Many people like myself have felt closer to God, or to some source of spiritual truth or meaning, in the wilderness than in any church building. On many occasions Jesus himself left the city to commune with his heavenly Father – our Creator – in the wilderness.
However, many Christians apparently think it’s more important to go to church than to be outdoors in nature. This belief seems to reflect a kind of legalism which overlooks the fact that what transpires in many churches is much less inspiring than the raw beauty and power of God’s creation. The fact that many may sense God does not dwell in those “temples built by human hands” (Acts 7:48).
A Christian experiences nature differently than a materialist, or a pagan nature-worshiper. We see God as Creator and nature, including ourselves, as his creation. Nature is not our “mother” in the sense of being our creator.
Nature is God’s original and general book of revelation, with the Bible being his special revelation. We see God’s handiwork in nature. It is an expression of his creativity, and an object of his love. And we are called to love what God loves. That is, all of God’s created order. Not just the human component.
It seems mistaken to refer to nature or a specific place as “sacred”. It may be extremely beautiful and we may experience more of a sense of awe toward God in certain places, but creation itself is not exactly “sacred”. A better word may be “wondrous”. It reflects or points to the sacred, which is to say, God.