Declaring the Glory of God

Last night as I drove home from church I turned on the radio and heard a new rendition of the song, "How Great Thou Art". That song has always moved me. The swells in the music lift my spirit along with the lyrics that speak for my heart:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When I hear this song I think of a time when I followed a dream and visited a "mountain" in South Dakota: Bear Butte. Some people call it a mountain, some a hill. Coming from the Pacific NW, it looks more like a hill. However, it is considered a sacred mountain to many Native Americans. That was why I was visiting. I was seeking to discern what I perceived was God's invitation to spend time with native people and learn with them.

When I arrived, I spoke with the park ranger who asked what had brought me to Bear Butte. After telling him, he suggested that I put up my tent in the camping area that was set aside for the Native Americans who came there for spiritual reasons. As I set up my camping site, I was moved by what I heard. Across the field was a Native woman sitting in the field playing her guitar and singing, "How Great Thou Art". We had a wonderful time visiting before I left to do my prayer hike to the top of the mountain. My prayer included parts of Psalm 51 (praying that God would cleanse me from my sins and create a new heart within me) as well as repeating Psalm 24 over and over:

The earth is the Lord's and everything in it,
the world and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established upon the waters.

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.

He will receive a blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, O you gates,
lift them up, you ancient doors,
that the King of Glory may come in.
Who is this King of Glory?
The Lord Almighty ---
he is the King of Glory.

The day had been a beautiful, clear summer day as I hiked and prayed. That night as I lay in my sleeping bag, a storm came up. It was not your typical midwestern thunderstorm. It didn't rain. Instead, there was an incredible lightning storm that sat over the mountain all night. The power was both awe inspiring and frightening. The ground beneath me was literally churning. I saw the lightning not only move down from the sky, but also in the reverse direction. It was a very strange sight.

The experience reminds me of Psalm 19: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

I pray this Lenten season that my life might declare the glory of God, in spite of the reality that I am an imperfect person. I value this season because it is an invitation to intentionally set aside time (like taking a trip to a sacred mountain without leaving home) to reflect on what diminishes my relationship with God and remember the renewal that comes from seeking God's forgiveness and cleansing power. May the power and healing light of Christ shine through the cracks of this and your earthen vessel. To God be the Glory!