The Genesis stories of Creation inspired this sermon title: "Spiritual Healing: from the Earth," that explains my take on the meaning of the 7 days of creation. I am sharing the video that introduced the scripture and the text that I preached today on Trinity Sunday and Father's day. It was well received by the Church of the Roses congregation. Praise God!
This is a long scripture, but the creation of creation was long as well! (and it is still continuing~) Our earth is over 4.5 billion years old according to radiometric dating. It is quite obvious this Biblical text does not require us to believe that creation was completed in just six 24 hour days. In fact, the words used in Genesis give room for God taking billions of years to create our universe. |
| Hubble2005-01-barred-spiral-galaxy-NGC1300 |
The Bible begins with this statement: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
The next sentence in Genesis says the earth was "a formless void, and darkness covered it." Earth and space scientists (cosmologists) are now certain there was a definitive, starting point of our universe, described as the "Big Bang." It happened about 13.7 billion years ago. They figured this out by measuring the light and other energy waves that still reverberate out from the big explosion of creation to determine the age of our Universe. They also calculate the age of planets and meteorites.
Some people believe that science and theology conflict. But there are many ways science complements our faith understanding of creation. Bible scholars explain that the Genesis creation stories are metaphors. Yet, they can be confusing because Genesis reads as though the heavens and the earth were finished in just six days.
Dr. Jeffrey Tigay, a Professor of Hebrew says: These stories are regarded as poetic statements of certain basic truths, not as literal scientific accounts of how the universe developed. "In Jewish religious thought Genesis is not meant for a literal reading.”
It is helpful to remember that Genesis was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew language uses fewer words than English. For example, in Hebrew the word for earth is "eres," but it also means land, ground, region, or country. The word for day, which is "yom" in Hebrew, can mean: a 24-hour day.
But “yom” can also mean: daytime, today, forever, continually, or an undetermined amount of time. So, the "sixth day" is actually an unknown length of time.
This flexibility of length in time is found throughout the Bible. Psalm 90 in reference to God says: “For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.” And in 2nd Peter it says, "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
The point is, God's sense of time is quite different from ours.
The Genesis story as a metaphor for the birthing of creation uses the number 7 which symbolizes perfection for the creation of the earth and all its inhabitants which ends with a grand finale day of rest. When we understand the poetic purpose in the book of Genesis, the creation stories do not conflict with scientific conclusions that the formation of the earth and universe took billions of years.
I believe God doesn’t want us to focus on taking apart the creation story literally. What we are to understand in this gorgeously written beginning of the Bible is: God’s triune power to create, God’s goodness, and the goodness of all creation, that humans reflect the image of God, and that we were given the responsibility for taking care of creation as a precious gift we have inherited as the beloved children of God.
Since this is Trinity Sunday, it is a good day to notice how God in Genesis 1 says, “Let US make humankind in OUR image.” This is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit working together on the masterpiece of creation: humans. THEY were working together on all of creation because God is ONE in three. And yet when man was made, the scripture emphasizes that God is plural during the making of humans. And after our celebration of Pentecost last week I am grateful that the Holy Spirit doesn’t get left out of all this. It is acknowledged as an important part in the creation. Psalm 104 states, “When you send forth your Spirit, they are created.” The Holy Spirit forms order out of chaos, creates fruitfulness in the midst of bleak conditions, and promotes life in places where survival seems impossible.
One indicator is the reference to rest. Rest is the outcome of triumph over chaotic forces. It is the goal and endpoint of creation. Resting in God, is a common theme in the Bible. Jesus famously said,
“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you Rest.” Resting in peace is an ultimate goal which is reflected in the second indicator of God’s purpose for creation, which is "Shalom." The Hebrew term, “shalom” means: flourishing, peace, and wholeness…. Shalom is the promise that all of creation is intrinsically good and God’s intention is for all creation to live together in peace. These two indicators in the creation story, Rest and Shalom, help us understand the healing power in the Earth.
When you walk in the woods and look up into the trees, our Creator, often called Mother Nature, communicates a sense of peacefulness and beauty that lowers the blood pressure, encourages deeper breathing and heals the soul.
When you look out at the ocean and listen to the waves lap along the shore, your body relaxes, you slowdown and become mindful of the life-giving water within you. When you look up at the deep blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, your mind refocuses on the beauty all around and your heartbeat resets to the rhythm of the earth. And when you listen to the birdsongs, smell a rose, walk barefoot in the grass, or gaze at the full moon – your soul reconnects to the universe and your body remembers you are made of the clay of the earth, sculpted into the living breathing loving image of God.
Let us pray: God of new beginnings, who brings light out of night’s darkness and fresh green out of the hard winter earth. WE thank you for your spirit breathing life into us every day. Give us eyes to see the beauty of the earth. Give us ears to hear the joy of creation all around us. Give us faith, hope, and love in Christ to care for our precious earth. And remind us to take time each day to get back in touch with the earth for the healing of our souls. Amen
Benediction:
Chief Seattle in 1855 shared these wise words in a speech given just before moving his tribe to a reservation. (The city of Seattle is named after him.)
The earth is precious to God, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. So love it . . . care for it . . . and with all your mind, with all your heart, preserve it for your children; and love as God loves us all.
The next sentence in Genesis says the earth was "a formless void, and darkness covered it." Earth and space scientists (cosmologists) are now certain there was a definitive, starting point of our universe, described as the "Big Bang." It happened about 13.7 billion years ago. They figured this out by measuring the light and other energy waves that still reverberate out from the big explosion of creation to determine the age of our Universe. They also calculate the age of planets and meteorites.
