This Black Friday, Choose Wonder Over Consumption

What if today, instead of opting to spend our money and energy online and in stores, we opted to spend our time out in creation? Today, our team is choosing to #OptOutside, pausing in gratitude and delight in God’s creation. #OptOutside was started by REI in 2015 as a way of encouraging their staff and patrons to spend the day after Thanksgiving not consuming, but rather delighting in an outdoor activity they enjoy. 

Our world today often feels frenzied, chaotic, and uncertain. I’m reflecting on how my own hurried purchases during this season might stem from a desire to control something, anything, in my daily life, as so much feels outside of my control. What would it look like not to buy our way into security and safety in this time, but rather be shepherded into the welcoming and protective presence of God through spending time in his creation?

Creation knows well seasons of upheaval and disruption and yet, abiding in God’s care, resiliently and steadily continues on, creating life and beauty that reflects its Creator. ​

Let us follow that example today, choosing to connect with the creation we are part of and express gratitude for the wisdom it shares with us on how to persist amidst uncertain times. Instead of spending the day controlling and consuming, let us learn, delight, and take refuge alongside creation, encountering the God who holds us and accompanies us through all seasons. 

Practice for Engaging Creation

When I’m needing to combat anxiousness or the need to control, I find grounding myself in the physical reality around me to be particularly helpful in tuning in to the Holy Spirit’s presence and peace. As you spend time out in creation today, take a moment to engage all of your senses, ground yourself in God’s creation, and encounter His presence. 
As you wander, find a comfortable spot to sit and take a few minutes in silence, paying attention to your breath as your body rests in stillness. When you are ready, take notice of the creation around you with: 

5 things you can see
4 things you can touch
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste

Give thanks to God for each of these things. I invite you to sit in awe and wonder of a creation that persists amidst upheaval, and be encouraged that in Christ and in community with creation, we can too.

Marissa Salgado 
Church Engagement Manager
Creation Justice Ministries

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