(Blowin’ in the Wind is a regular
feature on my blog consisting of an assortment of nature writings – hymns,
songs, excerpts, prayers, Bible readings, poems or other things – pieces I may
not have written but that inspire me. I trust they will do the same for you.)
I had occasion about
four weeks ago to lead a group in Stations
of Creation, a spiritual exercise I wrote several years ago that I’ve been
blessed to share on numerous occasions. I put it up as a blogpost last year, and I’ve also included it in my resources section found via the
tab on my masthead above.
This particular
experience was with a group of spiritual direction trainees at a retreat on the
lovely grounds of the University of St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein IL, and I
enjoyed the prayer reflections among these thoughtful participants. One of
those who took part that day was a Covenant pastor friend of some years, Californian Steve
Wong. Just last week I received an email from him expressing
appreciation for it, but also sharing with me a revision he had done for his
family. They were about to take a long road trip, setting out on a Sunday, and
Steve got it in his head to do an in-the-car worship using a simplified version
of Stations, adapting it specifically
for his 12, 14 and 16 year olds.
I love what he did to
it, and it just tickled me to think of this family sharing the prayer
experience in this way. In fact, I wished I’d been a mouse in the corner to
hear it, and asked if he’d mind if I passed it along on my blog.
So while there still may
be just a bit of time left for some late-summer family car trips, I share this
(with thanks to Steve!) for a meaningful, mobile, family worship. Then, if
you’ve got teenagers, mix it up later on your first night in the motel with National Lampoon’s Family Vacation!
If you’d like a copy of
the nicely-formatted PDF doc that Steve did for his family, just message or
email me; the PDF is set up as a bi-fold brochure to be printed 2-sided on a
standard 8½X11 sheet.
~~RGM, August 18, 2014
Stations of Creation
Instructions
Scripture: A reader states the
station title and reads the text aloud.
Word Picture: Point out and
describe the item in the title. Share something from your personal experience
that relates to the Scripture passage.
Prayer: Anyone may offer a
prayer of thanks for the item.
Response: Sing together the
chorus of “How great is our God”
Earth
Psalm 24:1: The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world and all who
live in it. For God founded it upon the seas and established it upon the
waters.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How
great is our God, sing with me how great is our God And all will see how great,
how great is our God!
Sky
Psalm 8:1, 3-5; 108:4-5: O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in
all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. When I consider your
heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set
in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care
for him? For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness
reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory
be over all the earth.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Lights
Genesis 1:14-19: Then God said, "Let there be lights in the
expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for
signs, and for seasons, and for days and years." And it was so. And God
made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser
light to govern the night. He made the stars also. And God placed them in the
expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and
the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was
good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Wind
Matthew 8:24-27: A tempest arose on the sea, so great that the
boat was being swamped by the waves; but Jesus was asleep. And they woke him
up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" And he said to them,
"Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked
the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying,
"What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Water
Psalm 78:12-16: God wrought wonders before our fathers, in the
land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He divided the sea, and caused them to
pass through; And He made the waters stand up like a heap. Then He led them
with the cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire. He split the
rocks in the wilderness, and gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. He
brought forth streams also from the rock, and caused waters to run down like
rivers.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how great,
how great is our God!
Fire
Malachi 3:2-3: But who can endure the day of His coming? And who
can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire... And He will sit
as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine
them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in
righteousness.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Rock
Luke 19:39-40: And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said
to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke Your disciples." And He answered and said,
"I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!"
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Trees
Psalm 1:1-3: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is
in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a
tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose
leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Crops
and Climate
Isaiah 55:10-11: For as the rain and the snow come down from
heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it
bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so
shall My word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for
which I sent it.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Animals
Job 12:7-10: Ask
the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell
you; speak to the plants of the earth, and they will inform you; even the fish
of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand
of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing, even
the breath of all humankind.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
People
Genesis 1:27-28, 30, 31: So God created humankind in his image, in the
image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them,
and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and
subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the
air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." ...And it was
so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And
there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Word Picture
Prayer
Response: How great is our God, sing with me how great is our God, and all will see how
great, how great is our God!
Closing
Prayer
O heavenly Father, who has filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes
to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole
creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through
whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BOCP 814)
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