creature praise

thanks to Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation for this poignant reminder of our calling to join God's creatures in worshiping our mutual Creator ...

I’m not sure how many churches today still incorporate in their worship the traditional “Doxology” sung to the tune of the “Old Hundredth.”  It was so common in the past and familiar enough now that in almost any crowd gathered anywhere in the English-speaking world, if you started singing it, you’d likely be joined by the majority—much like the singing of “Amazing Grace.”  I’ve always loved it:

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a tribute to Little Chickie

a heartfelt tribute to the communication capabilities of chickens, and one "Little Chickie" in particular, from Jenny Sue Hane ...

“Indeed, but are they truly incomprehensible?  In my experience communication is a matter of patience, imagination.  I would like to believe that these are qualities that we have in sufficient measure.” (Captain Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Episode 102 “Darmok”)

It may surprise you to learn that the thing I associate most strongly with that quote is a chicken.

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animals in the eyes of children

Following on Liz Jakimow's post "Special Attachments," Lauren Merritt of The Christian and Creation offers another valuable perspective on our tendency to value animals differently, and looks to the example of her toddler son in countering it ...

My son Daniel fell and fractured his femur several weeks ago, right before his second birthday.  For almost two weeks we were stuck inside on the sofa, waiting for the pain and swelling to go down, reading books and watching movies and coloring over and over and over … and over.  Finally, he was comfortable enough to move around a little bit and was able to take rides in a wagon which accommodated his large spica cast.

Our first trip out of the house in two weeks was to the Louisville Zoo.  I was so excited to get out of the house and I knew Daniel would love seeing all the animals (and of course, so would I).  So off we went, fifteen minutes down the highway with our new zoo pass, to see all of God’s wonderful creatures.

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special attachments

valuable insight from Liz Jakimow of God and Gum Nuts into the natural attachments we form with certain parts of God's creation, even certain animals, and how God can use them for an even greater good ...

Today I read an article ("Koalas, People and Climate Change: Not a Good Mix," by Christine Adams-Hosking) that told me that the koala is highly vulnerable to climate change.  This is according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which places it in a list of only 10 species in the world.

I visit a lot of environmental sites and read a lot of environmental newsletters.  So I'm used to hearing bad news.  But this article hit me in a way few other articles have.

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wonderbird

from Dean Ohlman of The Wonder of Creation ...  

God alone stretches out the heavens and treads on the waves of the sea.  He is the Maker of the Bear and Orion, the Pleiades and the constellations of the south.  He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. (Job 9:8-10, NIV)

The first time I remember seeing it, I could hardly believe my eyes—truly.  It was on a visit to Yellowstone about 5 years after the great fires of 1988. 

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"the sparrow" by George MacDonald

Such an eloquent tribute to the Creator's "birds of the air" from beloved 19th century Scottish author George MacDonald, who pays special attention to the humble sparrow in the closing stanzas ...

O Lord, I cannot but believe
The birds do sing thy praises then, when they sing to one another,
And they are lying seed-sown land when the winter makes them grieve,
Their little bosoms breeding songs for the summer to unsmother!

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a drop in the bucket

Thanks to Chuck Summers of Seeing Creation for this great reminder of the incredible "vastness and variety" of God's creation and creatures ...

In Psalm 104 the Psalmist declares “How many are your works, O Lord!  In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” (v. 24, NIV)  Elsewhere in this psalm the biblical writer mentions a number of creatures.  He refers to “wild donkeys,” “birds of the air,” “the cattle,” “the stork,” “wild goats,” “the coneys,” “the beasts of the forest,” “lions,” and “leviathan.”  He also mentions other aspects of God’s Creation: the clouds, the wind, the mountains, springs, grass, trees, the moon, the sun, the forest, and the sea.  Without a doubt, the Psalmist recognized all of Creation to be God’s wonderful handiwork and a manifestation of His wisdom.  God’s Creation is seen as a reason for joyful praise.

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also many animals

A while back my mother pointed me to an admirable article written by Rev. Leonard Vander Zee for The Banner of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.  The article is titled ... Also Many Animals, a reference to Jonah 4:11 in which God tells Jonah, who is anxious for Nineveh to be judged for its wickedness and to save his own psyche in the process, "Should I not have concern for the great city Nineveh, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people ... and also many animals? (Today's New International Version).

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animals are God's creation

The Donegal Democrat of County Donegal, Ireland recently posted a noteworthy article by Siobhan McNamaraz titled "Animals are God's Creation."  It features "one very dedicated lady" named Margaret Plunkett, a volunteer and spokesperson for Animals in Need of Donegal (which you can find on Facebook) who has loved and cared for animals all her life, including as a little girl rescuing chickens designated for slaughter:

“Back then helping animals just wasn’t done.  When I would see an animal that needed help I used to wonder why it affected me so much.  As I grew older I realised that what I had was a gift, a gift from God to love his creation.

I hope you'll have a chance to read more about Margaret and her work with Animals in Need in "Animals are God's Creation," which closes with another heartfelt quote from Margaret which I know all of us would lend a hearty amen to.  I'm grateful to Liz Jakimow for sharing this beautiful piece.

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Eddie the rescued dog and grace

Ellen Painter Dollar is a Christian who writes on "faith, family, disability, and ethics," including the genetic bone disorder which she and one of her three children live with.  She's penned an honest and heartfelt post on her family's rather awkward first two months with a rescued dog named Eddie, who lived in at least three other homes previously, and is extremely shy and often nervous.  Here are just a few lines from "What my Dog is Teaching me About Grace," which I hope you'll have a chance to read in full:

There were times in those first weeks that I was so baffled by this animal and so certain I could not ever understand what he needs, much less provide it, that the foster mom’s offer [to take Eddie back if necessary] was tempting.

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