God’s Enduring Song of Love’ Released for Creation Sabbath 2020

September 29, 2020 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | By: Geoscience Research Institute, and Adventist Review

“If you have ever seen it, the sight of thousands of birds flying together, twisting and turning in tight formation, is truly amazing,” Timothy Standish, senior scientist at the Geoscience Research Institute in Loma Linda, California, United States, said in a release. According to Standish, evening seems to be the preferred time for some species to do these spectacular displays, called murmurations. Grackles in murmuration is the subject of 2020’s Creation Sabbath film, God’s Enduring Song of Love.

Each year a short film is produced for Creation Sabbath, designed to draw viewers’ minds to the wonder of God’s creation. “These films are for personal viewing and reflection, sharing on social media, and sharing as a group of worshipers during Creation Sabbath celebrations,” Standish said.

Creation Sabbath falls on the fourth Saturday (Sabbath) of October each year. In 2020, it falls on October 24. This is a specially designated Sabbath in the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Calendar of Special Days.

“Creation Sabbath is expressly set aside for contemplation of God’s grace in creating our wonderful world for our habitation, recognizing our responsibility to care for what God made, and seizing the opportunity to learn from His works. It is a reminder that ‘the Sabbath was made for man,’” Standish said. “It is a liberating time to keep in mind that our lives are given and sustained by the Creator God, whose very definition is love.”

God’s Enduring Song of Love producer Mark Paden agreed.

“The creation may be marred by sin, but it remains a beautiful testimony to God’s power and divinity,” he emphasized.

Paden used his skills as a filmmaker to capture the remarkable footage used in God’s Enduring Song of Love, showing grackles in murmuration at sunset in Texas, United States. Getting the perfect conditions took an artist’s eye and many hours traveling to the ideal location. “To do good nature videography takes persistence and an innate love of the creation; the rest is up to God,” Paden said. He has an extensive resume as a nature filmmaker and photographer. “I’m just glad to see my work used in praise of the Creator.”

“During these unsettling times, God’s creation provides peace, joy, and hope,” Standish added. “Jesus frequently taught lessons about His kingdom using illustrations from the creation. Can anyone look at birds’ beauty, diversity, and amazing engineering and not recall that the words, ‘Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows’ [Matt. 10:31, CSB] came directly from our Creator’s lips?”

According to Standish, you can watch God’s Enduring Song of Love at the Creation Sabbath website or look for it on Hope Channel and other Adventist media. Standish said he encourages everyone to share it on social media and with their local church on Creation Sabbath, October 24.

Standish said that anyone who wishes to promote the glory of the creation and our Creator is free to share this film. “Remember, it’s not too late to start planning a fantastic celebration of Creation Sabbath 2020 for your church and community,” he said.