A Prayer of Thanks for Creation

Years ago, as a younger man, I was perched atop the roof peak of the cabin we were building in Montana. Pausing for a brief rest, I inhaled deeply of the pine-scented mountain air wafting through our acre, and that’s when I noticed what I could clearly hear – the absolute sound of silence; other than the slight murmur of Butler Creek across the road as it pushed its way toward the Clark Fork River.  

George Sayler

Total absolute quiet. It captivated me and caused me to stop my work, be still, and be present in the moment to absorb the silence. I felt as if I was hearing the sound of the Eternal Now, the presence of God, and the murmur of the creek was His whisper to me, saying: “Be still and know I am God.” It was as close as I have come to any kind of mystical experience.

Our cabin is in the mountains of western Montana and is a favorite place for Katie and me because it brings us close to the natural world. For example, a bear’s footprints on our outhouse door! It is an area filled with wildlife of all types, heavily tree-covered mountains, and fields sprinkled with wildflowers in the spring.  I first came to that spot with my family when I was about four years old, so it is fair to say it is rooted in my soul.
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For me, nature is a place to experience the Sacred. Some people claim it as their church, but I would not go that far. However, to me, it is a sanctuary that brings me closer to God, a feeling that millions of others have shared over the years. What makes it so? There are many probable answers to that question, and one that I hold to is that we are a part of Creation; we share it with all other living things. It is our home, and in humility and awe, we realize how miraculous and wonderful it is, just as did the Psalmist long ago we he exclaimed: “The heavens are telling the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Ps. 19:1).  Romans 1:20, which declares: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what he has made….”  carries the same message.

 In the long Christian tradition, there are two books of scripture, the book of nature and the Bible.  Both reveal God to us; nature does it without words, a silent witness, while the Bible uses God’s Word to do so. Early Christian thinkers viewed the two books in harmony, with the natural world seen as a universal general revelation to all. While it is a genuine way to encounter God, it does not provide the specific details of redemption found in the Bible. For me, on that rooftop, God was present!

It is this glorious and mysterious creation that we were formed to help care for, and the Earth Care team offers the following prayer of thanks to God, the creator of all, for His wondrous gift. We hope it is your prayer as well.
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A Prayer of Thanks for Creation

Lord God,

​In Colossians, we read that in You all things were created, both visible and invisible, and we come to You in prayer, deeply grateful for Your creation.  As we look around, we are amazed and in awe at the greatness and majesty of all that You have made. We rejoice in Your creation.

Nature around us speaks of your greatness: the vast expanses of the heavens, filled with stars and galaxies and other wonders beyond our imagination, and we wonder, what is man that You are mindful of him?

 The mountains, trees, plains, lakes, rivers, and streams – all speak of Your great design and reveal the connectedness of all things.

We praise and thank You for the animals of the forest and the fields, the birds of the air, the fish of the waters, and all the living creatures we share this earth with.

You have given us such beauty in the colors of the rainbow, the setting sun, the flowers in the woods and our gardens, and the faces of family and friends.

You have given us a garden to keep and till, a home that provides for all our needs.

Words cannot express the magnificence of all You have created.  We join in praise with the writer of the Psalms when he said: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth.”

May we show our reverence and gratitude to You, oh God, by caring for all that You have made. Help us to honor the pledge we made as your church to keep and till your creation.
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To You we lift our praise and thanks. 
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​In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

​In His name,
George