For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that people are without excuse.Romans 1:19-21
I saw this bumper sticker on a car one day which had a picture of a tree on it and the sticker read
"Nature is my Church"
I supposed that meant by being out in nature, among the trees and rivers, birds and flowers etc was how this particular person felt they found some kind of spiritual answer for God. That God wasn't found in Church or perhaps any organised belief system.
Hey! I can relate about the nature stuff - and yet - I have a feeling God might not totally agree about the church business.
How I can say that? I suppose the Bible verse I placed at the beginning has a partial answer in it. We are supposed to see God in creation, nature and all that He's made. This is indeed true. But we aren't supposed to worship what he created.
Just Him... The Creator.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— all things have been created through Him and for Him.
Its like if I spent weeks or months making a beautiful sculpture and some person comes up and views the sculpture and says to it... "Oh beautiful sculpture...you're amazing and awesome and I really enjoy just looking at you, the light you reflect, your colors, your form and I am so impressed by you" and totally ignores me in the process of this rapturous enjoyment.
Bizzare
Yet...(if the Bible is true and God really did create the earth)....this is kind of what people do constantly, in ignoring the grand designer.
c r e a t i o n is so B E A U T I F U L
...you don't need any convincing, nor do I. The older I get the more I appreciate the world around me. It's wildly diverse skies, seas, plants animals and people.
Each soft breeze, each drop of rain,
shaft of light and every intriguing shadow which shouldn't go unnoticed. That there is art all around. Design and form which is in my opinion, more than sheer accidental beauty.
I love capturing it on camera, but mostly by my five senses... hearing the wind, smelling the sea and so forth.
This Bible verse at the beginning of the blog post states clearly that people are without excuse of noticing that God exsists. If only by His creation. That's kind of heavy biz for those who dimiss him and believe that a big bang millions of years ago brought all of this about.
what do you think??
Design or accidental glory?
And God said, Let there be light; and there was light.
And God saw that the light was good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it; and God separated the light from the darkness.
G e n e s i s 1 : 3
And God said, Let the earth put forth [tender] vegetation: plants yielding seed and fruit trees yielding fruit whose seed is in itself, each according to its kind, upon the earth.
And it was so.
Genesis 1:12
It's a good thing to find some kind of connection with God in Nature... but Nature only points to God... And finding God in creation is indeed a wonderful thing. Nature is a kind of Church I suppose in that it reflects His beauty.
But from what I read in the Bible, God pretty much does want people to go to church or rather, be part of it.
(More about that and the big bang! theory in another post)
God's beauty all around - worth thinking about !
