Offerings
Thoughts on What Matters Most
by
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GRAND
In the pre-dawn twilight they gather, filled with an eager expectation. Some bring lawn chairs as they wait, their anticipation growing as the darkness disappears. You would think a great spectacle is about to take place. And it is. It is sunrise at the Grand Canyon.
The Canyon is well named. Eight to ten miles wide, 277 miles long, and one mile deep, it truly is a grand canyon. Standing on its rim is not so much a vacation as it is a spiritual experience. The immensity, the grandeur, the beauty, and the sheer awesome majesty are beyond description.
The sun rises, and the light begins to creep down the canyon walls. From dark red and ochre to deep purple hues the age-old rocks, crevasses, and mesas are bathed in light. The patterns of sunlight change moment by moment until the entire height of the canyon walls are directly illuminated. Each moment reveals new glories, never before seen and never again to be repeated in exactly the same way.
Again at sunset the crowds will gather to watch, as the shadows lengthen and the sun’s rays inch upward on their relentless climb, until darkness descends on the highest ridge, and only the moonlight casts a silver glow on the canyon walls. These moments are not to be missed. Sunrise and sunset are sacred moments.
How many sunrises have I slept through? How many sunsets have I been too busy to observe, too distracted by my little agenda to stand in awe? Does not all of creation bear witness to the glory of God? Is not the Creator’s grandeur seen in every canyon, on every hilltop, in every valley and every mountain, in every pine forest and every coastline, in every cascade of waterfall, in every fragile petal of crocus and bluebell?
And in the grandness of every sunrise and sunset?
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About the Book
Does God exist? Is there a purpose to my life? Is goodness a divine reality or simply a relative value that each culture defines for itself? Is there life beyond this earthly existence? Are Homo sapiens more than quarks and atoms; more than material properties? Is love a reality or a feeling?
Offerings is a collection of brief but thought-provoking writings that vindicate religious faith. It will be an especially helpful resource for:
- Small group discussions and leaders of worship
- Adults not satisfied with trite devotional guides, but willing to wrestle with a faith that is rational and accepting of scientific discoveries
- The growing number of “nones” in the United States and Europe, who, while not believers, are open to be challenged by the possibility that there really is a God
Offerings affirms a God whose glory is revealed in creation, whose mighty acts are made known in sacred scripture, and who demands justice, love, and faithfulness in human life.
If someone asks, “Would you like corn flakes or raisin bran?” you can reasonably answer, “I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. Either one is fine with me.” But with the ultimate issues of life, you cannot sit on the fence. You cannot pretend that a decision is not required. You must make a decision.
What are you waiting for?
About the Author
A minister in the United Methodist Church, Byron Paul Brought has served as the pastor of congregations in the United States and Northern Ireland. Having traveled extensively both in North America and Europe, Brought and his wife, Mary Kay, currently reside in Severna Park, Maryland.