The really cool thing about the beauty and awesomeness of God's intricate attention to detail in nature that touches your heart so deeply it leaves you breathless... is that... when He created it, He had you in mind. He saw you walking up the mountain in Ireland, He placed the dolphin in just the right spot... because He saw Clive's heart swell with excitement on that day when He spoke it into being. Now thats love... not just good timing.

The thing I admire about you Clive is your love for the truth. It inspires and challenges me! The ultimate truth that goes beyond all the mental theological muscle flexing remains intact.... Jesus loves me this i know, for the Bible tells me so. love you bro

Thanks - those words underline the fact that the earth is so important to God, he's going to make it even better! He has an obsession with his creation. It's called love.

This world, marred by sin,
Is passing away;
It’s beauty – so troubled and torn.
Yet my soul does rejoice,
For I’ve made the choice
To trust Jesus – yes, I’ve been reborn!

Rejoice in what’s right
And pure in God’s sight,
His beauty, His splendor, His love!
But never forget,
There are those who have yet
By faith to be born from above.

These things are sure:
God’s Word will endure
Beyond the traditions of men;
And the good that was lost
To sin’s awful cost
Will be created again!

Rejoice in what’s right
And pure in God’s sight,
His beauty, His splendor, His love!
But never forget,
There are those who have yet
By faith to be born from above.

Rejoice in what’s right
And pure in God’s sight,
His beauty, His splendor, His love!
But never forget,
There are those who have yet
By faith to be born from above.

Thanks Clive......glad it made sense. Interesting that God used his 'creation' expressed in fallible human beings, to write down scripture. Definitely an example of creation speaking of the Creator.

That's a great summing up, Noel - much snappier than my rambling on and on! Indeed, Scripture itself is a work of art by this Creator. We should take a step back and admire the whole landscape of his work - both the written word of the Bible, and the 'multimedia presentation' that is God's creation.

While looking at some of what has been written on this subject, I was reminded of Psalm 23 - 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, 3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

God uses his creation to provide us with what we need. Creation (in terms of food and drink)feeds our bodies. Creation in all it's beauty, nourishes and restores our souls.

Maybe we can view creation - God's works of art - in a couple of ways. Firstly, as we would admire a painting in an art gallery. It tells us something of the artist but there is no relationship with that person.

A second way, is to be in the Artist's studio and see him at work. I like this option. As I walk in the country, or sit by the sea, I am in the presence of the Creator whose studio is this beautiful world, enjoying watching him paint yet another sunset with the vivid colours of pinks, purples, blues and orange. I can commune with him, as He works and listen to the sound of His voice.

I can only speak from my own perspective and experience, and my views are still developing. I used to look at the world from a strictly evangelical protestant standpoint, which was then readjusted to become a charismatic evangelical protestant standpoint.

But in more recent years, I have realised there are other views within the wider Christian Church - and some of those have been around a lot longer than mine. I am learning so much from my very small attempts to view the whole spectrum of the historic Church. I have discovered there is a broad range of perspectives within traditional Christian thought. I found out I might not have the definitive answer on God, the universe and everything.

For instance, Cistercian teaching says we are made in God's image, but because of the fall, we have lost his likeness, and it's that likeness which needs to be restored through a process of conversion (ie what we call discipleship). Orthodox teaching says that sin entered the human race like a disease, and Christ is the cure. In looking at these other traditions, I realised my own view of creation was quite dark. I had written off humanity. Yet God clearly hadn't, because - as all the Christian traditions agree - he put into action a rescue plan through his son Jesus.

So for that and other reasons, I hope to develop a much more positive outlook. The tendency has been to swing from one extreme to the other. Some have swung all the way from original sin to original goodness. So I am asking myself, is it possible to develop a belief that somehow balances the reverence of the essential goodness of God's creation - with the reality of the destructive cancer of sin? And therefore, would my worship be enlightened by this careful equilibrium, so I can see the 'invisible qualities' of God inherent in creation - yet discern the symptoms of the disease of sin?

After all, the sacred text is overwhelming in its positive treatment of the earth and humanity. The first few pages of the Genesis story are punctuated by the sentence 'And God saw that it was good' - which occurs five times in the first chapter alone.

