By Brother John Davis

“Oh Lord, my God

When I, in awesome wonder

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,

Thy power throughout the universe displayed.”

Earlier this summer I was blessed to be able to drive through Colorado, Wyoming, Montana,

Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, and Utah. Experiencing the beauty of various mountains, deserts, cliffs, and rivers, my thoughts centered on this hymn.

“When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.

When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.”

My first memory of hearing this hymn was at vespers, at my first Christian Ashram. The summer before entering sixth grade our family experienced the Sat Tal Christian Ashram and Brother Sam Kamaleson singing with the late afternoon sun shining on the cross on the hill above the lake.

Through God’s guidance, I became a pilot enabling me to travel the world and experience the reality of these first two verses – the world points to God and God’s creative power. In the third verse we find God reaching out to us, showing how much God loves us and wants to be in relation with us.

“And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;

Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;

That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,

He bled and died to take away my sin.”

I thank God for the Christian Ashram, for it is here that I truly experience the reality of the Kingdom of God (in miniature) and the Fellowship of the body of Christ.

The last verse took on special meaning to me a few years ago. My mother was in hospice care at our house and had stopped eating and drinking. One evening, my daughter Megan and I were alone in the house with mother. Mother had always sung hymns to father when he was in assisted living, so the two of us continued in that tradition. We could see her lips move on occasion and knew she was hearing the hymns. As we ended the last verse, both of us felt her go home to Jesus.

“When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,

And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,

And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

Then sings my soul!