Paul Smethurst shares how he sees God using creation to reveal His glory, and how this is deeply connected with mission. Paul and his wife Robyn are currently ministering and pioneering mission in the Brecon region, and have seen many being drawn closer to faith through their encounters in the beautiful surroundings of Bannau Brycheiniog.
The Psalmist David penned the words, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God…’. Living in the Bannau Brycheiniog, with its International Dark Sky Reserve status, we have been privileged a front row seat to witness this reality! And serving in this community, we are learning how deeply missional the Psalmist’s statement is.
We are often encouraged to ‘find out what God is doing, and then join with Him in it.’ Since our arrival here in February of last year, one of the things that we see is that God is doing is revealing something of His glory to people through the environment.
For some, it seems that as yet they only hear a faint whisper, for others, His voice seems presently to be drowned out by other voices; but still, for others, in Francis Schaeffer’s memorable words, it is clear that ‘He is there and He is not silent’. So, seeing what God is doing, the question for us became, ‘How do we join in with Him?’
Nestled into the hillside below Hay Bluff, two miles and seven hundred feet above the nearest village, lies Penyrheol Chapel. Despite its remoteness, it is here where we have found the greatest opportunities to join in with God in this part of His mission.
Supported by SU Cymru and as part of their Faith Guide initiative, we have begun a monthly midweek gathering for all ages called ‘Go Wild!’. The ethos of the club is simple. Using the beautiful environment in the grounds of Penyrheol Chapel, we spend time together enjoying and exploring creation whilst discovering the Creator.
Some months you will find us building a Bug Hotel, others discovering the usefulness of otherwise discarded twigs, and in the darker winter months, learning how to find the North Star. It’s hands on. And then, as we gather to make hot chocolate and toast marshmallows, we talk about what we have seen and done.
With creation as the visual aid, and the stories of the Bible as our companion, we encourage each other with hearts open, to listen to what God is saying to us. It is a delight over the months to see our community slowly grow both in number and in inquisitiveness and insight into the Good News.
In a similar way, God has even used the graveyard at Penyrheol! These old and relatively undisturbed areas are numbered with some of the most biodiverse habitats in our land.
Recognising this, A Rocha UK, a Christian Conservation organisation, have established ‘Churches Count on Nature’. Running for one week in June of each year, it provides the opportunity to invite the community to help take an audit of the flora and fauna of graveyards. So, beginning with a short all age service, we set upon the task of exploring and recording what we found at Penyrheol. It was a small, first step, into another opportunity to care for God’s creation and spotlight His glory.
So, what is God doing? Eugene Peterson translates the words of the Psalmist, ‘God’s glory is on tour in the skies…’.
We are delighted to join with Him and be His ‘roadies’!