Finding God in creation

This article was published in the May to August 2026 edition of Rapport magazine.

Anything new can be scary and often it’s easier to not bother, especially at Lee Abbey, so when we planned to shake up a summer week in 2025, we didn’t know how it would be received. The feedback was hugely positive, and we have been asked to do it all again in 2026!

The book of Job tells us to look at the animals, birds, fish and the earth to learn how they know that God made everything (Job 12:7–12). As we live in a society that seeks to find answers in every place except the Creator God, I am excited we will again be running a week that shows in a practical way the wonder of God’s creation, allowing guests to learn more and grow closer to him. Daily, in my work managing the Lee Abbey Devon estate, I see the majesty of his creation.

Following on from 2025, we will again be tearing up the format of a typical summer week at Lee Abbey. It’s the simple things that are sometimes the best, and last year the half-hour of informal worship at the start of the day proved to be a real ‘God moment’ in the week. Whatever the weather, we will split into all-age groups, and outside we will go. Each group will be hands-on immersed in the estate, looking at bugs and plants, birds, ponds and the seashore, farm animals and grassland. Even the tea, coffee and sometimes the evening hot chocolate will be outside!

Sessions will be led by knowledgeable leaders familiar with the estate and what to look for. We will pose questions (for adults and children) to discuss, as well as giving the opportunity to be up close to the sheep, cows, soil, water, insects, plants and anything else we come across. We want to offer the opportunity for guests to engage fully with the estate, do things that you can’t do just anywhere and to see first-hand what a wonderful creator God we serve. But don’t worry if you came last year; we won’t be doing exactly the same activities.

In the afternoons we want to show you parts of the estate you may not normally see, to give you a chance to do new things. We will again end the week with a Forest Church service in the woods, using God’s limitless creation rather than a building for our worship. I personally still remember during last year’s service looking up into the night sky, seeing the clouds and stars through the trees and feeling a fresh experience of his creation. We hope people will come away feeling closer to God’s creation and with a better knowledge of the intricacies of his amazing handiwork. In a world where there is so little positive outlook, we dwell in the certainty that God does not leave us and it’s never long before we see his hand at work again in our situation. We aim to show that God is a good God, who stays with us through it all. As that passage in Job goes on to say, ‘Which of all these [creatures] does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind’ (Job 12:9).

We are delighted to have the opportunity to run this estate-based summer week for the second time. We pray that all those involved will grow in him and be able to take what they learn back to their daily lives to share with others.

Simon Gibson
Head of Farm