Enjoying the moon and planets requires looking up at the night sky. Whether you are headed out to, or returning from, your hunting stand in the darkness or going for a nighttime walk or jog–it is well worth the time to stop and direct your gaze upward. Even better is taking an evening to intentionally do some stargazing with friends or family! Can you identify Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter? All these planets are visible to the naked eye. Take some time this fall to go and appreciate the glories of the night sky.
SEPT 23 - Moon and Planets
RECREATION: Sightseeing (Stargazing), Solitude, Hunting RELATED WORD: Stars, Night Sky
Psalm 148:3, Daniel 12:2–3, Philippians 2:15
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