It may very well be that this fall you can go experience lush green grass as well as dry grass, depending on where you head out to see grass. A lawn or sports field that has been watered all summer will certainly be vibrantly green, however, a field that has been exposed to the summer heat will likely be withered and dry by September. Whichever kind of grass you find will both speak profoundly about who we are as humans.
SEPT 25 - Grass
RECREATION: Golfing, Gardening, Farming RELATED WORD: Hay, Meadow, Field
Isaiah 40:6–8, Psalm 23:1–2, Mark 6:39–42
SEPT 1 - River
Isaiah 48:18, Isaiah 66:12, Isaiah 33:21, Acts 16:13
Rivers cascade with emblematic (symbolic) meaning. Likely, there is a river not too far away from your home. My hometown where I grew up was along the Genesee River in NY. My home river for the past 22 years has been the Youghiogheny River (the Yough – pronounced “Yock”) in PA. What do you consider your home river? Have you sat along its banks? Have you canoed it, rafted it, swam in it? Have you fished its waters? Have you explored its emblematic (symbolic) meanings? Go, take a trip to your home river and look, listen, and learn something of what God has to say through this glorious element of creation.
SEPT 2 - Trees
Psalm 1:3, Jeremiah 17:7–8, 1 Peter 2:24, Daniel 4:10–12
Trees are one of the loudest elements in all creation. By loudest, I don’t mean volume in decibels. What I mean is that trees are a prolific emblem all throughout the Scriptures. There are few other elements in God’s creation that even come close to matching the number of ways that trees speak. Just the smallest amount of contemplation can produce numerous reflections on how trees speak about God and humanity. Take some time to go and reflect on a tree—journal all the ways you can think of that the tree in front of you is emblematic.
SEPT 19 - Mist / Fog
September 19, 2021 • Isaiah 44:22, Jeremiah 10:13, Jeremiah 51:16, Proverbs 21:6, Hosea 13:3
September is a great time to encounter mist as it rises off of lakes and rivers on those cold autumn mornings. Going for an early morning paddle in a kayak, canoe, or some other watercraft is a wonderful way to encounter mist. A sunrise fishing excursion is another means of meditating upon mist. ADDITIONAL VERSES - Acts 2:19, Acts 13:11-12, James 4:14, 2 Peter 2:17