One hundred years before the birth of Jesus a Roman Philosopher, Cicero, wrote, “Nature herself makes the wise man rich.” The poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said that “Nature never hurries. Atom by atom, little by little she achieves her work.” Antoinette Brown Blackwell wrote “Nature is just enough; but men and women must understand and accept her suggestions.” A well known writer of children’s books, E.B. White, said, “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spend less time proving that he could outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” Jane Goodall, the chimpanzee lady, said, “My mission is to create a world where we can live in harmony with nature.”
Nature is defined as our natural world – our environment. The material world that exists independent of human activities. Nature is the physical earth and the plants, animals, sky, trees, mountains, rivers, the oceans. As I read those quotes you may have noticed that Number one: We all love nature. Number two: Nature is referred to as a “her” or a “she”. Why is that?
From the very earliest of time, people focused on the life-giving and nurturing aspects of nature by embodying it in the form of a mother. Images of earth goddesses were worshiped by pagan cultures from the very beginning. These female deities had deep roots in pagan beliefs and were worshiped for their ability to bring abundant harvests to the land.
Every culture worshiped the earth goddesses and 1,300 years BEFORE the birth of Jesus we find the first written reference in Greek to the goddess “Mother Gaia” or mother earth. This is where we get the terms “Mother Nature” or “Mother Earth” that we use today and since I’m a Christian, I’m wondering if I really want to continue to do that. When we lovingly refer to “Mother Nature” we are referring to a specific pagan deity who has been worshiped for the past 4000 years. Mother Galia – who we call Mother Nature – is the main pagan goddess worshiped by the wiccians.
During the enlightenment, a new and rational mindset centered not on mythical beliefs of pagan deities but on reason and logic. And logic told them that if they could not understand God, then they couldn’t accept that nature was created by Him. So to make sense of the material world, they separated out nature from anything that had to do with God. And they continued the tradition of feminizing it as did the early cultures. So today the humanistic mindset teaches us to appreciate the beauty of a godless environment that we call “nature”. And the devil must delight in the fact that we have continued to attribute God’s Creation to the pagan goddess that we call “Mother Nature.”
If you were to do an on-line search for quotes on nature, you’ll find thousands. It is apparent from reading them that we love nature. We worship nature. Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright said, “I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.” And I think the church response would be that, “We believe in Nature, only we spell it G.o.d.”
That’s why I’ve decided that for myself personally I no longer want to have anything to do with nature. The world can admire and appreciate nature. I want to admire and appreciate God’s Creation. THAT’S where I want to walk, work and play.
And some of us need to step outside more often than we do. And walking across the lot from the car to the grocery store entrance doesn’t count. Some of us spend too much time indoors. A recent survey of school age children in America showed that the majority of their time away from school is spent using a computer, watching TV, or playing video games. In the survey only about 10 percent say they are spending time outdoors every day. Did you get that? Only about 10 percent of our nation’s children are spending time outdoors every day. For 90 percent, the closest thing they will come to appreciating God’s Creation is a photograph on their computer or something on tv. When asked why they didn’t want to go outside, 80% of the school age children said it was uncomfortable to be outdoors due to things like bugs and heat.
Many adults are no different. I was reading book written by a pastor who watches a Nature DVD called “Sunrise Earth” on his laptop as he prays in the morning. I guess that could work. I’ve known people who turn on their tv in the morning to channels that show nature scenes while they pray. You COULD do that. Or... here’s a thought... if you are physically able, you could open the door and actually step OUTSIDE into God’s Creation.
God’s creation nourishes Contemplative Prayer. At the heart of meditative prayer is silence, solitude and stillness. We find a quiet sacred space where we can let the silence envelope and enfold us. A place where we can be by ourselves in solitude. A place where we can set aside the chaos of our day-to-day lives and just sit in stillness. Our thoughts slow down and we come into the Presence of God. We breathe deeply. The clutter of our thoughts are gone. Our mind is now at peace. In the silence, the solitude, the stillness, we hear His Voice. We often find that our Contemplative Time with God comes effortlessly when we are outdoors in His Creation.
The Hebrews didn’t use the pagan word “nature.” In Jewish culture there was no difference between the natural and the supernatural. It was one and the same. It was all God’s Creation. For Christians today, it still is.
Turn to Luke 3:21 The first time we read about Jesus praying He is kneeling in a river while being baptized. VERSE 21. “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."
Where did Jesus go to meet God? TURN TO Mark 1:35. When Jesus wanted to hear from God, we read over and over again that Jesus went outdoors to places of silence, solitude and stillness. Jesus went out into God’s Creation. VERSE 35 “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37 When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You." 38 But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."
