, “If one wonders at the ‘mythology’ involved in earth’s suffering for human perversity, one can have its truth demonstrated in a quite literal way by seeing what humankind has done by way of the pollution of air and water and the thoughtless exploitation of the natural resources of the world in which we live.”  Considering how we have treated the earth and its resources, how could it not suffer?  How could it not eagerly long for restoration?

That leads to the good news.  Paul says creation groans “as in the pains of childbirth.”  Although pain is associated with childbirth the pain points to something better to come—the birth of a child.  Nature’s pain and eager expectation are important because they point to a better day and a better world to come.  Paul’s words in Romans 8 are all about hope, which happens to be the theme of the First Sunday of Advent.  For both humans and Creation the Bible points to a brighter and more glorious future.  Many churches today heard passages read from the Book of Isaiah.  This prophet, likewise, looked forward to a better day to come, a day when “the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together.” (11:6)  One day there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” where all shall be as God intended.  That truly is something worth waiting for.

Yes, a better day is coming for both believers and Creation.  In the meantime, we are called by God to make the most of our time on this earth and one way we can do this is by being good stewards of God’s Creation.  There are lots of ways we can help nature suffer less in the here and now.  Considering how long nature has already waited, wouldn’t you agree that it’s past time we did something to help?

–Chuck

p.s. I came across a wonderful video a few days ago where “Blessed Earth’s” Matthew and Nancy Sleeth are interview by Tony Campolo and Shane Claibore.  I encourage you to take time to watch it.  Here’s the link: http://vimeo.com/29624868

The season of Advent begins this coming Sunday.  I’ve noticed a number of bloggers are already addressing themes associated with Advent and Christmas.  For some reason, I’m still stuck on thanksgiving.  This past Sunday I preached a sermon in which I called on people to make thanksgiving a way of life, not just a holiday celebrated once a year.  There are certainly many biblical calls to thanksgiving.  The Psalmist encouraged us to enter God’s “gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise.” (100:4)  The apostle Paul commanded the church at Thessalonica to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thess. 5:18)  I believe that God deserves all the thanks and praise we can give Him and that living with an attitude of gratitude also makes life much more enjoyable and meaningful.

At the end of our service on Sunday we sang the wonderful hymn, “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”  The words to this hymn were written by Henry van Dyke and the music was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven.  I’ve sung this song my entire life but had not really noticed all the references to nature in it until this past Sunday.  The second verse, in particular, is filled with allusions to Creation: “All thy works with joy surround thee, earth and heaven reflect thy rays, stars and angels sing around thee, center of unbroken praise.  Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea, chanting bird and flowing fountain, call us to rejoice in thee.”

In one verse van Dyke speaks of our hearts unfolding to God like flowers before the sun above.  In this same verse one finds the plea, “fill us with the light of day.”  Another verse describes God as “well-spring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!”  In still yet another verse the writer calls on humans to join Creation in joyful praise but also bids “stars of morning, take your part.”

Beethoven’s music, taken from his Ninth Symphony, adds much to this delightful summons to praise.  It is truly a wonderful hymn and does a wonderful job of reminding us how we, along with the rest of Creation, are called to offer God joyful worship.  The Creator deserves not just the praise of His people but the adoration of all He has made!

Even though the Psalmist, and people like St. Francis and Henry van Dyke, called on Creation to give God praise I’m not sure how much we can do to spur the rest of Creation to worship God.  I have a feeling such spurring is actually unnecessary.  Unfortunately, it is we who often must be spurred.  So I want to encourage you to stop and count your blessings, to contemplate the goodness of both the Creator and the Creation, and then do your part in offering God your joyful adoration.  If you need some help doing so, try singing or listening to “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee.”  I bet it will help.

–Chuck

(I took the top two images at Redwood National Park in California.  I photographed the chickadee at my home in Pikeville, Kentucky.)

I have to admit when I heard what the special music was going to be for last Sunday’s service I wondered if it was actually a religious song.  The title of the song was “Winter Snow.”  It sure didn’t sound like a “religious” song but once I heard it sung by one of our youth I realized that my concerns were for aught.  In fact, it turned out that the song was both beautiful and inspirational, with a message most appropriate for an Advent service and for the readers of this blog.

Here are the words to “Winter Snow” as penned by Audrey Assad.  “Could’ve come like a mighty storm with all the strength of a hurricane.  You could’ve come like a forest fire with the power of Heaven in Your flame.  But You came like a winter snow—quiet and soft and slow—falling from the sky in the night to the earth below.  Could’ve swept in like a tidal wave or an ocean to ravish our hearts.  You could have come through like a roaring flood to wipe away the things we’ve scarred.  No, Your voice wasn’t in a bush burning.  No, Your voice wasn’t in a rushing wind.  It was still, it was small, it was hidden.”

I hope you’ll give some thought to these words in the days to come.  As the celebration of Christmas draws near we can find in nature a reminder of the miracle of the Incarnation.  The song writer is correct, Jesus could have come in any number of ways to the earth, but God’s plan was for him to come in a still, small, hidden way—to come “quiet and soft and slow” like a winter snow.

There is so much about Jesus’ coming I find incomprehensible.  Even with all the prophecies of the Old Testament I don’t think anyone could have imagined the Son of God coming as he did.  I am certain not even the prophets themselves could have imagined God becoming one of us “like a winter snow.”

If you’re lucky enough to have a good snow in the coming days (I know, some would consider that unlucky), I hope that you’ll pause to think about this song and the parallels there are between a winter snow and the birth of our Savior.  And whether you experience that snow or not, I hope and pray that in some still, small and hidden way you will experience Emmanuel, God with us, in your own particular way.

–Chuck

(I took the top image at Arches National Park.  The bottom image was taken at Bryce Canyon National Park.)