“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” -John 1:3
I have recently had to make several quick trips for meetings and family events. Each trip has been a blessing. Each time I climb behind the wheel and drive down the highway, I have witnessed the beauty of our ever-changing world. We are now halfway through November, and the colors are changing on the trees, the grass, and the plants. The vibrant colors of the trees capture our attention, and in a moment, we see past our schedule, the next task, the next stop on our GPS, and beyond. God’s creative power is stunning. In the beauty of our changing seasons, we see our Creator and are reminded that God is at work among us.
If we take time to look around, we can see the wonder and beauty God has created. Folliot Pierpoint wrote many poems about the beauty of God’s creation and the gifts of God. In 1863, Pierpoint, a professor of classics, was taking a walk in the countryside. As he looked around, he could not help but think about that gift of God’s beautiful creation. He was inspired to write the text for a now classic hymn, “For the Beauty of the Earth.”
For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.
I hope we will all take a moment to look around and see the beauty of God’s wonderful creation. Beauty is all around us. This weekend, I want to encourage you to turn off the TV, put away your cell phone, and look at the beauty of the changing colors, the bright, beautiful blue sky, and the love and mercy of God woven through it all.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
