Study Guide: A Walk on the Wild Side

Sunday November 24, 2019 | Dan Kent

Focus Scripture:

• Psalm 19:1-4

  The heavens declare the glory of God;
  the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
  Day after day they pour forth speech;
  night after night they reveal knowledge.
  They have no speech, they use no words;
  no sound is heard from them.
  Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
  their words to the ends of the world.
  In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.

• Romans 1:19-20

  For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened.

Brief Summary:

We are designed by God to love nature, not just to live in it. This is seen in the fact that God often meets us through nature, as such encounters encourage our souls and enliven our bodies. Therefore, in a world that has little room for nature, we must adopt tactics that will open us up to God through nature.

Extended Summary:

This is the final sermon in the 4D series, and it addresses our call to love creation. The point Dan seeks to make is that God’s presence can act upon us through nature. Not only is there a knowledge about God that can be transferred through nature, but also God reaches through nature to shape us. It is both a message and spiritual movement. Therefore, nature is worthy of our love.

As Saint Francis said: “Nature is a sacrament.” When we encounter nature with an open mind, we can meet God in that moment. This is distinct from a common notion that equates nature with God.

In addition, we should love nature in the same way that when we love a person, we automatically love what they create. In order to denigrate nature, we have to suppress all of our natural affection for God who is the one who created.

Also, we should love nature because we were made to love nature. We were created with a great opportunity to steward creation. The more we drift way from this calling, the more we are alienated from how we were designed.

When we suppress nature, we are suppressing an avenue for connecting with God. Therefore, in our world that either ignores nature or covers it over with concrete, we need to adopt practical tactics that create space in our lives for God to meet us in nature. Dan suggests four:

1. Practice the presence of nature. Spend regular time out in the natural world for its own sake. Our physical bodies are designed in such a way that they depend upon consistent encounters with nature.
2. Develop the eyes to see aspects of nature. We have to learn how to encounter nature in order to see it for what it is. Instead of looking directly at it, which often leads to analyzation of what is being viewed, we need to look indirectly at God’s creation.
3. Name the animals. Giving a name to animals that you see will give you a sensitivity to God’s creation. We have become desensitized to the importance of animals, but this practice can reorient and sensitize your heart in a really invigorating way.
4. Practice pointless mercy. This is a spiritual workout, a practice of being merciful to what are commonly viewed as worthless creatures.

When we encounter nature with a spiritually open heart and mind, God can reach us there.

Reflection Questions:

• How have you viewed nature in the past? How is what Ken proposes here different from how you previously related to nature?
• How has God encountered you through nature? What were the circumstances of this encounter? How did it impact you?
• What are some ways that you have suppressed nature in your life? How has this impacted you?
• What do you need to change with regard to the way you approach nature? What will you do about it?

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