The disciples were asking Jesus, “What are you doing here by Yourself?” But note that Jesus didn’t tell them WHY He had gone to pray in solitude. Jesus told them the RESULT of His going there to pray. He went out to pray in silence and solitude and came back with directions. His purpose was now clear. He had encouragement from His Father for the work He was to do. In the stillness, silence and solitude, Jesus heard God’s voice.
We read later in Mark that the cousin of Jesus, John the Baptist, had been murdered by King Herod. Jesus was distressed and tried to get away for awhile with His disciples to rest but things didn’t work out that way. A large crowd ran after them and Jesus took compassion on them. He preached to them and fed them. This was the crowd of 5,000 men. And immediately after that, Jesus sent His disciples away on the Sea of Galilee in a boat and Mark 6:46 tells us: “And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray.” Jesus didn’t go to the synagogue to pray. He went to the outdoor Cathedral – to a secluded mountain top – to pray. Distressed over the death of John. Worn out by the crowds. Jesus went off to meet His Father in a place of solitude, stillness and silence.
God’s Creation fills us with a sense of wonder and worship for the Creator. Psalm 111:2 says, “The works of the LORD are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.” We take great pleasure in God’s Creation when we are outdoors looking at mountains and trees and take great pleasure when we are walking on the beach with the warm waves washing over our feet.
It is in God’s Creation that we sense and see the presence of the Creator. Have you ever seen such a glorious sunrise or sunset that your eyes were filled with tears at the beauty of God’s work? As if God was doing sky painting in His Creation?
People who admire the beauty of Nature appreciate the beautiful sunrise and marvel at how the rays of the sun light up the water vapor and impurities in the atmosphere. But when the morning sky turns to brilliant shades of red and orange, those who know God see Him showing off His Creation. We look at the heavens and God reminds us of His presence in all things. Psalm 19:1 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. 2 Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. 3 They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. 4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.”
When we meet God in His Creation, we are recharged and renewed in His presence. We need to be refreshed. Just our day-to-day life takes something from us. Going to school, working, caring for our family or for another person takes effort and energy that needs to be replaced. We soon find ourselves running on empty if we are not coming into God’s presence to be refreshed and recharged.
TURN TO Luke 5:15 Jesus still had, like us, the limitations of a human body to contend with. And when things got physically tiring and intense, Jesus needed to increase His time with God in prayer. VERSE 15 However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities. 16 So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.
We may not have the wilderness outside our front door but we have His Creation. And occasionally we need to turn off the tv. Walk away from the computer. Put the smart phone on silent. Close the book, tablet or laptop. Put away the to-do list. And just step outdoors. You may have a favorite place in your backyard. Maybe a place in walking distance. There is something natural about the rhythm of our prayers in the rhythm of our walking. You may have what’s called a pocket park that is within walking distance or an easy drive from your house. Pocket parks are those little parks scattered throughout our valley.
It was turning out to be the worst night of Jesus’ life. Knowing what was going to happen. Knowing it was God’s will was not making it any easier. Jesus prayed with His disciples. For them. For you and me.
Then John 18:1 tells us, When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden... Jesus went to a garden – to a pocket park – to pray. Matthew 26:36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."
No time to go to the wilderness. The next best thing was the pocket park right outside of town. In the middle of an orchard of Olive Trees there was a small garden. Gethsemane is a Greek word that comes from the Aramaic meaning “oil press.” The original site is long gone but we know roughly what it looked like. It was a grove of Olive Trees on a hillside. The Garden of Gethsemane. In the corner of the Olive grove at the base of the Mount of Olives. That’s where Jesus needed to go and pray and I wonder if it maybe looked a little like my front yard. Maybe I should walk out my OWN front door more than I do.
You and I will never have a night like Jesus did. We will never face crucifixion on a cross like Jesus. But we face our own terror, pain, uncertainty and fears. Many of us have things in our life right now that we’re struggling with. We need to find a quiet place to meet God. We need to take a walk on the beach or a walk at the park. We need to spend some time in the outdoor Cathedral that is God’s Creation.
The Yosemite Naturalist, John Muir wrote “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.” John Muir was a devout Christian. He was in love with his Creator and Creation and John Muir understood “nature” to be God’s creation. With that understanding, lets paraphrase that quote. “Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where God can use His Creation to heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”
Without God, it’s just nature. It is ONLY when our worship is directed toward God that we can really see and appreciate His Creation. It is in His Creation, we come into His presence and it is there that we can find healing and wholeness. In His Creation we find the silence, solitude and stillness. It’s in His Creation that we meet the Creator.
