In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. When I think of the heavens I think of the starry sky. This is because I have grown up watching space flights and moon walks. Science has shaped my understanding of the universe, my cosmology. I see the world as a planet in space in orbit around the sun, one of billions of stars. We don’t even realize we are looking at Genesis 1 through our cosmology, our knowledge of science, which is so different from the cosmology of the biblical authors. As a result the discussion around Genesis 1 has become contentious and controversial filled with anger, misunderstandings and miscommunication.
One of the reasons that I have resisted studying Genesis is too much contention This has kept me from really seeing its beauty and the message about God it is trying to tell. We tend to try to describe Genesis 1 as being about the time and material process of the universe’s origin and in so doing we miss what the biblical authors were trying to communicate, the nature and purpose of the world God created. So to really understand Genesis we will need to understand the cosmology of the biblical authors. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. Our knowledge of the physical universe is not the same thing as wisdom about the nature and purpose of the world God created. It can seem difficult and even a little scary to look at Genesis from the cosmology of the biblical authors and the cultures in which they lived. I have started on this journey but I am following others. I want to share two resources I am using. One I have mentioned before, the Bible Project. Another one is Robin Parry’s book, “The Biblical Cosmos: A Pilgrim’s Guide to the Weird and Wonderful World of the Bible.” I am sure there will be others along the way. Over the next few posts I hope to just give you a glimpse into what I am learning and how that has led me to a deeper understanding of who God is and what it means to serve him - and maybe to encourage you to take up your own study of even the hard parts of the Old Testament. Prayer Creator God Give us an understanding of Genesis that will help us see the beauty of the beginning chapters of the Bible and develop in us a deeper relationship with you. Amen
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In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. I am grateful that I have been able to see many beautiful parts of our world, mountains, lakes, oceans, forests, and prairies. So many times the beauty and the majesty of God’s world leaves me amazed and speechless. I remember when I first saw the Grand Tetons from Colter Bay and couldn’t stop taking pictures. Every time I looked through my camera that was more beauty.
Since the pandemic I have missed being with my camera in God’s world. There won’t be a road trip this year as in the past three years and even traveling to the mountains close to home has been difficult. So instead of spending time with my camera I have spent time studying God’s word, more specifically the creation stories in Genesis. In the past I have spent more time studying the New Testament. I saw the Old Testament, especially Genesis, as something that was hard to understand and the source of huge, mean-spirited debates. Gratefully I have found some great resources that have helped me change that view. I am coming to appreciate how important understanding Genesis is to understanding Jesus. Genesis is an introduction to the great story of how much God loves us and his world. The first words of Genesis, so familiar that even non-Christians can quote, are so important to our understanding of God. The first line of any literary work is crucial to understanding the whole of the work. It sets the stage for everything that will happen in the story. And so it is with the first words of the Bible, an introduction to the whole of God’s story of who he is and who we are. I know that I have come to take these words for granted with a "so what” kind of reaction and never thought about their importance as an introduction to God. In these words we get our first insight into who God is - Creator. There is much more to learn about God in the creation stories of Genesis and I hope to share a little of my journey with you. Prayer Creator God Open our eyes to the wonder and beauty of your world and your word. Thank you for the magnificent and beautiful words that we read in Genesis and the insight they give us into who you are and who we are. Amen “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. I have been intrigued by the passion wildflower since I saw my first one several years ago. It is such a strange flower with all it unusual, colorful parts. I have been looking for them every summer since. Last year I finally found them again but they had already bloomed. I studied the leaves and vine and tried to memorize where I found them so I could look again this year. In July I did find the vines again but I saw only a few buds and spent flowers. I never saw a full bloom. It had been very dry so I figured that they weren’t going to be any more blooms and I would have to wait until next year.
To my surprise and great joy this morning on my walk a purple flower caught my eye. It was a passion flower and when I looked closer I saw that there were many in bloom. Since they were blooming in the field that I knew would be mowed soon, I came home, got my camera and hurried back to the place I saw them. I will take my camera when I go on my walk tomorrow so I can photograph them in the golden, dewy, early morning light. These days have been difficult and hard for all of us. Finding the passion flower reminded me that God still gives us hidden treasures that bring great joy. Finding them will demand that we focus our whole being on him and trust him to bring joy out of difficult times. Prayer Great King, Thank you for the hidden treasures you put in our lives every day. Fill our hearts with joy so great that we follow you with our whole being. Amen Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It's a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.” The disciples were following Jesus request to move across the lake to the other side when the storm hit. Sudden storms were not unusual on the Sea of Galilee but it wasn’t the storm that terrified the disciples. It was seeing Jesus walk toward them on the water. Jesus responded to their fears immediately reminding, “Take courage! It is I.” Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus until he looked away and down at the stormy waters. Jesus took Peter’s hand and they climbed into the boat. The disciples’ fear was replaced by worship. It was during that storm that his identity as the Son of God became just a little more clear to them.
These are fearful times. Storms rage around us. Jesus is the only one who can step into our boat and calm the storm even though he may come in unexpected ways. When we see the storms coming we need to trust him to bring us safely to shore. Then we will bow down and replace our fear with worship. Prayer Lord of the Storm Open our eyes to see you always walking toward us. Open our ears to hear your voice calling us to not be afraid. Increase our faith and fill us with awe as we worship you. Amen |
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Soli Deo Gloria,
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan
1 Corinthians 10:31
© 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Karen Milligan