Then God Said teaches us to open our eyes and behold the gifts of creation that unfold before us in all their splendor. We abide in awe before the generative forces of the universe. We delight in the splendor of created things and thank God for this outpouring of gifts from the beginning of time. Each chapter of Then God Said invites us to contemplate the first revelation in creation--from water and sky to cattle and creeping things. We ponder, page by page, the power of the Father, the presence of the Son, and the productivity of the Holy Spirit. We behold anew the majesty of this planet and the merciful dispensation of the Divine under which we live day by day. We celebrate the beauty of the earth and the sheer majesty of each minute trace of the transcendent. Readers are encouraged to find the footprints of love that move the sun, the moon, and all the stars. Creation not only reminds us of God's glory; it offers us a sacramental understanding of all that we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell, thereby increasing our ecological sensitivity and our commitment to foster respectful stewardship over all that we survey.Susan Muto leads us into historic Christian spirituality, which has always used the creation as a window through which to see the glory of God and the sacredness of our common life on the earth.--Steve Harper, retired professor, Spiritual Formation, Winter Springs, FLWhat a welcome and timely addition to the literature of spirituality is Susan Muto's Then God Said! As we view the terrible devastations and extinctions to our world through climate change, Muto blesses us with sacred scriptural references and charming stories and anecdotes about God's first revelation--creation. This book is truly a jewel for contemplation. Thank you, Muto, for teasing our palates with pastas and garlic in Table of Plenty and now our eyes and whole being with birds, goats, horses, bones, books, clouds, stars, and water--all the result of Then God Said. It is very, very good!--Sharon Richardt, director, Mater Dei Retreat and Spirituality Center, Evansville, INWith an artist's palette, Susan Muto paints creation with broad strokes, juxtaposing scriptural texts and images, daily life experience, and carefully-crafted prayer. In an age of rekindled awareness of the cosmos as our God-given good home, this book is an accessible companion for contemplation with the fauna, flora, things, and places of our day-to-day life.--Daniel Benedict, Abbot, Order of Saint Luke, Cathedral of Saint Andrew, Waialua, HI Like a book of poetry slows us down and makes us feel love again, this book makes us experience wonder. Through Scripture after Scripture, Muto helps us see that God's 'splendor covers the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise' (Hab 3:3) Don't hurry through this little treasure. It can be a handbook to help agitated minds enter into a place of awe. That kind of transformation happens slowly. I think how God must love this writing. It is a book of worship.--Ruth A. Burgner, senior director of communications, The Mission Society, Norcross, GASusan Muto, PhD, is executive director of the Epiphany Association and Dean of its Academy of Formative Spirituality in Pittsburgh, PA. She received the 2014 Aggiornamento Award presented by the Catholic Library Association. As the author of One in the Lord: Living the Call to Christian Community (2013) and Table of Plenty: Good Food for Body and Spirit (2014), she is a renowned speaker, writer, and teacher in the field of literature and spirituality.
