Archives For creation

My cheerful winter friends

July 17, 2012

As a lily among brambles,
so is my love among the young women.
(Song of Solomon 2:2 ESV)

Near the entrance to the building in which I work is a patch of irises. I particularly like these irises because they flower during the winter, adding a splash of cheerfulness on gloomy days as I head to work.

I’m no gardening expert, but to the best of my knowledge these plants would normally flower in spring or summer, but for at least 12 years that I know of this clump of greenery has flowered right in the coldest part of winter. I feel like they have been my little cheerful friends for many years now, even when I have worked in other parts of campus these flowers boldly send a message of beauty and hope during the dreariest part of each year.

Somehow these small, fragile living things displaying their beauty does more to lift my heart than all my own efforts to do so. As I near the one thousand mark on my eucharisteo list I notice that many times I have given thanks for the fresh air, sunlight, plants, birds, insects, hills, and water that is given by God to all of us to partake of.

These flowers remind me of God’s extravagant love. His love in placing reminders of Him and His creative power in my path. His extravagance in that even though flowers wither within days and may not be seen by many, it is God’s pleasure to make them. Within the thorny brambles of life in a sin-wrecked world God creates stunning beauty for everyone if they will look for it.

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
(Luke 12:27-28 ESV)

Gifts I have noticed recently:

  • Frost crystals on a sunlit rock {973}
  • Irises blazing midwinter colour {976}
  • Dozing in the sunshine {978}
  • Being less then 1 metre from an adult fur seal {980}
  • Enormous ice creams {983}
  • Very silly, giggly girls at bedtime {990}
  • Three-year-old son ‘reading’ the dictionary {995}
  • A quiet cup of tea with my wife after she finished work {997}

Related to this topic:

This week I read a post on another blog by a Kiwi Christian about gratitude, Doubly Good To You. It is well worth a read, I like his comments about thankfulness being a reflective activity because I know I have to concentrate in order to truly thank God for all He gives.

holy experience

Image: iStock

In Eucharisteo , , ,
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The total supremacy of Christ

March 5, 2011

We are all inclined to boast, some are more subtle than others (the condescending grimace smile of someone who feels superior, versus the fisherman’s story of catching a whale). Paul really goes for it in Colossians 1:17-18, starting with a John-like comment about Christ existing before all things and holding everything together, he then says that Jesus is head of the church before returning to speak of the beginning and Christ’s supremacy over everything.

And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
(Colossians 1:17-18 ESV).

What makes this boasting OK is that it is true – Jesus is all this.

I find it interesting how Paul structured this passage – I’m no literary scholar but even I can see the pattern:

- creation/beginning
- church
- beginning

Even the larger context of Colossians 1:15-20 has this movement, with emphasis weighted on beginnings/creation in verses 15-17 and on the church and reconciliation in verses 18-20. Paul seems to use our ready comprehension of the authority and power of Christ displayed as Creator to point out the even greater majesty and glory of his being the head of the church.

This puts caring for, serving, honouring, shepherding and loving the church into awesome perspective, doesn’t it?

Other posts related to this topic:

Image of fair-sized trout: flickr

In Simple faith , ,
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Jesus Christ is our Creator

May 6, 2010

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. John 1:3

You will notice about the apostle John that he often uses quite circular language, making a statement and then restating the same idea with a different nuance. I rather like his style of writing (it really annoys others) because what it often achieves is to differentiate what he is saying from what he is not saying.

In the verse I’m considering here he is making it clear that the Word (Jesus) is the means by which all that exists has been created, but he is not himself created. The Word was in the beginning, he is God, he is not himself a created being (John 1:1-3).

So our perception of Jesus must include knowing him as Creator of all things. To bring it even  closer, he created you, and me. It is through Jesus Christ that you exist – to use a circular argument myself, it is impossible for Jesus not to exist because you exist and all things that exist only do so through Jesus Christ ( 1 Corinthians 8:6). Our continued existence reassures us that Jesus is God. (I know that argument won’t wash with an atheist because it requires trusting that the Bible is the revealed word of God.)

Not only were all things created by Jesus, they were all created for him (Colossians 1:16). In Johannine style, all that is made was made for him. This also takes some getting you head around, all that exists (or has existed) was made for Jesus, even Hitler, even Satan. (Chew on that, but please don’t choke on it – don’t destroy your trust in the goodness of God ( Mark 10:18) for the sake of an intellectual idea.)

Finally, Jesus created all and he will inherit all things  (Hebrews 1:2). In this we also know that all things are his to do with as he wills, he has been appointed Judge (Acts 17:31) and he judges in justice and truth (Revelation 16:7). The positive and glorious aspect of Jesus inheriting all things is that he inherits the Church, all the saints, as his bride – this indeed is a profound mystery!  (Ephesians 1:18, 5:32).

In Simple faith
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A beautiful verse

January 8, 2010

Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness.
Let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout;
I, the LORD, have created it.
(Isaiah 45:8 ESV)

In His goodness and sovereign power God ordains that righteousness and salvation should shower down from heaven and that the earth be receptive and burst forth with the fruit of righteousness.

Jesus is the salvation and righteousness from heaven, we are made from the dust of the earth and are called to bear fruit.

(See Genesis 2:7, Romans 3:22 and John 15:8).

Related to this topic:

Photo of man weeding garden: dmaroscar

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Inspired again

January 5, 2010

See what God has made

I was feeling distinctly uninspired about blogs today – I am noticing how banal and trivial many blogs are, even (perhaps especially) blogs written by Christians (I expect a bit more depth from Christians). I then noticed how trivial our culture is as I walked through town at lunch time and felt even less inspired. Why add to the existing deluge of trivia on the internet?

Then my screensaver displayed this photo which I snapped the other day.

At the time I was impressed by the near-perfect form of this dandelion. Today I look at it compared to the ‘fun’ culture around me and the technical wizardry of our time and am awed by the finesse, skill, care and beauty that God has put into a thing that will literally disintegrate in a puff of wind. He actually designed it to fall apart and waft away in the wind, there is intentionality and purpose in this beauty, which was growing in the weeds of my unkept back yard!

This brings to mind Isaiah 40:8 which really is about the frailty of men, not just plants, and the staggering relevance to my observations of our culture that comes from the rest of Isaiah 40. If you are feeling dry and distant from God, it is not long really until we will hear the cry “Behold your God!” (Isaiah 40:9, Revelation 22:7).

Related to this topic:

Photo of dandelion: Me

In Life as it happens ,
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