Family Worship: Lessons in Nature

This past weekend we took our church youth group (Pathfinder Club) on a camp out. I love camping and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature. I love waking up to the fresh air and a warm campfire. I enjoy worshiping God outside – which made me think. If we can worship God outside on a camp out, why can’t we worship God outside for Family Worship?

Why not take your family outside in the backyard or even to a beautiful park on a Sabbath afternoon and sing songs of praise and other thoughtful activities? One of the requirements our Pathfinders had was to go out in “nature” and find three things that represented God.

related: A Guide to Getting Started with Family Worship

Some of the things kids came back with:

1. water – “Jesus is the Living Water”
2. a rock – “Jesus is the Rock of our Salvation” or We should build our house on the “Solid Rock”
3. a heart shaped Redbud leaf – “the heart of God” or “God’s love for each of us”
4. a three leaf clover – “The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit”
5. a vine – “He is the vine, we are the branches”

There are so many expressions of Christ in nature! This activity is fun for kids and adults of all ages. This week, when the weather is nice, why not go ahead and have Family Worship in the backyard and see how creative you can be finding the character of God all around you?

I am currently reading the book, Lessons Jesus Taught by Ellen White. Yesterday I read the following passage and felt it fit so well with this idea of worshiping in nature:

“So through the creation we are to become acquainted with the Creator. The book of nature is a great lesson book, which in connection with the Scriptures we are to use in teaching others of His character and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God. As the works are studies the Holy Spirit flashes conviction into the mind…

We should study the Saviour’s parables where He spoke them, in the fields  and groves, under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature Christ makes His presence real to us, and speaks to our hearts of His peace and love.

And Christ has linked His teaching, not only with the day of rest, but with the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who drives the plow and sows the seed. In the plowing and sowing, the tilling and reaping, He teaches us to see an illustration of His work or grace in the heart. So in every line of useful labor and every association of life, He desires us to find a lesson of divine truth. Then our daily toil will no longer absorb our attention and lead us to forget God; it will continually remind us of our Creator and Redeemer. The thought of God will run like a thread of gold through all our homely cares and occupations… We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth, and growing into the image of His purity.”

Isn’t that what we all desire? To see the face of God, to feel His presence all around us? Teach your children about the Creator. In doing so, you will both be drawn closer to Him.

Do you have ideas about how to show your children the gospel through nature? I’d love for you to share with the rest of us!