Blog Post | Dale Tiemann

We live in a land of extremely changeable weather. Personally, I’m addicted to that change, and love it when clouds are streaking by, playing a magical game of hide and seek with a silvery sun. Our sunsets are particularly glorious here in the Midwest. It seems virtually impossible for us, no matter how busy our day, to walk outside, turn our faces toward a sky ablaze with color and fail to wonder at its beauty.

Of course, we all now know the science behind those colors – the low angle of the sun’s rays passing through particles in the atmosphere causing its light to scatter, etc., etc. But focusing only on that is like listening to a symphony with soul-stirring melodies, chord progressions and rhythms, and focusing only on the wood and metal of the instruments. The heart and soul of the composer and musicians, the transcendence of music itself – these are the essence of a symphony’s beauty.

This begins to explain why scripture can state it so boldly:

"The heavens declare the glory of God,
 and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
 Day to day pours out speech,
 and night to night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words,
 whose voice is not heard.
 Their voice goes out through all the earth,
 and their words to the end of the world."

Psalm 19

Every stroke, every shimmer, every golden, glistening ray wordlessly SHOUTS the blazing holiness and majesty of the God of the universe, the Creator King.

Yet, this Christmas, as moved as I am by His handiwork, I am remembering that for God, the most glorious declarations of nature are not enough to get close to us – at least from His perspective. The love that drove Him to create such beauty drove Him further - to come to us in person, in skin, in the most approachable little warm package there could be – a newborn Baby.

As Christmas draws near, notice how that glorious sunset isn’t quite enough for you either. You want to enter its beauty somehow, but can’t.

CS Lewis says it so well, “We want something else which can hardly be put into words – to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it.”

Something inside insists you were made for more...to enter into worship of the very One who dreamed up the miracles of light, water and dust, Who loves you so much and longs to be so close to you, that He sent His only Son to be the way for you to come to Him to enter the glorious riches of life with Him.

Pay attention to that longing of yours. It’s there for a reason. A beautiful, glorious reason. Your answer shines near, waiting for you to turn your face toward Him.

Dale Tiemann /// Associate Pastor