Tag: god

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Art Day 5: Thanksgiving for winter

Though we’re not quite slipping into winter yet (astronomically, that won’t happen until December 21), this year feels like the season stepped on our feet quite rudely. We are all saying ouch in the Midwest, and some are holding resentments.

Nevertheless, winter brings its beauties. And this year I find myself thinking of the artistry of snow and ice, and how they can highlight the texture and shape of things in ways we don’t appreciate otherwise.

This photo was taken in 1989, the year I worked at a retreat center in Sweden. The day was foggy and cold, a combination that produces hoarfrost, which clothed these pine trees in delicate garments of ice. But I didn’t appreciate their majesty until winter took out its paints and brushes and did this.

Today is Thanksgiving, and as I reflect on the early arrival of winter this year, I’m thankful for how snow and ice can make ordinary things extraordinary. And I’m thankful for God, who made this beautiful planet and each precious person who gives our lives meaning and hope. He is truly a God of extraordinary generosity, and the Lord of all seasons.

Happy Thanksgiving.

— Nelsonia

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The Two Books of God. Day 13.

I believe that Book of Science needs to become part of religious worship because the Book of Science is true, and all truth is of God. We need hymns that draw not only from the beautiful passages from the Bible, but also from the majestic realities of the universe.

This is a hymn written by me and my brother Brian Nelson, titled Praise God, the Lord of Space and Time. Here I interweave our knowledge of the universe with the beliefs of the Christian faith. I offer this song as the final post of the series Two Books of God.

My hope is that – whatever sacred text you read – the Book of Science will be a trusted guide that explains new dimensions of God and points out the glories of the Universe. May the God of your understanding keep you in awe and wonder always.

Praise God, the Lord of Space and Time

Praise God, the Lord of space and time,
Who made the earth and sky,
The One who set the stars aflame
And lifted mountains high.

Praise God, who made the tree of life
And sowed the world with flowers.
Who formed the beasts and gave them food
And made all good things ours.

Praise God, the Seeker of the lost
Who clothed himself in flesh.
The One named Jesus died for us
And left all creatures blessed.

Praise Christ, the King, who shall return
To make creation new.
The universe will hum with joy
And trees sing allelu.

Text: Eric D. Nelson, b. 1963
Tune: GALILEO, 86 866; Brian J. Nelson, b. 1967
© 2013, International Liturgy Publications
PO Box 50476, Nashville, TN 37205
www.ILPmusic.org, 888-898-SONG
All rights reserved. International copyright reserved.

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The Two Books of God. Day 12.

St. Francis of Assisi attempted a new perspective on Creation centuries ago. Here are some verses of his Canticle of the Creatures, written in 1224:

Most high, all powerful, all good Lord! All praise is yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing. To you, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce your name.

Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures, especially through my lord Brother Sun, who brings the day; and you give light through him. And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor! Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars; in the heavens you have made them, precious and beautiful.

Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air, and clouds and storms, and all the weather, through which you give your creatures sustenance.

What kind of song would St. Francis write today?


Read the entire song here.

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The Two Books of God. Day 11.

The Hubble Space Telescope. Our six-day zoom-out tour of the heavens is complete. I hope you enjoyed it, but why does it matter? It matters because our perspective is changing. For most of human history we’ve been looking at the sky with eyes designed for hunting game and gathering plants. We were unable to appreciate the wonders of the Universe because we couldn’t see them.

Then everything changed. Using God’s gift of reason, we created new eyes that can see the faintest light and make far things appear near. They’re called telescopes, and with their help we looked at the universe and saw so much more than we did before. With better sight came new perspectives. How will these new perspectives change our understanding of God?

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The Two Books of God. Day 9.

Wonder E. The Andromeda Galaxy. This is the galaxy closest to our own – though close is a relative term. The light that made this image left Andromeda 2.5 million years ago, back when the early ancestors of humans were living in Africa.

The Andromeda Galaxy holds a special significance for me. One summer, when I was twelve years old, I was at church camp. It was late at night. We were all in bed, sleeping soundly. For no apparent reason, our cabin counselor woke us up and led us outside. He pointed to an oval patch of light in the eastern sky. “Do you know what that is?” he asked. We shook our heads. “That’s the Andromeda galaxy.” I was overwhelmed with awe, and at that moment began to believe in God. I am grateful for that camp counselor, who cared enough to awaken a young boy to wonder.

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The Two Books of God. Day 8.

Wonder D. M56. This star cluster is Messier Object 56. (Messier was the astronomer who discovered it.) M56 is a globular cluster, a ball of ancient stars that lies outside our galaxy. Globular clusters were often mistaken for comets before the era of telescopes, because they look like fuzzy balls of light to the naked eye. But they are not comets; they are tiny satellite galaxies that orbit our own.

There are over 150 of these globular clusters, arranged in a halo around the Milky Way. They are 10 billion years old, more than twice as old as Earth. But without powerful telescopes and the insights of astronomers, they would only be hazy patches of light, rather than the glorious fireworks display shown this image. What other glories of God are awaiting discovery in the unturned pages of the Book of Science?

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The Two Books of God. Day 6.

Wonder B. Saturn. This is Saturn seen from the Cassini spacecraft. The sun is behind the planet, making the rings glow and casting the planet’s face in shadow. In the upper left, just above the bright rings, you can see a pale dot. That’s Earth. It’s a powerful image, almost overwhelming in intensity. How could this possibly exist? And yet it does.

In our last town, I volunteered at the local observatory helping with tours. Whenever I showed Saturn through my telescope, schoolchildren would either say, “Wow!” or “That’s fake!” Saturn didn’t look quite as powerful as this image, of course, but just the glimpse of Saturn’s rings was enough to make believers or skeptics of everyone. No one reacts indifferently to God’s wonders.