A sense of awe

Rev. Barbara Miller
R.R. Ministerial

Fall is my favourite time of the year - as I look around at all the glorious fall colours I am filled with a sense of awe at nature’s beauty and at God’s creative handiwork. It brings to mind Jesus’ words found in the Gospel of Matthew: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, yet I tel you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.” (Matthew 6. 28 - 29 NRSV)
To see the glory of the earth and to know that God is, is a gift. But I should share that passage with you in its entirety because it is an invitation to give our worries, our cares and our concerns to God. We have much to celebrate here in Rainy River and our surrounding area, but there is much concern as well. Some of us also have hearts that are carrying a sadness and grief as we struggle with the losses in our lives and community.
And so I invite you to read these words of Jesus, to look around at the glory of God’s creation to know that God is and more importantly, to know how great God’s love for you is; for in this passage from Matthew Christ proclaims God’s love for us and that God will care for us in our need:
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith? Therefore, do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ Or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the nations that strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6. 25-33NRSV)
Give your worries to God. Know that God cares for you and then allow the majesty of Creation to fill your heart with awe and the glory of God’s love fill your soul with hope and peace.
God Bless!