We notice God in Scripture and the world
God is near, and findable. But not completely.
The Bible is an ancient collection of writings in different styles. The authors recorded how they experienced God at work in their lives. It helps us to understand and experience God for ourselves. But we can never fully understand God; that’s why it’s called ‘faith’.
No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. (John 1:18)
It is also possible to notice God in science and nature, in family, in work, in books, in films, in leisure, in our local community and in world events.
"A few years ago, I went to Kew Gardens. As I stood on one of the raised walkways in the greenhouse, I looked down on a tree from a birds’ eye view. It was spectacular, absolutely beautiful – but a view that only God and the birds would have been able to see for millennia. It was a reminder to me that the world wasn’t just designed for humans. I had such a sense of God’s majesty in that moment.”
Pause for thought
What matters most to you about the Bible?
Interested in having conversations like this with your friends, neighbours and community? Buy Conversations Against Mundanity now.
Simple things to try
- Read from the Bible every day, using a guide like A Word in Time to help you explore it. As you read, you could ask the question: ‘Where is God in this story?’.
- Spend time outside each day and be open to noticing God in nature or culture. The Methodist Prayer cards can be helpful visual aids for this.
- Sign up to the Friday Fix to explore how people notice God in music.
- Keep a daily journal of what you notice about God and the world each day or week.
- Ask other people where they have noticed God and learn from each other’s different perspectives.
- Interested in exploring more about Christian beliefs about the Bible, and the world? Check out christianity.org.uk
- For Bible Month each year we focus on one book of the Bible. This year it is the book of Genesis. Next year is John. Check out resources from previous years.
- Listen to a Taketime meditation based on Mark 4:35-41: Calming a Storm; John 1:1-18: In the beginning; or Mark 3:1-6: Jesus heals man with deformed hand.