ORDINARY SPLENDOR

Living in God’s Creation

Lydia Jaeger

Translated by Jonathan Vaughan

Ordinary Splendor: Living in God’s Creation

Copyright 2023 Lydia Jaeger

Lexham Press, 1313 Commercial St., Bellingham, WA 98225

LexhamPress.com

You may use brief quotations from this resource in presentations, articles, and books. For all other uses, please write Lexham Press for permission. Email us at permissions@lexhampress.com.

This publication was made possible through the support of a grant from Templeton Religion Trust. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Templeton Religion Trust.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover art is Mountainscape (1832) by Ernst Fries.

Print ISBN 9781683596998

Digital ISBN 9781683597001

Library of Congress Control Number 2022947473

Lexham Editorial: Todd Hains, Danielle Burlaga, Mandi Newell

Cover Design: Joshua Hunt, Tyssul Patel

Dedicated to

Romainville Evangelical Protestant Church (France)

CONTENTS

Prayer to Our Creator

Preface

I Recognizing God as the Absolute Origin

II Accepting Existence as a Gift

III Inhabiting an Existing Order

IV Understanding Human Dignity

V Entering into God’s Blessing

VI Obeying God’s Commandment

VII Accepting Your Limits

VIII Distinguishing between Woman and Man

IX Embracing a Fully Human Sexuality

X Entering into God’s Rest

Epilogue

Study Questions

Bibliography

Subject & Author Index

Scripture Index

PRAYER TO OUR CREATOR

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:11 NIV

Almighty Father,

By your word you made the universe from nothing,

and its orderly structures display your matchless wisdom.

Grant that as we contemplate the work of your hands,

we may daily heed the teachings of your word,

rightly appreciate the privilege of being your image,

humbly accept the place you have assigned to us,

gratefully receive the good gifts of your creation,

and joyfully worship and serve you,

our transcendent Creator,

through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Amen.

PREFACE

A large number of Christian creeds begin with the declaration that God is the Creator. To cite just one particularly well-known example, the Apostles’ Creed opens with a declaration of faith in the Creator God—“I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth”—and over the centuries, many other summaries of the Christian faith have followed its example. Acknowledging God as Creator implies, as the other side of the same truth, a second belief that is just as essential, although perhaps less often explicitly affirmed: all other beings are created by God; they are creatures. Thus, the Christian worldview is ...