From Volume 8, Number 2, Autumn 2001

Opening the Book of  Nature

By Angela Kantola and Don Wallace

"Some people, in order to discover God, read books.  But there is a great  book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you!  Look below you!  Note it. Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with  ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things He had made.  Can you ask for a  louder voice than that?"

 St. Augustine (354-430) here makes it clear that God wants to speak to us  through his creation.  The testimony of the Scriptures, early Christians, and  the Reformers is unanimous about the ability of creation to provide deep and  potent spiritual instruction. Sadly, most modern Christians have not learned how  God expresses himself through creation.  Our technology and hurried pace have  separated us from the spiritual lessons in nature.

Our tradition of exploring God's presence in creation is strongly rooted in  the Scriptures.  From Psalm 19:1-4 we learn that:  "The heavens declare the  glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour  forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or  language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the  earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Romans 1:20 is even more plain:  "For since the creation of the world God's  invisible qualitieshis eternal power and divine naturehave been clearly seen,  being understood from what has been made, so that all people are without  excuse."

When Jesus began his ministry he didn't spend 40 days in the temple. Instead,  he went out into the wilderness. Christians in every century have sought God's  presence in wild places, and you can, too. A program available in Colorado  called "Opening the Book of Nature" is designed to help Christians encounter  their Creator in nature. It reflects a rich discipline which has historically  been part of the fiber of Christian spiritual life and growth.

John Scotus Eriugena (810-877) said: "Christ wears 'two shoes' in the world:  scripture and nature. Both are necessary to understand the Lord, and at no stage  can creation be seen as a separation of things from God."

And from Martin Luther (1483-1546), we see that: "God writes the Gospel, not  in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and  stars."

Opening the Book of Nature events are uniquely designed for experiential  learning.  The typical introductory program is held in a beautiful natural area  with participants camping or staying in simple lodging.  Periods of private  prayer and reflection alternate with group discussion to help each person share  in the breakthroughs made by others and to learn from one another's  discoveries.  The result is a beginning ability to "read" God's lessons in  creation.

Participants report life-changing experiences from these events. Father David  R. Green (Charleston, WV) wrote: "Opening the Book of Nature is much more than a  weekend exploration of (God's presence) in nature. It is a powerful vehicle  through which God is renewing his church in Christ.  Others tell of increased  intimacy with God, emotional healing, joyful community, and enhanced rightness  with all creation.

You can find out more about Opening the Book of Nature at  www.creationethics.org. Our authors are based in Colorado and offer weekends to  all interested parties.

Don Wallace and Angela Kantola are seasoned facilitators for the Opening the  Book of Nature program.  Don is a landscape architect living in Evergreen,  Colorado.  Angela is a fish and wildlife biologist from Indian Hills, Colorado.   They are available to lead Opening the Book of Nature events for interested  groups.  For more information, please contact Don (303/679-8138,  donaldjwallace@yahoo.com) or Angela (303/697-5059, GraniteSquirrel@att.net).