I agree with you, Clive, that this web portal is not the appropriate place for a discussion on the significance of God’s account of creation given to us in Genesis. I’ll try not to rush to defend the Answers in Genesis ministry; they are doing a fine job defending their ministry themselves. That’s why I provided a link – I highly recommend giving appropriate, prayerful, and serious consideration to what they are saying.

As for celebrating creation, what’s to celebrate? (Steven, bear with me; I’m trying to make a point!) Read Romans 8:18-25. Sounds as if something is terribly wrong with all of creation, doesn’t it? In light of that passage, and Genesis 3:17-19, Daniel, Matthew 24, 2Peter 3:10-13, Revelation, and others, I think it’s more appropriate to celebrate the Creator. He can literally deliver us from sin and sin’s penalty - death!

Since the Psalmist has creation itself celebrating the Creator (Psalm 96), how much more should we celebrate Him?

As far as being “derailed”, according to Genesis, Adam and Eve acquired the knowledge of good and evil when they disobeyed God’s command. This knowledge, coupled with the clear witness of creation and the work of the Holy Spirit, is what draws mankind to Christ. (We are definitely “wired for God”! A light bulb is wired for electricity, but if it’s not plugged into an electric circuit, it can never fulfill the purpose for which it was designed and built!) But because of our sin nature, literally inherited from Adam, we tend to worship creation rather than the Creator - this is where we are derailed! I think this is what Paul was explaining to the Romans – not the light bulb analogy, of course.

Genesis 3:1b
Exodus 20:11; 24:12
Mark 10:6
Acts 17:11
Romans 5:12
Revelation 21:1

Hey, if the wing of the church that dismisses a plain reading of the historical account of creation is the same wing of the church that dismisses a plain reading of the virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, and victorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus, I’m definitely not getting on that flight!

I,m off to do just that, the kids and I are of for a few days to killberry, port Ban caravan park lies on the North west of the mull of kintyre,(West Scotland), both my parents and my wifes parents own large static vans there. Infact it is where my wife and I met and fell in Love some 18 years ago. I'll try and post a sunset picture on my page.
Unfortunatly my wife can't get time of from university so we will just have a few days as a break.

You can't avoid meeting God out doors, if only you're tuned in.
Imagine if you will the Christian; whom while walking around outside says, 'Oh that's a lovley view', then passes it by, now they tune their God radio to the Great appreciation frequency, and look again........
Walking and talking with God outdoors and worshiping him, always clears away more than just cobwebs. As all creation crys out for the glory of God to be revealed, I think maybee we can here it if we choose to listen.

Thanks Anthony. Could it be that rather than being derailed from this process, people have a head start on the rest of creation? However flawed they might be, they are still made in the image of God. That unique quality of humanity may be part of the message of Romans. Maybe we are wired for God.

Regarding the serpent's question - 'Did God really say?' - this has often intrigued me. It shows that doubt has a history. Right from the start, doubt entered the mind. On this fateful day, Adam and Eve believed the doubt instead of doubting it! Evangelist John Cavanagh once told me, 'Doubt your doubts, and believe your beliefs'. That's a good general rule.

Just a little footnote - my journal entry was focused on creation, not on creationism. That's a completely different debate and maybe this web portal is not the right place for such a large-scale discussion. There is another wing of the church that questions a literal reading of the Genesis account of creation, while still proclaiming the creator and his word.

Let's all join forces in a celebration of creation!

...for example, the work being done by our brothers and sisters at

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

to proclaim the Creator and His Word.

What should our response be to the age-old question, "Did God really say...?" (cf. Genesis 3:1)

Clive, you’ve touched on another wonderful, critical truth! Thinking about the opening chapters of Romans, I’m lead to understand that all mankind experiences the wonders of creation. If I’m sensitive to my inherent knowledge of good and evil (my conscious), then by God’s grace, and His Holy Spirit’s conviction, I will be led to Christ. If I don’t respond to Him in humility, I’m without excuse! Unfortunately, it seems that mankind is derailed from this process as soon as it starts. When we, in our unregenerate state, are confronted with the wonders of creation, our tendency is to worship it instead of our Creator; we are then handed over to our sinfulness and the pain and suffering it causes - we reap what we sow. God is righteous and just! But what our enemy means for evil, God uses for our good! In our suffering we cry out for deliverance. God graciously hears our call, and lovingly shows us the way, the truth and the life – the Lord Jesus!

