Focus 1 | Revealed in Creation
God wants you to get to know him like he knows you, and so he has revealed himself in the whole of creation. From its size to its cohesive systems, from the clear ideals and corrupted realities, from the variety and structured order, God is revealing to you the most complex being that can exist—the all in all, the everything. Creation is not just a testament to what God can do, it is also a reflection of who he is. Let’s see him in it.
See what this Spotlight—and series— is focused on.
Tap on the words "Focus 1" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Tap on the words "Focus 1" in the image below to read this Spotlight's summary.
Let's talk about an oeuvre.
Listen to this audio clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Listen to this audio clip when you’re ready to begin today’s Spotlight.
(And welcome, by the way! It’s great that you’re here!)
Find the artist behind their work.
Welcome Perspective
Find your cathedral.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Psalm 104:2–4
It is good to find God in nature, and over the course of history many people have sensed someone greater than they as they've taken in creation. There will never be a church building or temple or any man-made structure that can compete with the universe as a space to feature this great God.
As you listen to this song, take in the ways nature offers a glimpse of something transcendent, and enjoy it. These things were made by God, to show God… to you. As the writer of Psalm 104 says later on:
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
Psalm 104:27–28
Listen to this song and follow along with the lyrics, which are posted below the video player.
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
Psalm 104:2–4
It is good to find God in nature, and over the course of history many people have sensed someone greater than they as they've taken in creation. There will never be a church building or temple or any man-made structure that can compete with the universe as a space to feature this great God.
As you listen to this song, take in the ways nature offers a glimpse of something transcendent, and enjoy it. These things were made by God, to show God… to you. As the writer of Psalm 104 says later on:
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.
Psalm 104:27–28
Listen to this song and follow along with the lyrics, which are posted below the video player.
Find God in nature—or lose him entirely.
"My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know his lurking-places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas in nature."
- Henry David Thoreau
Read Psalm 104 aloud, rotating through the members of your group, one sentence at a time.
O my soul, bless God!
God, my God, how great you are—
beautifully, gloriously robed,
dressed up in sunshine,
and all heaven stretched out for your tent.
You built your palace on the ocean deeps,
made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.
You commandeered winds as messengers,
appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.
You set earth on a firm foundation
so that nothing can shake it, ever.
You blanketed earth with ocean,
covered the mountains with deep waters;
then you roared and the water ran away—
your thunder crash put it to flight.
Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out
in the places you assigned them.
You set boundaries between earth and sea;
never again will earth be flooded.
You started the springs and rivers,
sent them flowing among the hills.
All the wild animals now drink their fill,
wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Along the riverbanks the birds build nests,
ravens make their voices heard.
You water the mountains from your heavenly reservoirs;
earth is supplied with plenty of water.
You make grass grow for the livestock,
hay for the animals that plow the ground.
Oh yes, God brings grain from the land,
wine to make people happy—
their faces glowing with health,
a people well-fed and hearty.
God’s trees are well-watered—
the Lebanon cedars he planted.
Birds build their nests in those trees;
look—the stork at home in the treetop.
Mountain goats climb about the cliffs;
badgers burrow among the rocks.
The moon keeps track of the seasons,
the sun is in charge of each day.
When it’s dark and night takes over,
all the forest creatures come out.
The young lions roar for their prey,
clamoring to God for their supper.
When the sun comes up, they vanish,
lazily stretched out in their dens.
Meanwhile, men and women go out to work,
busy at their jobs until evening.
What a wildly wonderful world, God—
you made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
Oh, look—the deep, wide sea,
brimming with fish past counting—
sardines and sharks and salmon.
Ships plow those waters,
and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them.
All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.
If you turned your back,
they’d die in a minute—
take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.
The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him;
I’m so pleased to be singing to God.
But clear the ground of sinners—
no more godless men and women!
O my soul, bless God!
Psalm 104
Discuss the following:
When has nature revealed God to you—when have you seen God revealed in nature? Take this time to share personal stories amongst the group.
"My profession is to be always on the alert to find God in nature, to know his lurking-places, to attend all the oratorios, the operas in nature."
- Henry David Thoreau
Read Psalm 104 aloud, rotating through the members of your group, one sentence at a time.
O my soul, bless God!
God, my God, how great you are—
beautifully, gloriously robed,
dressed up in sunshine,
and all heaven stretched out for your tent.
You built your palace on the ocean deeps,
made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.
You commandeered winds as messengers,
appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.
