I have dear friends who are openly hostile to organized religion. It's their understanding the Church Universal has been the root of most global problems. In their opinion, everything from Imperialism to child abuse to global warming can be traced to the Church in one way or another. As a result, they've turned their backs on religion in general and Christianity specifically.

Unfortunately, I can understand their point of view. Certainly the Church has been on the wrong side of history more often than not.

However, the mistake that many make is to blame God (represented by the Church) rather than blaming the broken people who made the decisions. As a result, they replace their worship of God the Creator with worship of Creation itself. They feel at one with the Universe by celebrating the Solstice, spending time out doors, enjoying the songs of the birds and the breeze through the trees. All the while, they are ignoring God, who made these wonders of nature possible.

This practice isn't isolated to Pantheists, people who see every plant, animal, insect as holy unto themselves. I've had friends who justify their lack of engagement with a local church or congregation by saying they get more out of sitting silently in the woods than listening to another sermon or singing another hymn or connecting with a small group of believers.

For those following these blogs over the last couple of months, you know we're focusing on the Spiritual Disciplines that help move us along the Christian Journey. We've discussed Worship, Partnership, Scripture, and more. All these practices are important and deserve attention and repetition to help strengthen our Spiritual Journey, our connection to God. They are all pieces to a puzzle and if one is missing, we have an incomplete picture.

Nature is one of the Spiritual Disciplines that is central to my own worship of God. Every grand mountain, stunning sunset, the detail of a single feather, dense fog rolling over the fields in the morning, or the brilliant colors of autumn each point me to God. The difference for me is they don't become the focus of my worship. Instead, they direct me to celebrate God's ability to creatively and skillfully design so much splendor.

As a result, I seek ways to get into nature as often as possible, because it is there that I find peace: Removed from traffic noise, the buzz of my cell phone, the long list of tasks waiting to be completed. It is in nature where I am reminded that plants growing slowly, animals skittering through the underbrush, insects buzzing, the water lapping up on the beach, the mountain casting it's long shadow, the stars filling the night sky, the rain dripping quietly, were ALL in existence in the first days of creation. If you read Genesis 2, you learn that God created every animal and plant for our companionship and enjoyment. But they weren't just entertainment, they were also our responsibility (Genesis 2:15 -  "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.")

Every time I walk a quiet path, sit in my back yard, visit a state or national park, I'm reminded of God's expectation for us as it relates to the nature I enjoy.

Nature is a constant reminder of God's greatness. It's also a reminder of my duty to serve God through tending for nature. It is a reminder that I am connected to God through it's enjoyment and care. All of this is so important, but it doesn't replace the other opportunities we have to connect with God: Prayer, Worship, Bible, Community, Study, etc. Each of these and many more unite to help us understand all of God; to understand his desire for connection with us, his willingness to sacrifice for us.