On faith: Reconnect with the natural beauty of God's creation

"Listening Point tells of what I have seen and heard on a bare glaciated spit of rock in the Quetico-Superior country... From it I have seen the immensity of space and glimpsed at times the grandeur of creation. There I have sensed the span of uncounted centuries and looked down the path all life has come. I have explored on this rocky bit of shore the great concept that nothing stands alone and everything, no matter how small, is part of a greater whole."

Hello. I am Pastor Charles (CJ) Boettcher and I am the new pastor at Zion Lutheran Church here in Cloquet. I have just started this month and come from a previous call at Gethsemane Lutheran Church in Upsala, Minn. (near St. Cloud and Little Falls). I am married and have a little daughter who is in full-on toddler mode (both a blessing and a frustration). I am excited to be a part of your community and look forward to all this area of the state has to offer!

As I begin my time here in this summer season, I am reminded that there are perhaps few things as humbling for a pastor as the inevitable dip in summer attendance. It doesn't matter what we do or what we program, people seem to have trouble finding their way to church this time of year. Although, I must say, I don't have to look very hard for the reason as I consider all the natural beauty that surrounds us here in northeastern Minnesota.

There is nothing inherently wrong with enjoying creation, of course.

On the contrary, there is something deeply spiritual about hiking through a cathedral of pines or hearing the waves crest upon the rocky shores of Superior. This time in the outdoors is a time of recreation or re-creation, of renewing our hearts and our minds and grounding ourselves in the works of God's hand. We read in the second creation account from Genesis that it is out of the dust of the earth we are formed and made. Indeed, it is from the very matter of this planet that we are created. It is no accident that the words humus (dirt/organic matter) and human have the same root. We have an intimate and irrevocable relationship with the plants and animals and landscapes with which we share this planet.

Above is a quote from one of my favorite nature writers, Sigurd Olson. In his book, "Listening Point," he shares experiences he has had in the undisturbed wilderness of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota.

For him, a tree, a bird, or a rock formation is not simply an object; rather, it is a storyteller. It is a symbol that points to the beauty found in the greater whole, in the scope of the ecosystem, of history, and of all creation. Olson recognizes that there is a vital sense of wholeness that comes in reconnecting and grounding ourselves in God through the natural world.

Now don't misunderstand me, there is no replacing genuine Christian community. You should still make a point of making it to church on Sunday mornings or Wednesday evenings. Yet, as you find yourself outdoors this summer, I invite you to discover or revisit your own "Listening Point." Take a seat in a stony pew and look upon the natural wonders God has for us right here in the Northwoods. Be re-created. Take time to reconnect with our furry, feathery, and scaly brothers and sisters, and give thanks to God for another beautiful day.

Writer Pastor Charles (CJ) Boettcher is the new pastor at Zion Lutheran Church, 1000 Washington Ave., Cloquet. Contact him at the church or by calling 218-879-4647.