"All Creatures of our God and King"

Genesis 1:24-25
Isaiah 65:17-18

Genesis tells us that God made all the living creatures and declared them good... the livestock, the wild animals, every creeping creature. and saw that it was good.  Isaiah tells us to rejoice and be glad in what God is creating, Jerusalem as a joy and its people as a delight.

God did indeed intend for all of life to be viewed as good and joyful and delightful. Every creature, every field, every city, every person.  And we are all connected to our God, the Creator of all of life.
And yet, our Edens did not remain Edens. We strayed from what God's good plan was for creation and became led by our egos and not by the hearts and souls God gave us to care for the good earth and each other. We let our ways become THE way, rather than God's way.

So how do we take time to pause and recognize that we are indeed all creatures of our God and King?  How do we begin to turn around the way of life we have created in the modern era? A way of life that does not see all creatures to be of GOD, but FOR us?

The pause is the most important first step. The decision to get off the treadmill, to jump off the hamster wheel, to get out off of auto-pilot and take one, two, three, maybe even 10 deep breaths and look around. Seek connections. Pray for opportunities.  Ask God for help in creating the Peaceable Kingdom here and now.

One of my favorite parts of spring is driving by fields of cattle and seeing the baby calves show up one by one, day after day. Each day it seems a new one is born. It is a miraculous, yet ordinary reminder that spring is here and that God is once again renewing the earth.

Soon, the field that was dry and brown turns bright green. And that amazing view we have once a year for a few weeks when the sky is bright blue, the grass is bright green and the mountains and clouds with their white accents just pop out amongst the blues and the greens.  It is such a beautiful site to see.
It is always the time of year when I find myself humming the words to All Creatures of our God and King. "All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing.. O praise ye! Alleluia! O brother sun with golden beam, O sister moon with silver gleam? O praise ye! O praise ye! Alleluia! Alleluia!

What are those "I must stop and enjoy this moment" times when Creation overwhelms you with its grace and beauty?  What times have you been moved by our creatures great and small?

Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or comment below.