"The Majesty Of Creation"

"An AHA Moment"

The Majesty Of Nature:  Anyone here ever have an Aha moment with nature?  To give you an example of one I had when sailing across the Northumberland Straight.  We left Pugwash Harbor late in the afternoon with a good stiff wind on the sails heading for PEI.  At sunset we hit what sailors call the doldrums.  The doldrums are spots in the ocean where the wind ceases to exist and the ocean is completely calm and flat.   With not a cloud in the sky, the sun was slowly sinking into the ocean and just above its glory was the lone gull softly souring by?   At that moment for all of us who were there to experience it the world stood still and the presence of creations spender fill our souls.  I would like you to reflect upon an aha moment in your life.    

                                           NATIONAL BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY 

Sept 13, 2015  Readings  Psalm 19  Mark 8: 27-38

C.S. Lewis describes Psalm 19 as one of his most beloved psalm because for him it is all encompassing.   In the first 6 verses we hear creation as a witness of God’s glory, its nature’s poem and in the remaining verses the writer David gives us a receipt for right living, through God’s will for humankind.

Many committed Christians including those who have entered ministry report having had formative religious experiences at church outings or summer camps during their youth.   Has that been the experience of anyone here today?  May be you can recall a special church outing, or summer camp experience where nature in all its glory brought you closer to the Holy.  

Nature is especially relevant to the spiritual development both for children and adults.  Early and ongoing positive exposure to nature benefits children intellectually, physically and spiritually.  A Journalist by the name Richard Louv wrote a book called   “ Last child in the Woods”.  In it he demonstrates how the sharp decline in nature play, among today’s children and youth is leaving a major hole in the development of both body and soul and is taking a toll on our society today, especially in fields of medicine and the cost of health care.
Nature’s ongoing witness to God’s glory constitutes a sacred text.  There is a sacredness to nature that cannot be found anywhere else.  There is no speech or language audible to the human ear, yet somehow in nature we can perceive the magnificence of the created order and its Creator.   We just sense that God is here, God is there, we see the results of Creation, and we are in Awe!!!!   Have you ever wondered how God put the apple tree in that tiny seed, only to be revealed in its season, now isn't that amazing?

When this poem was penned by David it was meant as a hymn, sung to bring God’s people into worship, to worship God in all God’s fullness.

A good question we might ask ourselves here could be this: if creation could talk to us, what do you think it would say?  What would nature, the ocean, a river or the forest say to us?   More importantly what is our Creator trying to say to us today.         

In CS Lewis description of this psalm I believe he understood that David didn't just leave it all there in the hands of Nature.  No Lewis and the psalm writer point us towards something richer, something more fulfilling more sustainable;  the wisdom and grace that can be found only within our sacred text, the Bible. 

In verses 7-14 David also brings to light the Jewish Torah’s call to faithfulness. As glorious as natures testimony may be, God has provided something even better and more useful to guide and direct humankind.   The revelation of Gods glorious will and way and;  it can only be found, for the Christian, within the teachings of our Lord Jesus.  As the Apostle John so beautifully puts it, the word was made flesh to dwells among us and teach us the way of God's unconditional love.

Nature displays for us the power and beauty of our God’s creative glory, but our scriptures speak specifically of a God of history who loves and calls us one by one, into the beloved community of the faithful.  Folks: we are meant to gather as a people of God in community, Church is important.  Our hope was included with our invitations to come back to church this Sunday.  Our hope is that you too would want to become a regular part of a community of faith once again.   God reveals himself personally in the first 5 books of the Old Testament knows as the Law or the “Torah”   Let us not forget that faithfulness to the Torah, is not about conformity or adherence to set of rules.   It is rather, a way of being in the world that holds God near and dear.  This is what Jesus meant when He said live in the world but not of the world.  In other words enjoy life to the fullest, enjoy nature, material things, each other. Use your giftedness to better the world, but we were not meant to worship or to give our whole lives to these things.  Seeking the knowledge and wisdom of the scriptures can be more profitable than Gold, sweeter than honey.  

Patricia Polanco who writes children’s books tells this story in her book  “ THE BEE TREE”   a large swarm of bees came into a village, villagers drop everything they are doing to pursue the bees to their nest.  Honey to the villagers was like Gold to us.  They hit the jackpot the largest hive they had ever seen.  A short time after returning the grandfather of a young girl, drops a spoon full of honey onto the cover of a book and gives it to her.   Taste”  he whispers, “the book I mean, there you will find the sweetness of life.  In the book there is adventure, knowledge, and wisdom, but these things do not come easily.  You have to pursue them through the pages.”  
Folks,  nature and the things of this world alone, cannot give you the fullness of faith.  They alone will not allow you to hold God near and dear, as we are called to do.  We are meant to join together in community to grow and learn, we are called into community to support one another and we are called into community to encourage and love one another.    
So I leave you with a challenge this morning.  Make a commitment to be in a church community once again, with the church of your choice.     May the Lord bless our time here today.

"Bread of Life"