Creation & Eternal Beauty
For the past week JoAnn and I have been enjoying a cruise in the Alaska Inside Passage with some of our Small Group friends. I have never been on a cruise before, so I must say that shipboard life… amazing food, great entertainment and comfortable accommodations exceeded my expectations, and the weather and scenery have been excellent!
Sunday morning we visited Glacier Bay. It was stunning. Beautiful. Glaciers, icebergs, whales, otters, seals, scenery… all breathtaking. At one point JoAnn whispered the opening words of Psalm 19:1,
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.”
And praise Him we did as the beauty of the scenery drew our attentions heavenward.
But as the day continued, I felt a “nudge.’ So I opened my Bible again to Psalm 19 and continued reading:
“The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the LORD are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold:” (vv. 7-10)
Later in the day a number of believers met to worship. It was wonderful; Christ-followers gathered to sing, pray and consider Christ together. The fellowship was sweet and it was a joy to connect with our brethren. Our collective appreciation for the beauty of our surroundings was lively as we enjoyed sharing what we had seen and experienced.
But the “nudge” wouldn’t go away! So I found myself in Romans 8:22-23, where verses it tell us that all creation is in bondage…corruption. The beauty we had been enjoying and that has captured our imaginations is in a state of decay! It waits in hope, even as we wait in hope for the new heaven and the new earth, promised in Revelation 21:1.
In Luke 21:33, Jesus tells us “Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Ah… now we’re getting somewhere! I think God is reminding me that, while it is good to admire and enjoy God’s creation, as many Psalms help us do, I must remember that everything we see and enjoy is fleeting, even as we are. “Here today, gone tomorrow” is the message of 1 Peter 1:24. But continue to verse 25 “…but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
In Christ, we are new creations (2 Cor. 5:17) and He has given us his eternal Word to guide us as we grow into that! This is something we have… now. Talk about capturing the imagination! Beautiful! Glorious! The beauty of our surroundings over the past week have, joyfully, drawn my attentions heavenward. They are definitely beautiful, but if this is decay, I can hardly wait to see the beautiful God who created it… our blessed hope!
Ministry Minute
COUNCIL CLERK
Karen Warren
Deacon
Due to recent health concerns our beloved sister Kim is stepping down from her position in the LTCC office. Kim has been a remarkable, sweet, godly, poised. gentle and creative front office person for several years. She has shared her giftings with LTCC, from graciously and sweetly answering phones and greeting visitors to designing beautiful and effective graphics for Sunday morning services. Her desire to be Jesus’ hands and feet has been an example to those of us on staff and to our LTCC family and she has blessed each of us. We will truly miss her in this role. When you next see Kim - please share your appreciation with her for her valuable service to LTCC.
As we move forward please join us in praying for the exact person God has in mind to join our office staff.