Why did the hateful voices seem the loudest? How do I help change that? Help me source of creativity.
Why do the negatives of the world seem so overwhelming? How can I help others to feel the hope? Help me voice of hope.
Why does the world seem so ordinary? How can I help to reignite people's sense of wonder? Help me source of wonder.
Why do we seem so divided as a world? How can I help unite? Help me weaver of the universe.
I am here! Guide my feet great maker of paths!
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creativity. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sustainability Sermon
When you look at the world around you what do you see? Over the years I can tell you that I have had many answers to that question, some better than others. As I have thought about what the biblical narrative has to say about sustainability, it has occurred to me that how we answer that question may be much more important that I had thought before.
The way we view the world around us is at the very heart of the issue of sustainability. How we view creation will determine how we interact with it. Our own view on what God’s creation is and how we fit in may determine the very essence of what our faith calls us to when is come to sustainability.
Theologian Mathew Fox has a great deal to say about the way we see the universe. He points out that after the industrial revolution we have begun to see the universe as if it were a machine. We see it as cold, lifeless. Somewhere along our journey as humankind we have lost our sense of connection to the life and creativity infused into the universe by God. The very life that God has gifted to us is represented in the world around us and that connection is not only important to us spiritually but practically as we learn more about the awful effects that we can cause to the world around us. It will be hard for us to become better stewards and to try to live in a sustainable manner if we do not reexamine our world view and take seriously the idea of God as creator and the universe as creative. We can not continue to see the universe as dead because if we do we will continue to treat it as if it is dead.
If we are to rediscover a world view of a lively universe it is wise for us to turn to the indigenous people, the first peoples who have traditionally seen the world around them as very much alive. As we heard Michael Jacobs tell the story of creation, we hear the focus repeated that God not only created sometime in the past but rather that God created, is creating and will create. Creation is a process, a dance that we are invited into. That sense of God at work all around us in the natural world helps us to view the natural world very differently. We begin to see creation as a part of us and us as a part of creation. By now you’ve probably noticed the music in the background. This is a ceremonial song of the Lakota people honoring creation. They believe that when they sing and dance to this music they are assisting the creator in creating. We must begin to view our creative efforts each day in the same way. God is calling us to be co-laborers in the creation process. This is why we are given the gift of creativity. Sustainability is going to take new ideas and creative solutions from all areas of life if we are to live in connection with the universe. It is important now more than ever that we have a world view that embraces that connection.
Science is beginning to show us just how truly connected to each other and to the universe we really are. (Youtube Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk&feature=player_embedded)
As I hear the words of the great scientists in the video I feel that we are not only connected to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, and the rest of the universe atomically, but if we are so deeply linked to the rest of creation what does that tell us about how deeply we are linked to the creator.
You see the very nature of God is creatively creating. God has put in the very universe itself the quality of creativity. All we have to do is to leave some carbon and hydrogen atoms alone long enough to see that they will become any number of things from stars to life. If the very atoms we are made of are infused with such creativity how much more do we have the responsibility to be creative.
By shifting our world view we join in the dance of creation. By rediscovering our connection to the universe around us we rediscover a much greater connection, a connection to wonder and awe, a connection to life itself and the source of that life.
Seeing the universe as creatively created by God to be infused by life that is connected, we begin to realize that sustainability is about much more than simple survival. Sustainability is about being in connection with God and in communion with the world around us. We are being called to much more than simply stopping the damage that currently is being done to the world around us, rather we are being asked to join the universe to creatively find solutions to the issues that face us environmentally.
As our world view changes we will begin to see God calling us to be co-workers in the business of life. God calls us to take an active roll in the world around us. This extends beyond even the natural world to each aspect of our life. As we take that active roll of creativity we will discover how creativity can be a spiritual act, a means of Grace.
If we continue to see the universe as nothing more than a machine than our only responsibility is to keep the machine running so that it can serve us. But if we begin to take serious the connection that we find in the universe then our very well being depends on the well being of the universe around us. We must rediscover our place in the universe instead of somehow seeing ourselves outside and separate from the rest of the natural world.
We must continue to heed God’s call to create. We must find new ways to live that respect the value and life of the universe around us. We can not continue simply to use that which is around us because as we have heard over the last couple of weeks, it is destroying us. God has given us the gift of connecting to all the life that is around us. Let us accept that gift, and protect it.
The God of wonder calls us, how will we respond? Our creative creator invites us to look at the world with new eyes, can we do it? My prayer is that we can look at our universe with new eyes, that we can connect with life accepting the great gift that life is, and that we can be co-workers with God as God continues to create around and within us. Let the God of all creativity inspire us to act creatively, to better connect to the joy and hope that already
The way we view the world around us is at the very heart of the issue of sustainability. How we view creation will determine how we interact with it. Our own view on what God’s creation is and how we fit in may determine the very essence of what our faith calls us to when is come to sustainability.
