This-ness

“This is My Father’s World”

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres, This is my father’s world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies And seas; His hand the wonders wrought, This is my father’s world, the birds their carols raise, The morning light, the lily white, declare their maker’s praise. This is my father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair; In the rustling grass I hear Him pass; He speaks to me every where.

Can you believe I’ve sung that hymn a million times and never once stopped to consider what it was saying? Go figure. What does it mean to You?

Recently my wife and I were planning a trip to San Francisco. As we planned our trip, I learned a valuable lesson about mutual support from California majestic redwood trees. Redwoods are inclusive trees as they grow, they incorporate into their basic structure objects around them, including rocks and other plants. Although redwoods have shallow roots, they are noted for their strength and longevity because they share their roots with others. Each individual tree is invited into the whole and in turn helps support the entire group. This adaptation appears to have worked, for redwoods are among the oldest living species of vegetation on earth.

We as Christians could learn a lesson about inclusiveness and sharing from the redwoods during these times. Sometimes, I am a little embarrassed by how little I think about the relationship between my faith and the natural everyday world. What about outside the church building in a different context, do we really love to tell the story to our neighbor? To our unchurched friends, our family, our coworkers, or our fellow students? I suppose, if we are really honest about it, many of us would say, No, I guess telling the story about Jesus in public makes me a little uncomfortable at times.

I recently read a book entitled, The Embarrassed Believer, by Hugh Hewitt. The author writes, “Many Christians today can hardly make themselves say the 'J' word, pray in a restaurant, or invite a colleague to church. They cringe at anything that makes their commitment visible in this current environment. Every Sunday in the safety of the sanctuary, many believers sit and pray with sincerity and gusto, then vanish and go silent the next six days.” What’s the reason? Public expression of faith is not only unfashionable, but it is seen as slightly bizarre. No one likes to think people are looking at them, thinking they are bizarre. So they are discouraged into thinking that maybe their critics are right. 'Why should we bother? It won’t make any difference anyway.' Jesus instructs us to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the ‘whole of creation.’ We must share our roots, heritage and faith with each other, to ask for encouragement and support when we need it, as we stand ready to give the same to all of creation. You and I have one life to live and many stories. This life has many chapters. What is He doing in your life today? How will this chapter read? And how will you share it with others! So, brothers and sisters in Christ, he who has ears to hear, listen: that seed is good and powerful! As you tell the story, remember, many people are ready to hear it, and the harvest will be great. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. That is our Good News.

As you go on your way, may Christ go with you;
may be go before you to show you the way,
behind you to encourage you,
beside you to befriend you,
above you to watch over,
and within you to give you his peace.

God Bless You and This Ministry!