This is My Father's World

"Through faith we understand that the world was made by the Word of God. Things we see were made from what could not be seen." Hebrews 11:3

Many years ago, I was playing a beautiful arrangement of the hymn "Take My Life and Let It Be" by Victor Labenske at Paradise Valley SDA Church in National City, California at the end of Sabbath School. Then a nice gentleman greeted me and thanked me for playing his arrangement. It took me a little while to realize that I was in front of the master himself. That day, he premiered his arrangement of "This is My Father's World" and at the end of the service he gave me his copy of the arrangement still without a copyright notice. I asked him about his process for composing and arranging and he described to me the time he took, the tools he used, and his source for inspiration. It was clear from my brief conversation with Dr. Labenske that creating a musical piece doesn't happen by accident.

I'm not a scientist but I admire scientists that attempt to explain the physical world based on the evidence we have. Their extensive and incessant research produce theories that provide understanding of how the universe works.

According to Jaime Tannder, a professor of biology at Marlboro College, "Most people use the word 'theory' to mean an idea or hunch that someone has. But in science the word 'theory' refers to the way that we interpret facts." (1) Scientific theories are not absolute, nor are they complete. Theories are always tentative to a certain degree.

Nevertheless, I have a little problem with the Big Bang Theory, although my purpose is not to belittle scientific research. The theory states that "somewhere around 13.8 billion years ago, the Universe began with a bang. In less than a second, the four fundamental forces -- electromagnetism, gravitation, weak nuclear interaction, and strong nuclear interaction -- which initially were joined as a single even more fundamental force, separated. Suddenly, the Universe started to expand at an exponential rate. Cosmic inflation had begun. Billions of years later the universe is still expanding at an increasing rate and it's mostly made up of unknown dark matter and dark energy." (2) I just have a simple question, who initiated the bang?

A beautiful hymn such as "This is My Father's World" required a writer and a composer to come into existence. Maltbie Davenport, a Presbyterian preacher, used to take early-morning walks, saying, "I'm going out to be in my Father's world." He wrote a 16-verse poem, each first line beginning with "This is my Father's world." The poem was set to music in 1915 by Franklin Sheppard. He adapted the music from a traditional English melody that he learned from his mother as a child. Then Dr. Labenske created this beautiful arrangement based on the hymn. I don't think he started the process by throwing a bunch of musical notes into a bucket, shaking them, and letting them settle down for days hoping a work of art would spontaneously appear. Even if he sprinkled dots of ink on a canvass, the result would be quite different than this hymn arrangement. In the same manner, the hand of the Creator is visible throughout the universe. For those willing to see, everything in creation gives glory to God, the trees, the animals, the mountains and seas, the very rocks reveal God's majesty and power.

If someone cannot see God in a waterfall or a thunderstorm, he or she will not see him in a strand of DNA or a quantum crystal. God is the Author and Sustainer of all creation, and He is no less active in a lightning storm than in any miracle.

I like the way Dr. Graeme Finlay, a professor at the University of Auckland, talks about the theme of creation, "God the Creator transforms chaos into order. This theme is then echoed repeatedly, and in many forms, throughout Scripture. God creatively transformed the chaos of slavery in Egypt into nationhood. Under his creative authority, the turmoil of history led 'in the fullness of time' to the climax of the Incarnation. He transformed the Crucifixion into the glory of the Resurrection. He transforms the human state of sin, estrangement, and death into justification, reconciliation, and life." (3)

As you admire and enjoy the works of nature remember who's behind it all. As the hymn says "all nature sings" lets join also and sing "this is my Father's world.

1
This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

2
This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

3
This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Words by Maltbie D. Babcock