Theologian Mathew Fox has a great deal to say about the way we see the universe. He points out that after the industrial revolution we have begun to see the universe as if it were a machine. We see it as cold, lifeless. Somewhere along our journey as humankind we have lost our sense of connection to the life and creativity infused into the universe by God. The very life that God has gifted to us is represented in the world around us and that connection is not only important to us spiritually but practically as we learn more about the awful effects that we can cause to the world around us. It will be hard for us to become better stewards and to try to live in a sustainable manner if we do not reexamine our world view and take seriously the idea of God as creator and the universe as creative. We can not continue to see the universe as dead because if we do we will continue to treat it as if it is dead.
If we are to rediscover a world view of a lively universe it is wise for us to turn to the indigenous people, the first peoples who have traditionally seen the world around them as very much alive. As we heard Michael Jacobs tell the story of creation, we hear the focus repeated that God not only created sometime in the past but rather that God created, is creating and will create. Creation is a process, a dance that we are invited into. That sense of God at work all around us in the natural world helps us to view the natural world very differently. We begin to see creation as a part of us and us as a part of creation. By now you’ve probably noticed the music in the background. This is a ceremonial song of the Lakota people honoring creation. They believe that when they sing and dance to this music they are assisting the creator in creating. We must begin to view our creative efforts each day in the same way. God is calling us to be co-laborers in the creation process. This is why we are given the gift of creativity. Sustainability is going to take new ideas and creative solutions from all areas of life if we are to live in connection with the universe. It is important now more than ever that we have a world view that embraces that connection.
Science is beginning to show us just how truly connected to each other and to the universe we really are. (Youtube Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGK84Poeynk&feature=player_embedded)
As I hear the words of the great scientists in the video I feel that we are not only connected to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, and the rest of the universe atomically, but if we are so deeply linked to the rest of creation what does that tell us about how deeply we are linked to the creator.
You see the very nature of God is creatively creating. God has put in the very universe itself the quality of creativity. All we have to do is to leave some carbon and hydrogen atoms alone long enough to see that they will become any number of things from stars to life. If the very atoms we are made of are infused with such creativity how much more do we have the responsibility to be creative.
By shifting our world view we join in the dance of creation. By rediscovering our connection to the universe around us we rediscover a much greater connection, a connection to wonder and awe, a connection to life itself and the source of that life.
Seeing the universe as creatively created by God to be infused by life that is connected, we begin to realize that sustainability is about much more than simple survival. Sustainability is about being in connection with God and in communion with the world around us. We are being called to much more than simply stopping the damage that currently is being done to the world around us, rather we are being asked to join the universe to creatively find solutions to the issues that face us environmentally.
As our world view changes we will begin to see God calling us to be co-workers in the business of life. God calls us to take an active roll in the world around us. This extends beyond even the natural world to each aspect of our life. As we take that active roll of creativity we will discover how creativity can be a spiritual act, a means of Grace.
If we continue to see the universe as nothing more than a machine than our only responsibility is to keep the machine running so that it can serve us. But if we begin to take serious the connection that we find in the universe then our very well being depends on the well being of the universe around us. We must rediscover our place in the universe instead of somehow seeing ourselves outside and separate from the rest of the natural world.
We must continue to heed God’s call to create. We must find new ways to live that respect the value and life of the universe around us. We can not continue simply to use that which is around us because as we have heard over the last couple of weeks, it is destroying us. God has given us the gift of connecting to all the life that is around us. Let us accept that gift, and protect it.
The God of wonder calls us, how will we respond? Our creative creator invites us to look at the world with new eyes, can we do it? My prayer is that we can look at our universe with new eyes, that we can connect with life accepting the great gift that life is, and that we can be co-workers with God as God continues to create around and within us. Let the God of all creativity inspire us to act creatively, to better connect to the joy and hope that already
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Earth Day Reflections
I have to start by being honest I'm not nearly as green as a should be and want to be. I'm still a relative new comer to being intentional about my consumption , more specifically trying to curb my consumption. I could go on about what we should do to be more green but that would be hypocritical.
Instead I want to suggest that we look at the universe around us with new eyes. It is far too easy to see the universe around us as if it was a machine, cold and dead. This is simply not the case the universe is infused with creativity. If you leave atoms alone long enough all kinds of amazing things happen.
If we begin to see the universe as alive and wonderful we begin to reconnect to the universe, to each other and to the source of it all. We must reconnect to our sense of wonder. Have you ever just stopped to be in awe at the natural things around us? Have you ever had a conversation with a tree? If you haven't I invite you to try it because I believe you will find it enlightening.
So today I challenge you to go out and be in awe today. Look at the world around you with wonder. After all God created and saw that it was good. Let us take time today to see for ourselves that it indeed is good.
Instead I want to suggest that we look at the universe around us with new eyes. It is far too easy to see the universe around us as if it was a machine, cold and dead. This is simply not the case the universe is infused with creativity. If you leave atoms alone long enough all kinds of amazing things happen.
