For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16, New International Version)
Theme: The Local Church
Context:
Today and tomorrow, we will focus on the Discipline of Creation, and we will begin by considering questions about the role of Creation in your local church.
In some ways, Creation is a “complicated” discipline. Entire doctrines and books have been written on the subject including contributions from Thomas Aquinas (Catholic) and John Calvin (Protestant), who wrote about the importance of creation to church doctrine. For 40 days of Discipline, we are focused on a relatively simple concept. Our focus is on the fact that we can appreciate and worship God through his creation (e.g., nature, humans, and things created by humans). We are not trying to suggest that creation is a substitute for Jesus (living Word) or the Bible (written word). However, we believe that we rob ourselves of insights into the magnificence of God when we don’t stop to smell the proverbial roses.
Primary Questions:
- Does your local church provide a biblical perspective on creation?
- Are various art forms used by your local church to display God’s magnificence?
- Does your local church intentionally incorporate elements of creation into worship?
- Does your local church extend the principle of stewardship to God’s creation?
Your Feedback:
While you are not expected to share your answers to the questions above, we would still love to hear from you. Based on your answers to the questions, what is your general observation about how local churches relate to creation?
April 6, 2022 at 7:50 am
I love nature! Being outside. Whether it’s taking a walk, seeing shapes in the sky, marveling at the moon, gardening, seeing a bunny or deer in our community or climbing a tree most times it brings my thoughts to God and how He created all this.
That’s probably why my eyes and heart is drawn to the outdoor chapel at our church. It’s a small space with cement benches placed around a wooden cross. It leads me to think that without a building I should focus on the church, my fellow believers, and join in with nature as they praise God.
April 6, 2022 at 7:51 am
Every church that I became a part of has creation as its founding principle. A church declaring faith on Jesus Christ as the son of God and creator of the universe and all that’s in there is very important for believers , It is an assurance that they have chosen the right church to belong to. A place where they can worship a true God and where members grow, pray, have fellowship with one another and study God’s word. Appreciating God’s creation and being grateful for the gift of life is but natural for the body of Christ to experience not only while worshiping at church but it is practiced on a daily basis. Being grateful for creation should be a way of life for us believers. A church not believing on God’s creation specifically on the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is not a church at all and so we have to be careful on what churches and preachers claimed to be, making sure it’s not a cult or organization with selfish motives or self promotion. A church exists to share the gospel and help the lost find the redeemer and savior Jesus Christ.
April 7, 2022 at 6:12 am
Thanks Aurora for illuminating this point!