The Story We Find Ourselves in - Part 2  (what God forms, God fills)

This week, the story we find ourselves in focuses on how God both forms and fills all that He creates.  The sky if filled with light, and then lights.  The earth is filled with vegetation.  The sea is filled with sea creatures.  The land and sky with animals and birds.  And finally, the Sabbath, God fills with God's Self.  Here we get a glimpse of God's incredible, awesomely creative, and even playful Spirit, as life is brought out of chaos and celebrated on the Sabbath.  Through creation and celebration we see God and work and God at play, and notice how those those two things seamlessly blend together.  To listen to Pastor Chris' sermon once again, you can click here.

Great Stories Are Written & Told Well

While Moses is traditionally considered to be the author of Genesis, he was obviously not there at creation to write about it first hand.  Genesis, therefore, would represent the collected memories of God's people that, under the guidance of the Spirit, were gathered and preserved.   While It is interesting how some parts of the Biblical creation story are similar to other creation stories being told at the time -  even more interesting is how the Biblical story is unique in what it says about us, creation, and especially about God.

If you haven't had an opportunity to do so yet, check out the "traditional creation stories" section on last week's web page and notice both the parallels and the unique statement the Genesis story makes.

Various Viewpoints

For a list of the different ways people have tried to understand just how "God formed and filled" creation, you can click here.  As you consider these various options

 The Sabbath & Creation

New Beginnings

    Sabbath time is first revealed in the Genesis creation story, a tale that boldly reveals the stuff the word is made of.  It begins with emptiness, a great void out of which emerges all life. . .

    Creation . . .is an ongoing story of new beginnings, opportunities to begin again and again. God began to create, is still creating; nothing is finished. . .

    God creates the world in six days, and on the seventh day, God rests.  But a closer reading of Genesis reveals that the Sabbath was not simply a day off.  It says, "On the seventh day God finished God's work."  How can this be?  Wasn't the seventh day when God, exhausted, took time off and rested, satisfied with the laborious work of creation?

    The ancient rabbis teach that on the seventh day, God created menuha -- tranquillity, serenity, peace, and repose -- rest, in the deepest possible sense of fertile, healing, stillness.  Until the Sabbath, creation was unfinished.  Only after the birth of menuha, only with tranquillity and rest, was the circle of creation made full and complete.

- Wayne Muller, Sabbath:  Finding Rest, Renewal and Delight in our Busy Lives, 35-36

Interesting Links on Sabbath and Creation

The Sabbath & Creation

http://www2.regent-college.edu/regentworld/?cat=7

A Jewish Perspective on Sabbath & Creation

http://www.ou.org/publications/kaplan/shabbat/rest.htm

Sabbath as a Christian Practice

http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=318

Sabbath Keeping Suggestions (Great ideas for families)

http://deepgreenconversation.org/practical-strategies-for-honoring-the-sabbath-by-nancy-sleeth/

Sabbath and Ecconomics

http://www.sabbatheconomics.org/content/page.php?section=4&content_id=6

Thinking More About Creation and Sabbath

•    Which of these options makes the most sense to you?  Why?

•    What common ground do you find between the various options?

•    How would you evaluate each of them?