All Things Created Through Christ, Galaxies Included!
Deb Haarsma shares a new video made in collaboration with the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship that can bring a sense of wonder into a church service.
Photo by Guillermo Ferla on Unsplash
Astronomers are discovering more and more of the wonders of the universe with the help of modern telescopes. In the past year, the James Webb Space Telescope has brought us stunning new images of galaxies, stars, and planets! For anyone looking at these images, regardless of their religious beliefs, they inspire awe and wonder. But for Christians, our sense of wonder quickly becomes worship when we realize that we know the Creator of it all.
I’m excited to share a new video with you that can bring a sense of wonder into your church’s worship service. I was invited by the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship to co-produce a short video on themes from Colossians 1 “Christ in All Things”, using images from the Webb. Of course I said yes! This is one of my favorite themes that I never tire of sharing with audiences. We combined the images and narration with Scripture readings and original music (hymn arrangements by pianist Forrest Wakeman) to create this short video.
…for Christians, our sense of wonder quickly becomes worship when we realize that we know the Creator of it all.
The video is under four minutes, short enough to easily fit into a worship service. It could be paired with longer Scripture readings, such as Psalm 8, Genesis 1, or Psalm 104. It could be followed by a worship song or Scripture reading that refers to God’s creation, to allow the congregation to voice their own praise to God. The music in the video incorporates the hymns “This Is My Father’s World” and “Holy Holy Holy”, but you can pair the video with whatever creation songs your congregation knows.
For many Christians, the only time science is mentioned in church is when it is related to some controversy. Certainly there are controversies that need careful discernment (see our Common Questions and Forum for discussion of many of these!), but in the Bible, the natural world is mainly mentioned as a pointer to God. Creation itself is a revelation from God to us, prompting us to praise God for his power, his beauty, his care, and his goodness. I hope this video helps you and your congregation better appreciate the incredible beauty and power of God as you ponder these images of the universe he made.
In this video, BioLogos President Deb Haarsma reflects on how astronomy leads her from wonder to worship.
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At BioLogos, “gracious dialogue” means demonstrating the grace of Christ as we dialogue together about the tough issues of science and faith.
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