Praying outside the box: part 3a

Advent 2024

Walking in the countryside can be truly beneficial for your health, especially when you stay mindful of the weather and dress appropriately for the heat or cold. Just remember to stay cautious and avoid walking near cliffs or wandering into bogs. Your safety is important, no matter where your adventures take you.

As for prayer, appreciating the beauty of God’s creation can truly feel like a heartfelt prayer of gratitude, whether you’re wandering through serene woodlands on a warm day or gazing up at the twinkling stars. Even if your beliefs differ or you have little faith, it’s perfectly okay; simply marveling at the incredible wonders of the Earth or the vast universe is a gentle song of praise that resonates within us all.

Praying without words while I walk—or even cycle—through the serene countryside feels effortless. It’s a gentle acknowledgment of God in the beauty surrounding me, a moment where I open my heart and ears to the whispers of his voice resonating through the wonders he has crafted.

Here is a short example from the Psalms:

8 God, brilliant Lord,
    yours is a household name.

² Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
    toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
    and silence atheist babble.

^3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
    your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
    Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
    Why take a second look our way?

^5-8 Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
    bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
    repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us stewards of sheep and cattle,
    even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
    whales singing in the ocean deeps.

⁹ God, brilliant Lord,
    your name echoes around the world.

Psalm 8 The Message