Worship In The Woods

I know nothing of the author of this poem, which I had memorized when I was much younger; in fact I had always thought it was written by Tennyson.   However, the words came back to me this week as we spent several days communing with nature in a more remote section of Ontario, Canada.   Some will suggest the third verse is a bit pantheistic, but I love the premise of the first verse and last verse especially.

IN THE WOODS

Scott, Frederick George

THIS is God's house--the blue sky is the
   ceiling,
 This wood the soft green carpet for His
   feet,
Those hills His stairs, down which the brooks
   come stealing
 With baby laughter, making earth more
   sweet.

And here His friends come, clouds, and soft
   winds sighing,
 And little birds whose throats pour forth
   their love,
And spring and summer, and the white snow
   lying
 Pencilled with shadows of bare boughs
   above.

And here come sunbeams through the green
   leaves straying,
 And shadows from the storm-clouds over-
   drawn,
And warm, hushed nights, when Mother
   Earth is praying
 So late that her moon-candle burns ill
   dawn.

Sweet house of God, sweet earth, so full of
   pleasure,
 I enter at thy gates in storm or calm;
And every sunbeam is a joy or pleasure,
 And every cloud a solace and a balm.

Finding a Worship Moment

Today I got to share my “worship moment” place with a guy who was visiting our town.   It’s a spectacular path through a wooded ravine that is always impressive.   You could go back in an hour and the sun would be at a different angle and it would look totally different.   You could go back at the same time the next day, but the colors would be different.   It’s just that amazing.

I wish I had a camera that could do it justice.   I don’t.  Here’s Psalm 19:1 in The Message:

God’s glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.

The strange thing is that the rest of the day was terrible.  Nothing went right.   Nothing at all.   But at least I’ve got that morning walk to remember.  Here’s some photos I didn’t take!!

Well, okay; one picture.   I found a few pictures of the kind of ravine, or woods, or forested area I’m talking about, but every single one of them was a copyrighted image.   Every one.   I spent about 15 minutes on it.

Hey Mr. Photographer, did you make those trees?

I’ll have to get a good camera and take some pictures.

For more devotional reading today, check out my other blog, Thinking Out Loud.