Sunsets, Car Motors, and Yes. . . The Rectum. . .

Where are the places in life that you go to see the Glory of God? Over the years, I've been blessed to learn that the arena of God's Glory is far more extensive than I once thought, imagined, or knew. The fingerprint of God is literally everywhere.

Ironically, it was in the place where I thought God's Glory existed most clearly that I learned that I needed to look elsewhere. It was 1982 and I was attending my first chapel service as a new student at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After all, doesn't God live most clearly within the walls of our worship spaces? We stood to sing a hymn I had never sung before. . . and as some of the most enthusiastic singing I had ever heard echoed through the room, I realized that we were singing truths about things that existed beyond the confines of those walls and to the very ends of the earth. It was as if scales were falling from my eyes.

We were singing the hymn "Earth and All Stars." The lyrics point to the fact that it is not only what God has created, but what we create as we image Him that screams "Glory to God!" Consider these lyrics. . .

Earth and all stars, loud rushing planets,
sing to the Lord a new song!
O victory, loud shouting army,
sing to the Lord a new song!

He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him with a new song!

Hail, wind, and rain, loud blowing snowstorms,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees, loud rustling leaves,
sing to the Lord a new song!

Trumpet and pipes, loud clashing cymbals,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Harp, lute, and lyre, loud humming cellos,
sing to the Lord a new song!

Engines and steel, loud pounding hammers,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Limestone and beams, loud building workers,
sing to the Lord a new song!

Classrooms and labs, loud boiling test tubes,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Athlete and band, loud cheering people,
sing to the Lord a new song!

Knowledge and truth, loud sounding wisdom,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Daughter and son, loud praying members,
sing to the Lord a new song! 
Since then, I've worked hard to be mindful of seeing God's Glory wherever it may exist. Of course, I see it in sunsets. . . particularly at the lake. I see it in a clump of trees that I've come to stare at and watch grow. When I make my annual pilgrimage to the local classic car show, I see God's Glory imaged in what those created in His image have done with raw materials that combine in amazing engines that sit under hoods and the beautiful lines on the cars themselves. I've seen His Glory when a wide receiver jumps higher than I could ever hope to jump then twists his body in unimaginable ways before making an amazing catch. The list goes on.

And then this weekend I added something else to my list. I was driving south on Interstate 95 and tuned in to NPR's Terry Gross and an interview with Mary Roach, the author of the book Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal.  I happened to tune in to the latter part of the interview. . . right at the time they were talking about the rectum. . . . which, by the way, is something that most of us think we should never talk about. It was absolutely fascinating and I couldn't stop listening. Later, I went online and listened to the complete interview. . . which started with a discussion of saliva. . . another thing that we never really talk about. . . or at least think we shouldn't. The conversation offered a fascinating peek into the complexity with which we've been made. Not only are we complex, but it works.

All I could think to say when the interview was over was "Glory to God." He has done marvelous things!

Where do you see His Glory?