Mark Katrick faith column: As summer starts, take some time to reflect on God's creation

Tomorrow is the beginning of meteorological summer — June, July and August.

I had a dream that my parents, sister and all my relatives came from heaven for the first picnic of the season. They were all in good health and the best of spirits. Uncle Ray was the first to greet me and looked to be 30 years younger from when I last saw him.

It’s at this point of my dreams that I’m often awakened with a selection from my inner jukebox. In this particular instance, I can’t recall the song. But is may well have been “Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer” by Nat King Cole.

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Then I began to finish the work of my subconscious by a conscious imagining of what would have happened next. So we “rolled out the soda, pretzels and beer.” Mom made potato salad, and Dad fired up the grill. And I set out lawn chairs and set up yard games.

And then we did what families do when they get together: shared photographs and the memories that go with them; got on swing sets and with a little push, created our own summer breezes; took turns on the hammock; went on walks around our flower gardens and orchards of apple and pear trees; and solved at least half the world’s problems, all in an afternoon.

As a pastor and spiritual guide, people often ask me what I think heaven is like. I believe heaven to be a beautiful and expansive place, much as these lyrics to a hymn by Folliott S. Pierpoint describe the planet which we are blessed to inhabit.

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In the spring of 1863, Pierpoint sat on a hilltop outside his native city of Bath, England, admiring the country view and the winding Avon River. Inspired to think about God's gifts in creation and in the church, Pierpont wrote this text, according to hymnary.org:

“For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies. For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light. For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild. For yourself, best gift divine, to the world so freely given, agent of God’s grand design: peace on earth and joy in heaven.

“Christ, our Lord, to you we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise.”

“Continuation” and “Connection” are the key words. Earth is a continuation of the beauty in heaven and the wonders each day and night brings. And heaven is eternal connection with Christ’s universal love for all people — every brother, sister, parent, child, friend, creatures and things.

Imagine with me what the psalmist has foreseen: a family picnic on green pastures and beside still waters, where a picnic table is prepared by the Good Shepherd. All are cared for and comforted by Him. And all are in good health and the best of spirits, blessed by the summer that will last forever.

Mark Katrick is a pastor and spiritual guide.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mark Katrick faith column: As summer starts, reflect on God's creation