Dear
Fellow Children of God,
What is your
favorite season? One of the web sites I
frequent asks me that question from time to time. When I was a sixth grade student growing up
in Massachusetts I was required to write an essay about my favorite
season. At 11 years old my answer was that
winter was my favorite time of year. However,
when our family moved to north Florida in 1965 there really was no winter. The summers were hot, and that was
alright. But, it seemed those summers
lasted forever. So as a child in
Florida, Spring, with all the flowering shrubs and trees, became my favorite
season.
I think most
Alaskans cherish the short, lush summer with long hours of daylight. And, I do truly enjoy the blessings of
summer. But summer is not my favorite
season. My favorite time of year in
Alaska is Fall. I truly enjoy the crisp autumn
mornings and warm days.
For a person who
enjoys fishing, I think the autumn fishing in Alaska is the best. The lakes are full of hungry trout which have
grown fat with the summer supply of bugs.
And, usually the streams have a supply of silver salmon. There are more coho in the fall than there
are chinook in the spring and early summer.
But, as school starts, or hunting begins, the streams become empty
except for a few die-hard fishermen. So,
there are more fish to catch and less competition in catching them. How could it be any better?
Fall is also hunting
season when a person can get out in the woods and enjoy God’s creation and the
company of friends. You can’t see the
northern lights in the summer because of the long hours of sunlight. But often the sky flashes colors in the Fall
nights. The show can be especially
beautiful when a person is out in the woods, away from the cities and towns,
camping during Fall hunting season.
And, Fall is the
time for Alaska berries! When I am
hunting and walk along in the woods there are often cranberries to give a burst
of liquid to my mouth. And sometimes
blueberries to offer a sweet treat. Not
to mention the raspberries that fill the vines in my garden.
Some may say that in
Alaska we do not have the maple trees found in New England and the upper
Midwest, nor do we have the brilliant color of these trees. But, have you ever sat in the Alaskan woods
while hunting and watched the sun drop below the horizon? When the last light hits the yellow on the
birch and aspen, these trees can almost give light like a lamp in the
forest. And the Fall undergrowth is full
of the reds leaves of cranberries and fireweed plants. Maybe, like me, you have driven north in the
Fall and just let the yellow and red splashes on the mountains take your breath
away!
What brings the beauty of the Alaskan Fall to
mind is a “show” I saw last week. On
Thursday evening, September
8, I was mowing the lawn and the mountains turned a deep rose color as the
alpenglow caused them to glow. And clouds
were hanging above the mountain peaks, as clouds often do, and these clouds
displayed various colors and hues of light as well. It looked like a light show from God! I couldn’t help but think of the words of
Psalm 19, “1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies
proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night
after night they display knowledge.”
I think that in
Alaska, with the beauty of nature surrounding us, the words God inspired David
to write are especially true. The skies
“declare God’s glory!” Creation displays
and gives knowledge!
God also inspired St. Paul to write something
similar in Romans 1. In Romans 1, verse
20, when talking about ways that people can know about God, Paul wrote, “For
since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power
and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been
made, so that men are without excuse.” The splendor and beauty of nature display the qualities of God, our
Creator. We can see His power, His
Wisdom, and His glory as we look at creation around us.
But,
thankfully, we not only have nature revealing the natural knowledge of God, we
also have God’s Word revealing the grace and mercy and love of God. God’s people have often spoiled our Lord’s creation
with our sin which dishonors God and hurts our fellow human beings. But, the greater glory and wonder of God is
that He loved us enough to send His Son.
God the Son Himself, took on human form in the person of Jesus. In Jesus God pays for our sin and mis-deeds
and gives us new and eternal life in heaven by His grace, through faith in
Jesus.
The
beauty of God’s creation fills my soul and takes my breath away. But, the mystery and wonder that our
righteous God loves sinners like me enough to suffer, and to die, and to rise
for me still surprises my mind and melts my heart. This ‘revealed’ knowledge of God is found in
Scripture. And, study of God’s Word
often starts up again in the Fall when churches get back into the school-year
schedule. The beauty of Creation teaches
me regularly about the wonder of my creator.
But, the study of God’s Word fills my heart with His love.
I
pray that God reveals Himself to you this Fall through the beauty of the
creation around us. And, I pray that you
take time to study God’s word with others and that He reveals Himself to you this
Fall even more through Scripture. The
knowledge of our Creator, our Savior, and our Comforter brings peace, and joy
and life!
A
Child of God, Growing in the Knowledge of God by the Beauty of Creation Around Me,
Pastor
Jonathan
P.S. Here are the pictures of the mountains bathed
in alpenglow from Thursday evening, September 8. https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO7BkimbHWYBxc83-Eh3kqxYi4S44QVvUWScpk6tao2qaFvkQknh-kuF2DDwcnUNA?key=M1lLX3M4YUx3QmJKMzNGV0RWNjZiZHFfRmQ3VF9R
P.P.S. Perhaps Monday, September 12, was the last
day of salmon fishing for 2016. (Though,
one can always hope for more.) Here are
a couple of pictures from that fishing trip.
https://goo.gl/photos/gnHzCzU9zCeTBY2g7
****
ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE
PASTOR’ - I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to
all St. John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am regularly
adding new names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this
e-mail for the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail,
please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this
message.
****
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