Imago Scriptura 52 - The Color Green
Yesterday's reading from 1 Chronicles has two offerings of prayer and praise to God by King David. First from 1 Chronicles 16:8-36 and the second from 17:16-27. Both share of David's experiences of God in his life, his relationship with God both as an individual and on behalf of the people, and recountings of the ways that God has been at work. As I read these passages yesterday, I got thinking about the places where I see God. There are many places that I could recount - in the life of my children and my wife, in and through the church I serve, in the people I serve with in ministry, in tracing back through the decades since I became a follower of Jesus, just to name a few. But yesterday, I was reminded of the place that I almost always find traces of God whenever I take the time to look - and that is being out in the midst of nature and God's beauty and wonder that is all around us. Nature has become for me a true sanctuary, a place of holiness where I am able to hear the whisperings of God through the many other parts of my life. For me, it is in the simplicity of things like a drop of rain still hanging off a green leaf as I have pictured here. I took this picture yesterday as I was taking a walk prior to my daughter's lacrosse game - I had about 30 minutes before her game started and there was a little nature walk nearby so off I went. It was lovely, it was life giving, it was a place where I was able to simply take in what God has put all around us, and to be able to hear and speak with Jesus. As I walked surrounded by the bright green of spring, I listened to one of my favorite Rich Mullins songs called "The Color Green"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhGOosxTLrY
"And the moon is a sliver of silver Like a shaving that fell on the floor of a Carpenter's shop And every house must have its builder And I awoke in the house of God Where the windows are mornings and evenings Stretched from the sun Across the sky north to south And on my way to early meeting I heard the rocks crying out I heard the rocks crying out
Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise
And the wrens have returned and they're nesting In the hollow of that oak where his heart once had been And he lifts up his arms in a blessing for being born again And the streams are all swollen with winter Winter unfrozen and free to run away now And I'm amazed when I remember Who it was that built this house And with the rocks I cry out
Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made Blue for the sky and the color green
Be praised for all Your tenderness by these works of Your hands Suns that rise and rains that fall to bless and bring to life Your land Look down upon this winter wheat and be glad that You have made Blue for the sky and the color green that fills these fields with praise"
Going back to 1 Chronicles and to David's song and his prayer - Rich's song speaks of what my heart felt as I remembered King David's words on that walk yesterday morning - that the color green, the rain droplets, the reflections from that drop, the creek I walked alongside, the rocks I stepped across, the blue sky that was above, all of it reflects the Creator who has been at work in life, continues today, and continues each day. Thanks be to God!!!!