Called By Earth and Sky

 

Refrain:

 Called by earth and sky,promise of hope held high.
This is our sacred living trust,
treasure of life sanctified,
called by earth and sky.

 

1. Precious these waters, endless seas, deep ocean’s dream, waters of healing,
rivers of rain, the wash of love again.

2. Precious this gift, the air we breathe; wind born and free. Breath of the Spirit,
blow through this place,
our gathering and our grace.
 
Hymn Called by Earth and Sky More Voices 135  

 
This past weekend several ministry colleagues and friends attended an event in Peterborough, Ontario, only 90 minutes from here. The speaker was Diana Butler Bass and she was sharing the ideas explored in her most recent book Grounded: Finding God in the World, A Spiritual Revolution. I'm sure this was an excellent two-day experience with one of America's foremost writers on the changing church. I pre-ordered Grounded and it is a strong addition to the growing body of literature on how we embrace and experience God in earth and sky and water.

Ruth on the Salmon River

While some Christians view this trend with suspicion, labeling it as pantheism, it has a strong biblical foundation. And as I've pointed out often, Jesus was often at greatest risk in formal places of worship while being received as "Good News" on hillsides and on the water.

I didn't attend because I was spending time with wife Ruth getting grounded...and watered. We cycled and ambled and kayaked over the weekend, taking advantage of glorious Fall weather. We paused to ponder the God of Creation and to give thanks, doing so outside.

I hoped to begin offering worship opportunities for people in the outdoors this Autumn, not as competition but as a complement to the life of congregations. Family matters took precedence over this desire but I'll get there and open it to anyone who would like to come together in simple gathering of contemplation and gratitude for the gift of Creation. I wonder if the Peterborough event provided opportunities to get outside, including worship?

When we went to Change Islands, Newfoundland this past July I took along a book called Nature as Spiritual Practice by Steven Chase. It was a "throw-in" with a pile of others and it turned out to be a profound experience as we basked in the raw beauty of the North Atlantic. He encourages us to savour a partial phrase from the Lord's Prayer, "thy will be done, on Earth as it is..." We don't deny the glorious possibilities of Heaven, yet we can live fully in the promise of where we are grounded, here and now.

Thoughts?