Well‑Being in God’s Creation
…involves the way that we engage in God’s natural world, including the practices of awe, play, worship, learning, and stewardship.
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, great and wide; creeping things innumerable are there, living things both small and great….I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.” (Psalm 104.24-25, 33-34)
One thing that I can do right now:
Go outside (or at least look out a window). What are the things that you see that God created? Speak a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s manifold beauty, and for God’s trust in humans as stewards of that creation. Take a picture to return later to that moment of gratitude.
Spiritual practices for wellness amidst God’s creation:
- Read in Scripture texts that celebrate God in creation: Genesis 1 and 2, Psalm 8, John 1, Job 38-41, Ecclesiastes 3, Isaiah 45, and many more.
- Take what Beth Norcross calls a “micro-hike” (similar to what is sometimes called forest bathing). Take a walk into a place where you can experience God’s creation, but move very slowly, perhaps even sit down or crawl some on hands and knees, to examine and celebrate what you see of God’s creation. Return to the same place at different times of day/night or different seasons of the year.
- The practice of fasting has long been a Christian tradition. If it is physically and emotionally healthy, consider examining your diet in a way that pays attention to sustainability, local food sources, and gratitude for the earth that feeds us.
A few books about wellness amidst God’s creation:
- Collins, Francis S. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence of Belief. New York, Ny., Free Press, 2006. Available on Amazon.
- Baker, Jennifer, and Beth Norcross. Inside Out: Practices for Going Deeper in Nature. 2019. Available on Amazon.
A person I could talk to:
Talk to a local science teacher or professor, using their scientific knowledge as an opportunity for worship and awe in the intricacy of God’s creation. Scientist and committed Christian Francis Collins coined the term biologos as a way to see all of the discoveries of the scientific community as examples of the “language of God.”
A Ministers Council resource available to me:
In 2023 and 2024, the national Ministers Council Leadership Team found well-being inspiration in images from Creation, as named in Scripture. Visit the Ministers Council Newsletter Archive for inspiring messages about “trees planted by the water” (Jeremiah 17.7-8) and “a new thing springing up” (Isaiah 43.19).
Other denominational resources to explore:
Creation Justice Network, a movement among American Baptists to seek the well-being of all of God’s creatures, including us as God’s ministers.
As well, the Center for Continuous Learning through ABHMS offers the following study: A Matter of Stewardship: Eco-Justice from a Biblical Perspective.