Again, it comes down to God’s born-of-the-Spirit children bearing faithful witness to Adam’s born-of-the-flesh children. In light of Romans chapter one and “modern” man’s prevailing materialistic perspective on the physical universe, we need to re-claim Creation and faithfully proclaim it for what it is - God’s powerful witness of His sovereignty - so that more children of Adam will be drawn into the light of Christ!

It could be a bit of all of those things, Steven. I find that elements of the natural world evoke some powerful memories. I remember spending much of my childhood in North Wales, so the hills and the sandy beaches there, all inspire me. Such places can create a dreamlike mood, in which fruitful creativity can take place.

There are people outside the Church, who claim to have experienced an 'otherness' while meditating on creation. They don't necessarily call that 'God', but they do recognise something is there. From a biblical standpoint, I would say they are becoming aware of God, but do not realise there is a person behind it all. We need to help people to put a name to their experience, so they can start a relationship with him.

I find so much more inspiration comes from spending time out with God in the great outdoors. It could be the awe and wonder of his creation, or it could be the,"just getting away from it all" thing that we all need from time to time.
Inspiration comes at peculiar times as well, so always be ready.

Where is the most unusual place God has places a song in your heart I wonder??????

Great note, Nate! Those mountains of yours sound brilliant. We have the Downs here in southern England, which are just slightly higher lumps of land! However, it is a pretty region. But I would escape to the west coast of Ireland for my inspiration - it just takes a bit longer to get there.

It's true. I live pretty close to the Great Smokey Mts. here in North Carolina. I try to go there for personal retreats as much as I can. Just sitting outside with a fabulous view of God's handiwork in front of me and his written word in my lap did wonders for my soul... I need more of that. Thanks for the reminder Clive!

When there is a movement away from external activity and adjustment to internal adjustment and drawing closer to God- We will find ourselves drawn to the majesty of who God is and we will find everything created by God an expression of who He is. The world may change but that internal quality of a person who seeks God in the 18th century is similar to that internal quality of a 21st century lover of God because God is so beautiful and we cannot really beautify Him more than He already is and nature is one amazing beauty and wisdom of God. Oh praise Him

Absolutely. All of the senses need to be engaged in worship, which is where the historic churches have the edge on the rest of us. They have music, drama, liturgy, poetry, incense, silence, robes, art - you name it. Also, why did we go all-out for the electronic stuff? Music used to be all about taking the sounds of nature - woodwind, strings, drums, etc - and pouring them into our lives.

The advent of rock bands basically condensed everything. So the string section of the orchestra became the rhythm and lead guitars, the cello and other deep tones became the bass guitar, the percussion section became the drums and so on.

The Beatles and their contemporaries took that formula and set the standard for contemporary music. But even Lennon and McCartney saw its limitations. So they wandered back to the natural sounds of strings and woodwind for Sgt Pepper, because that restored a sense of depth and mystery to their work.

Perhaps we could be on the verge of that again?

we have seen a growing interest in the UK, to nourish our bodies with food that is less processed and more organic. Some want to connect with where their food has come from. Maybe in our worship gatherings, we can get back to savouring the sounds, smells and textures of creation. I love to worship as I ride my bike in the countryside. It is far easier to appreciate the God of all creation when I am immersed in it, rather than sitting in a windowless auditorium, staring at the head of the person sitting in front of me!

How about having fresh warm crusty bread, next time we celebrate communion.

Cheers Noel. I agree. But according to Christian tradition, Francis of Assisi's ministry virtually centred on creation. I wonder if our 21st century sophistication has missed something? If our Protestant background would allow us, could we treat creation as sacramental? If we let go of our preoccupation with our urban existence, would we find a channel of grace and inspiration in God's earth? I hope you understand what I'm saying - I'm not an eco-warrior - I'd rather hug people than trees. But it seems to me that creation gets overlooked in contemporary worship.

Clive....thanks for your thoughts. Let's not rush through this world without taking time to savour what our creator has made for our pleasure.