Amy Boucher Pye

Tag: creation

  • Devotional of the Week: Glorious Creation (6 in Psalm 98 series)

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    Let the sea resound, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it. Psalm 98:7

    I sat by the lake, listening to the lapping waves, watching the sun set as I gazed across the water to the hill beyond. Peace settled on me and I gave the Lord thanks for his goodness, his creation, his beauty. My thanks bubbled into joy as I felt my praises join those of creation as we lifted our voices in song.

    The psalmist in verses 7–8 notes how creation worships the Lord – the sea reverberates, the rivers clap their hands, the mountains sing for joy. Because the Lord created the world, it reflects his DNA. We can see his creativity and care in the graceful flight of a bird, the tender petal of a flower or the strong presence of a mountain.

    Today, I encourage you to be present to God’s creation, whether you live in the country or in a city. Even in a mass of concrete buildings, we can hear the joyful song of a bird. Open your ears to the buzzing of insects, the wind that flutters the leaves, the gentle drops of rain. Take time to wonder at the intricate design in a leaf or a shell or a rock. And know that the Lord who created the glorious flowers of the field, which one day blossom and the next are thrown into the fire, loves you much more than all of these.

    Prayer: Lord God, your world astounds us. Help us to be good stewards as we care for its creatures and vegetation. Amen.

     

  • The God of Creation – Looking to See in Spain

    DSCN4338I’m here at El Palmeral near Elche in Spain leading a retreat called, “Adventures with God.” It’s all about life with God and how we can communicate with him – and he with us. I find prayer so exciting, for through it God breaks into our lives and showers us with his love and affirmation.

    He also reveals himself in creation. I snapped these photos yesterday in the gardens here at El Palmeral, reveling that the Lord would make cacti so interesting and the new buds of dates so beautiful. Join me here in Spain, imagining you feel the hot Mediterranean sun warming you as you look at the photos.

    The new date seeds on the palm tree - stunning beauty.
    The new date seeds on the palm tree – stunning beauty.

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    Julie Jowett tells me these are an ice plant. So beautiful.
    Julie Jowett tells me these are an ice plant. So beautiful.

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    The flowers of cacti
    The flowers of cacti

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  • Cause for wonder – review of two books by David Adam

    wonder of the beyond FCRecently I became submerged in the writings of David Adam. A Church of England clergyman, he was for many years vicar on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. Inspired by the Celtic people of Britain and Ireland, he writes poems, prayers, and reflections on the triune God who is with us.

    One of the things that struck me most about his writing is his emphasis on wonder. As we open our eyes to creation and those around us, we live in the moment and learn to experience God’s presence. For as he says in The Wonder of the Beyond, “God is here, God is with us, and above all, God is.” And yet, so often we find ourselves preoccupied, caught up in this or that as we flit from one thing to another – to our detriment. The result, as he says in The Path of Life, affects the whole of our lives: “A short attention span makes for shallow relationships, for poor perception and reception. This is as true with God as it is with each other.”

    Path of LightThe two books I’ve chosen are a good place to start with his writings. In The Wonder of the Beyond he tells stories from his life, from working in a coal mine at the age of fifteen, to his decision to become a vicar, to his whirlwind romance with this wife (they met and married within a week). But he recounts his stories for the purpose of waking up the reader to “a wonder-full world” – to the world that hosts the glory of God in our midst. He challenges us to really see the people and objects of creation in front of us – to give them our undivided attention. Then through creation and others we will see God.

    The Path of Life is a series of meditations on prayers from the Celtic tradition, and is thus helpful in personal and corporate prayer. Recently I used his meditations on Rune Before Prayer (rune meaning poem) during a retreat as a focusing prayer. I love how he meditates on each member of the Trinity and their unique attributes, bringing them alive to us.

    In closing, a quotation from The Path of Life to ponder: “If you are insensitive to the things that are around you, how can you hope to be sensitive to the unseen God?”

    The Wonder of the Beyond (SPCK, ISBN 978-0281063307)
    The Path of Life (SPCK, ISBN 978-0281060702)