You set earth on a firm foundation
so that nothing can shake it, ever.
You blanketed earth with ocean,
covered the mountains with deep waters;
then you roared and the water ran away—
your thunder crash put it to flight.
Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out
in the places you assigned them.
You set boundaries between earth and sea;
never again will earth be flooded.
You started the springs and rivers,
sent them flowing among the hills.
All the wild animals now drink their fill,
wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Along the riverbanks the birds build nests,
ravens make their voices heard.
You water the mountains from your heavenly reservoirs;
earth is supplied with plenty of water.
You make grass grow for the livestock,
hay for the animals that plow the ground.
Oh yes, God brings grain from the land,
wine to make people happy—
their faces glowing with health,
a people well-fed and hearty.
God’s trees are well-watered—
the Lebanon cedars he planted.
Birds build their nests in those trees;
look—the stork at home in the treetop.
Mountain goats climb about the cliffs;
badgers burrow among the rocks.
The moon keeps track of the seasons,
the sun is in charge of each day.
When it’s dark and night takes over,
all the forest creatures come out.
The young lions roar for their prey,
clamoring to God for their supper.
When the sun comes up, they vanish,
lazily stretched out in their dens.
Meanwhile, men and women go out to work,
busy at their jobs until evening.
What a wildly wonderful world, God—
you made it all, with Wisdom at your side,
made earth overflow with your wonderful creations.
Oh, look—the deep, wide sea,
brimming with fish past counting—
sardines and sharks and salmon.
Ships plow those waters,
and Leviathan, your pet dragon, romps in them.
All the creatures look expectantly to you
to give them their meals on time.
You come, and they gather around;
you open your hand and they eat from it.
If you turned your back,
they’d die in a minute—
take back your Spirit and they die,
revert to original mud;
send out your Spirit and they spring to life—
the whole countryside in bloom and blossom.
The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.
Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him;
I’m so pleased to be singing to God.
But clear the ground of sinners—
no more godless men and women!
O my soul, bless God!
Psalm 104
Discuss the following:
When has nature revealed God to you—when have you seen God revealed in nature? Take this time to share personal stories amongst the group.
Sing praise to God for revealing himself in creation.
You are far from the first to notice God in creation, and that makes sense. He is so obvious, people see him all the time.
Near the end of his life, St. Francis of Assisi composed a beautiful song in which he praised God by highlighting the remarkable things God had made and done in creation. (It is said that the first time the song was sung in its entirety was at Francis' death bed in the moments before he died.) As you listen to this prayer, you'll notice that St. Francis refers to things like the sun, moon, water, and fire as "brother" or "sister"—which is quite a beautiful thought, because if God made those remarkable things and he also made you… what does that make you? (Also remarkable!)
This song, the "Canticle of the Sun" is thought to be the first literary work ever written in Italian, and it has stood the test of time. There's a good chance, actually, that you've heard a derivative work from this poem: The hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King" is an adaptation of St. Francis' powerful song.
Listen to the poem and then sing along (if you're comfortable) with the hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King," which can be found directly below the poem video.
You are far from the first to notice God in creation, and that makes sense. He is so obvious, people see him all the time.
Near the end of his life, St. Francis of Assisi composed a beautiful song in which he praised God by highlighting the remarkable things God had made and done in creation. (It is said that the first time the song was sung in its entirety was at Francis' death bed in the moments before he died.) As you listen to this prayer, you'll notice that St. Francis refers to things like the sun, moon, water, and fire as "brother" or "sister"—which is quite a beautiful thought, because if God made those remarkable things and he also made you… what does that make you? (Also remarkable!)
This song, the "Canticle of the Sun" is thought to be the first literary work ever written in Italian, and it has stood the test of time. There's a good chance, actually, that you've heard a derivative work from this poem: The hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King" is an adaptation of St. Francis' powerful song.
Listen to the poem and then sing along (if you're comfortable) with the hymn "All Creatures of Our God and King," which can be found directly below the poem video.
Worship Perspective
Get some perspective on our universe—or at least a shift in it.
Discuss the following with your group:
- These ideas may impact the way you consider a “global catastrophe.” How might you use the thoughts in this video to comfort someone who is worrying about global events? (Worth noting, in what ways might this content not be helpful at all?)
- If this message is effective, it may feel like God gets bigger and you get smaller. Nevertheless, the promises he makes to you stay the same. Why is this a helpful thing?
- When have you felt sin make God seem “smaller” and how can his revelation in nature remind you that he’s bigger than you think?