Some people believe that science and theology conflict. But there are many ways science complements our faith understanding of creation. Bible scholars explain that the Genesis creation stories are metaphors. Yet, they can be confusing because Genesis reads as though the heavens and the earth were finished in just six days.
Dr. Jeffrey Tigay, a Professor of Hebrew says: These stories are regarded as poetic statements of certain basic truths, not as literal scientific accounts of how the universe developed. "In Jewish religious thought Genesis is not meant for a literal reading.”
It is helpful to remember that Genesis was written in Hebrew. The Hebrew language uses fewer words than English. For example, in Hebrew the word for earth is "eres," but it also means land, ground, region, or country. The word for day, which is "yom" in Hebrew, can mean: a 24-hour day.
But “yom” can also mean: daytime, today, forever, continually, or an undetermined amount of time. So, the "sixth day" is actually an unknown length of time.
This flexibility of length in time is found throughout the Bible. Psalm 90 in reference to God says: “For you, a thousand years are as a passing day, as brief as a few night hours.” And in 2nd Peter it says, "But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
The point is, God's sense of time is quite different from ours.
The Genesis story as a metaphor for the birthing of creation uses the number 7 which symbolizes perfection for the creation of the earth and all its inhabitants which ends with a grand finale day of rest. When we understand the poetic purpose in the book of Genesis, the creation stories do not conflict with scientific conclusions that the formation of the earth and universe took billions of years.
I believe God doesn’t want us to focus on taking apart the creation story literally. What we are to understand in this gorgeously written beginning of the Bible is: God’s triune power to create, God’s goodness, and the goodness of all creation, that humans reflect the image of God, and that we were given the responsibility for taking care of creation as a precious gift we have inherited as the beloved children of God.
Since this is Trinity Sunday, it is a good day to notice how God in Genesis 1 says, “Let US make humankind in OUR image.” This is God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit working together on the masterpiece of creation: humans. THEY were working together on all of creation because God is ONE in three. And yet when man was made, the scripture emphasizes that God is plural during the making of humans. And after our celebration of Pentecost last week I am grateful that the Holy Spirit doesn’t get left out of all this. It is acknowledged as an important part in the creation. Psalm 104 states, “When you send forth your Spirit, they are created.” The Holy Spirit forms order out of chaos, creates fruitfulness in the midst of bleak conditions, and promotes life in places where survival seems impossible.
Look at the image above. See how the God figure looks a lot like Jesus? And the human
figure looks a lot like the God figure? The artist is illustrating that we are
made in the image of God. The line from the mouth of God to the human is God’s
breath of the Holy Spirit breathing life into the human. It appears that God as
the Trinity gave the first CPR ever to be performed!
This beautiful
mosaic is one of many in a cathedral in Sicily that was built in the year 1132.
Incredible craftsmanship back then! The words at the top mean: Created by the
Lord in his image.
I subscribe to a journal called, Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith. Last month they published an article entitled, “What on Earth is God Doing? Relating theology and Science through Biblical theology,” The authors, Graham O’Brien and Timothy Harris, explained that the purpose of creation is Shalom. And they believe the book of Genesis shows that Creation is not static, but an ongoing evolution where order (God’s intention for the world) is imposed on chaos and disorder. The stories in Genesis demonstrate that God has chosen to include humans as co-creators to help bring the kingdom of God to earth. One indicator is the reference to rest. Rest is the outcome of triumph over chaotic forces. It is the goal and endpoint of creation. Resting in God, is a common theme in the Bible. Jesus famously said,
“Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you Rest.” Resting in peace is an ultimate goal which is reflected in the second indicator of God’s purpose for creation, which is "Shalom." The Hebrew term, “shalom” means: flourishing, peace, and wholeness…. Shalom is the promise that all of creation is intrinsically good and God’s intention is for all creation to live together in peace. These two indicators in the creation story, Rest and Shalom, help us understand the healing power in the Earth.
When you walk in the woods and look up into the trees, our Creator, often called Mother Nature, communicates a sense of peacefulness and beauty that lowers the blood pressure, encourages deeper breathing and heals the soul.
When you look out at the ocean and listen to the waves lap along the shore, your body relaxes, you slowdown and become mindful of the life-giving water within you. When you look up at the deep blue sky and feel the warmth of the sun on your skin, your mind refocuses on the beauty all around and your heartbeat resets to the rhythm of the earth. And when you listen to the birdsongs, smell a rose, walk barefoot in the grass, or gaze at the full moon – your soul reconnects to the universe and your body remembers you are made of the clay of the earth, sculpted into the living breathing loving image of God.
Let us pray: God of new beginnings, who brings light out of night’s darkness and fresh green out of the hard winter earth. WE thank you for your spirit breathing life into us every day. Give us eyes to see the beauty of the earth. Give us ears to hear the joy of creation all around us. Give us faith, hope, and love in Christ to care for our precious earth. And remind us to take time each day to get back in touch with the earth for the healing of our souls. Amen
Benediction:
Chief Seattle in 1855 shared these wise words in a speech given just before moving his tribe to a reservation. (The city of Seattle is named after him.)
The earth is precious to God, and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. So love it . . . care for it . . . and with all your mind, with all your heart, preserve it for your children; and love as God loves us all.
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| Image above from the website: http://photodox.com/wp/blog/pismo-poglavice-seattle-a-1854/?lang=en |