If we begin to see the universe as alive and wonderful we begin to reconnect to the universe, to each other and to the source of it all. We must reconnect to our sense of wonder. Have you ever just stopped to be in awe at the natural things around us? Have you ever had a conversation with a tree? If you haven't I invite you to try it because I believe you will find it enlightening.
So today I challenge you to go out and be in awe today. Look at the world around you with wonder. After all God created and saw that it was good. Let us take time today to see for ourselves that it indeed is good.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
This I Believe : Creatitivty is a A Spiritual Act
I wrote this as a part of a study we are doing at the church I work at that is based on the NPR series "This I Believe"
I believe that creativity is a spiritual act. Creativity is at heart of the universe we live in. Too often we think about the universe we live in as being a dead and lifeless machine, but that is not the case. Science shows us this, if you leave elements alone long enough they will combine and create all kinds of things.
The act of creativity connects us. It certainly connects artist with those who view the result of the creativity but I think that it goes much deeper than that. When we are creative we connect with the very world around us and with the source of all.
This view has changed the way I see things, as the season changes it is more that just something that happens each year. It is instead creativity at work, I see the process of creation happening right in front of me.
God did not just create at some time in the past. Instead creation is continually happening around us. God has created, is creating and will create. So as God creates it gives us the opportunity to use our gift of creativity to be active co-creators of a more just, loving and caring world.
It is through this spiritual act of creativity that we will better our world. When we look at the world we can see that the same old solutions that we have been trying to use for years simple are not working. The good news is that when we see creativity as a spiritual act it allows us to create new solutions to the problems facing us and future generations. It allows us to be at the work of bettering the world with God, side by side with our creator. It allows us to more fully mean it when we pray “your will be done.“ The opportunity to use our passion to help God’s kin’dom come excites me and gives me reason for much hope.
I believe that creativity is a spiritual act. Creativity is at heart of the universe we live in. Too often we think about the universe we live in as being a dead and lifeless machine, but that is not the case. Science shows us this, if you leave elements alone long enough they will combine and create all kinds of things.
The act of creativity connects us. It certainly connects artist with those who view the result of the creativity but I think that it goes much deeper than that. When we are creative we connect with the very world around us and with the source of all.
This view has changed the way I see things, as the season changes it is more that just something that happens each year. It is instead creativity at work, I see the process of creation happening right in front of me.
God did not just create at some time in the past. Instead creation is continually happening around us. God has created, is creating and will create. So as God creates it gives us the opportunity to use our gift of creativity to be active co-creators of a more just, loving and caring world.
It is through this spiritual act of creativity that we will better our world. When we look at the world we can see that the same old solutions that we have been trying to use for years simple are not working. The good news is that when we see creativity as a spiritual act it allows us to create new solutions to the problems facing us and future generations. It allows us to be at the work of bettering the world with God, side by side with our creator. It allows us to more fully mean it when we pray “your will be done.“ The opportunity to use our passion to help God’s kin’dom come excites me and gives me reason for much hope.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Creativity
This week I have come in contact time and time again with discussion about how the creativity and spirituality are connected. Sense I believe in a creative creator God it makes good sense to me that creativity and faith are deeply connected.
The theologian Matthew Fox talks of creativity being at the very center of the universe we live in and I have to agree with him. The more I know about science the more I realize that the universe we live in is not some lifeless machine but is rather very much full of life and creativity.
If the world itself is creative and if God Godself is creative than does it not follow that we should be creative too. But creativity is not just something that is to be aspired to we must to have respect for it because not only do our most noble actions come from creativity but so do our darkest actions. We must always be checking our creativity with morality.
When our creativity is at its best we can be co-creators with God in a world that is more just, more loving and more sustainable. It is through creativity that I believe we will learn to deal with the climate crisis, create equal rights for all sisters and brothers and find ways to help the poor and oppressed.
I believe that creation is not some event that has happened in the past I believe that God continues to create all the time and that we are a part of that process through creativity. We as people are in process. We are becoming and the sooner we realize that we are never at where we need to be but that we are journeying the sooner we can begin to creatively help each other on the journey.
The theologian Matthew Fox talks of creativity being at the very center of the universe we live in and I have to agree with him. The more I know about science the more I realize that the universe we live in is not some lifeless machine but is rather very much full of life and creativity.
If the world itself is creative and if God Godself is creative than does it not follow that we should be creative too. But creativity is not just something that is to be aspired to we must to have respect for it because not only do our most noble actions come from creativity but so do our darkest actions. We must always be checking our creativity with morality.
When our creativity is at its best we can be co-creators with God in a world that is more just, more loving and more sustainable. It is through creativity that I believe we will learn to deal with the climate crisis, create equal rights for all sisters and brothers and find ways to help the poor and oppressed.
I believe that creation is not some event that has happened in the past I believe that God continues to create all the time and that we are a part of that process through creativity. We as people are in process. We are becoming and the sooner we realize that we are never at where we need to be but that we are journeying the sooner we can begin to creatively help each other on the journey.
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