Learn Perspective
Kent you need this
Kent you need this
Tell us where you've seen God.
There's something exciting, no matter who you are, about the idea of a god being out there (just think of our fascination with aliens, or with "source of life" stories, or with power)—and that excitement is only enhanced when you find out that God is willing to reveal himself.
In this series, you'll hear about four specific ways God reveals himself—in creation, in conscience, in scripture, and in Christ. These are important because God has directly told us he reveals himself these ways, so you can count on them. But the actual way that these revelations are perceived is as varied as individual humans. It's a little different for everyone, and that's OK. In fact, that's evidence of God's amazing mercy—meeting each person just as they are.
In that spirit, Illume wants to celebrate the moments when people are aware of a God who is revealing himself. There is no bad or inadequate version of a story like this. You don't have to scrounge through your memory for a miracle moment, but if you have one, it would be a good one to share. You can do so by sharing your story here.
Record your story and upload it to the following form to send it to Kent. (Hint: Recording your story as an unpolished video or voice memo on your phone will do just fine.)
There's something exciting, no matter who you are, about the idea of a god being out there (just think of our fascination with aliens, or with "source of life" stories, or with power)—and that excitement is only enhanced when you find out that God is willing to reveal himself.
In this series, you'll hear about four specific ways God reveals himself—in creation, in conscience, in scripture, and in Christ. These are important because God has directly told us he reveals himself these ways, so you can count on them. But the actual way that these revelations are perceived is as varied as individual humans. It's a little different for everyone, and that's OK. In fact, that's evidence of God's amazing mercy—meeting each person just as they are.
In that spirit, Illume wants to celebrate the moments when people are aware of a God who is revealing himself. There is no bad or inadequate version of a story like this. You don't have to scrounge through your memory for a miracle moment, but if you have one, it would be a good one to share. You can do so by sharing your story here.
Record your story and upload it to the following form to send it to Kent. (Hint: Recording your story as an unpolished video or voice memo on your phone will do just fine.)
Read through some quick notes on this to help contextualize the project:
Consider this five-sentence pitch if you're still on the fence about sharing a story:
- You can submit more than once, if you don't like the way some part of your telling of the story turned out. Don't overthink it, though! These are human stories. They can—and should—be imperfect. Everyone's story is (except for Jesus'.)
- Note: Illume reserves the right to edit stories or not include stories for any reason. We apologize if something about your story doesn't work out for this purpose. That doesn't mean it is an unimportant story! It just means this wasn't the right fit for it.
Consider this five-sentence pitch if you're still on the fence about sharing a story:
- Somebody might come to know God through your story—what could be better than that?
- Somebody might come to know God through your story—what could be better than that?
- Somebody might come to know God through your story—what could be better than that?
- Somebody might come to know God through your story—what could be better than that?
- Somebody might come to know God through your story—what could be better than that?
Feel free to submit a prayer request by filling out the below form.
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
(If you choose to make your request public, you'll see it display in the Current at the end of the Spotlight along with anyone else who did the same.)
Pray through your requests—together—as a group.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
After submitting your requests in the above form, take some time to share with your group whatever requests the group might have for this week.
Serve Perspective
Choose your own adventure—or closing song, rather.
You and/or your group can decide on which of the following four song's you'd like to close with today. (Note: All 4 of these songs are from a very unique worship project called Doxecology by Resound Worship. It's one of very few albums out there that seeks to worship using ecologically themed songs.)
1. Let All Creation Sing - A straightforward song of praise that examines how all of nature proclaims the glory of God.
You and/or your group can decide on which of the following four song's you'd like to close with today. (Note: All 4 of these songs are from a very unique worship project called Doxecology by Resound Worship. It's one of very few albums out there that seeks to worship using ecologically themed songs.)
1. Let All Creation Sing - A straightforward song of praise that examines how all of nature proclaims the glory of God.
2. Heaven's Voice Brings the Dawn - A look at the act of creation itself which leaves us in awe and gives us reason to praise.
3. Hear the Song of Our Lament - A look at how nature has been cursed by sin and a plead to God to have mercy.
4. We Are the Tenants of the King - A recognition of our role as tenants and stewards of creation and a look forward to the new creation.
Farewell Perspective
Let's wrap things up by taking a look at what's Current at Illume.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
Tap on the buttons in the frame below to see what’s currently happening at Illume—information on everything from current and upcoming online content to live events and opportunities to serve in the community can all be found here.
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