Creation and Covenant
Since there is no Wednesday night church this week, let’s talk about something different (although not completely separate). I love the creation narrative and what it tells us about our relationship to God. To make the emphasis on the narrative’s poetic nature, I’ve paraphrased it. This isn’t to say that looking at the passage as anything other than poetry is bad, but in the original language it definitely is in a poetic structure, so I think it would be fun and interesting for us to read it in that way too.
So, here is a quick poetic paraphrase of Genesis 1 – 3. What does the creation story (without discussing evolution & 7-day creation) tell us about ourselves and our relatioship to God and the world? And of course, let’s keep and/or connect this in the context of covenant, holiness, redemption, and (as we’ve been talking about in Sunday School and SnL – for the attenders of those) valuing people.
There was a time when God created earth and sky
There was chaos and darkness, but Breath and Life were in conversation
And from it God spoke for light – light is day and dark is night.
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the first day.
God spoke to the waters, calling for sky
The water birthed vapors into space – colliding, collecting, clouding
Between water and water-child the sky gathered
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the second day.
Then God aimed to dry the land
Its razor broke the surface parting waters with earth
God spoke Life into the earth raising vegetation and trees and all things green
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the third day.
God saw still a disorder in the light
God spoke light into organized orbs – the lords of day and night
Dwelling in Space, in the created expanse of sky, were Sun, Moon, and Stars
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the fourth day.
God saw fertility in the water and sky
And spoke life into the seas – the great whale; the minute bacteria
And spoke life into the air where birds now fly
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the fifth day.
God spoke living creatures out of the earth
Then God designed a new animal – “In Our own Image,” God designed
Formed from dirt, filled with Spirit-breath, the human creation awoke
“This is Good.” And evening to morning became the sixth day.
Earth and sky were created and blessed
And their inhabitants within it
The seventh was a day sanctified and consecrated
A day of rest; for God rested from the work of creation.
Now man and woman were made as husband and wife
Pure, naked, and unveiled – they communed unashamed.
The serpent interrupted and spoke to them, concerning
Forbidden fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil
“Attempt a taste and you shall not die – the eye of God should be your eye”
They were coaxed and thus persuaded
They then were burdened by their lacking
So that their nakedness brought shame, then hiding
God sought community with them, but they denied God for their shame.
Hence, outside the garden their home became.
How do u find these pics
hahaha… Google!
Well its like what we talked about sunday morning. How God created and creates things and give it value because it was good and still is good. And God never stops creating.
yes, that is true. For those that were not at Sunday School, would you mind explaining what we mean by that, and how that effects us?
James 5
Warning to Rich Oppressors
1Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. 2Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.[a] 6You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
We talked other ways you can be rich, like rich in friends. So showing value to others we become rich in friends.
What does the creation story tell us about:
Ourselves…We are creature, created. Unlike any other creature or creation in that we are spirit and matter, shadow and dust; and only in this dichotomy do we find fulfillment and wholeness. We are shadow and mystery; wonder is a part of us all; something is lost when wonder is lost. We are matter and creature; by matter and creation we find nutrition, shelter, dependence. Yet to separate this dichotomous nature would be to render us less than human.
Our relationship with God…We are so very low, made from dust and not even conceiving of this ‘shadow’ that we have been bound with. We are dependent, even made to be dependent. The image that God stamped upon us was and is a gift, yet one thing we could not take was to be dependent; thereby skewing that image. Yes, we and all of creation are intrinsically good, God declares it; yet, where good is skewed, evil is. Regardless, God has invited us and gifted us to help and continue in the creating process. We misuse this gift, and try to depend on ourselves. With that, our relationship with God also becomes skewed…and we are left to live with the fact that by our own hands, we cannot escape death. (Oh how I long at this point to bring up Christ, but the Creation story ends with the Fall)
Our relationship with the world…Our relationship with the planet comes from the understanding that we were responsible to name it. We, by God’s authority, were and are given the chance to practice in the creation event, but not without responsibility.
With one another, we are left to realize that all others were made in this image of God, shadow and dust, as well. If we are ever to question our equality with one another it is to be based in this dichotomy, matter and spirit. To favor one over the other is either to usurp what is God’s, or to reject God’s gift.
(Sorry it’s long)
that more or less what we talked about on sunday