The Intricacies of Creation
In the second lesson of our Creation Unit for older kids, the theme is the “Intricacies of Creation.” In contrast to the bigness of creation (lesson 1), this lesson focuses on the intricate and small details of creation that are all around us. God’s care and power is made visible to us as we pause, look closely and inspect the natural world. It’s amazing to think about the fact that the One who designed all these little parts and holds them all together is also holding us!
Observing and reflecting upon the intricate details and complexity of creation may seem more fitting for a biology class at school than a Bible class at church. Unfortunately, the western worldview has often separated matters of “science” and “faith” instead of integrating the two. We want to help children know that both creation and the Bible reveal deep truths about who God is and what God does, and both can be trusted. In this unit on creation we want to help children explore different ways of reading the “Book of Creation,” and one of those ways is to closely observe, inspect, and reflect upon the little details.
Resource Suggestions
One of the helpful resources we incorporated into this lesson is OuiSi connection cards. OuiSi has created a collection of cards with beautiful photos of the natural world. These cards can be used in a variety of games as a hands on way for children and adults to make visual connections and reinforce the idea that everything in the world is connected to everything else. These cards are especially helpful for showing the vast array of beautiful and intricate details on display in creation.
As we head into the Advent season, we are always on the lookout for resources that can help children connect in new ways to the hopes and longings for God’s nearness that are embedded in the Christmas stories. This season, we are excited to see that Paraclete Press has published a children’s version of the book All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings by Gayle Boss. Boss tells the story of how twenty-four different woodland creatures adapt to the dark and cold wintery season. These stories, accompanied by original watercolor paintings, are a creative and imaginative way to guide children into the practice of reflective waiting alongside creation in the Advent season.
