Across the Pastor’s Desk

By the Rev. Nancy Overgaard, Chaplain at Thorne Crest Retirement Community

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

You have set your glory above the heavens.

— Psalm 8:1

Earlier this summer, the world watched in wonder as the sun was eclipsed by the planet Venus. One NASA photo, in particular, caught my attention. It portrayed the fiery brilliance of the sun in a way that was nothing short of majestic. Yet, the spectacle of the tiny black dot traversing the face of the sun was no less regal. Contemplating the marvel of how even a solitary planet stays on course and the sun suspended in the heavens, I could not help but be overcome by awe for the majesty of the creator.

Yet, in any of the broadcasts I heard God did not even receive an honorable mention for his handwork. The creator was eclipsed by his creation as wholly as the sun by the moon. Yet, scripture everywhere tells us the magnificence of the creator far surpasses that of the creation. What is more, the creation, glorious as it may be for a season, will one day wear out like a garment (Isaiah 34:4). The Lord will remain, in all of his glory and splendor; his years will never end (Hebrews 1:11-12).

To borrow a phrase from the book of Hebrews, the creator is “worthy of greater honor” than the creation “just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything,” (3:3). As the Psalmist observed, the glory of the creation is meant to reveal the even greater glory of the creator as it sets his handiwork on display (19:1). Yet, sadly, on our public airwaves, God is far more likely to be dishonored than honored, or simply disregarded.

In another ironic eclipse this summer the queen of England was honored with elaborate fanfare for her diamond jubilee. Commoners and royals alike demonstrated adoration and respect for the sovereign of their country with a 1,000-boat flotilla, church bells pealing, thousands of flags flying, a flyover by the British Royal Air Forces, a horse drawn carriage procession, fireworks and a star studded musical extravaganza, as it was called. Yet, when, in our life time, has the sovereign of the universe ever been treated with such adoration and respect?

Consider the irony. The queen reigns over a constellation of territories that amount to a “drop in the bucket” and “dust on the scales” to God (Isaiah 40:15). The Lord “reigns over all the earth,” (Job 38:33). The queen has been on the throne for 60 years; God’s throne will last forever and ever, (Hebrews 1:8).

As summer winds to a close, I hope you will take time with the Psalmist to “consider his heavens, the work of his fingers, the moon and stars, which he has set in place” (Psalm 8:3) and listen for what they are trying to tell you (Psalm 19:1-3).