It Begins at the Beginning

It begins at the beginning.  God began with nothing, .creatio ex  nihilo (Latin for creation from nothing).  In the beginning "God created."  This simple concept has come under great fire from a secular point of view that says the creation "happened" as a combination of chemical reactions, a sequence of mechanical events that somehow resulted in life as we know it.  This idea requires a lot of faith in randomness and ignores one of the words in the sentence above ... sequence.  Sequence isn't random.  Order from chaos isn't what results from randomness.

Genesis wasn't intended to be science, as many would try to misuse it.  Scripture is meant to be the story of God's interaction with God's creation.  It includes poetry, intentionally hyperbolic literature, descriptions of things beyond human understanding, history, history from a viewpoint that has a story to tell, God's wisdom placed into human context, parables (stories with a moral point), songs and prophecy.  We read it and move it from correct context, place it into a science text, make assumptions about it (some correct and some incorrect), use it to justify our actions (how did that slavery thing work out?) and sometimes twist it to permit our particular brand of sin.  We use the Bible as an idol (we worship the text instead of the God who gave it to us) and we wonder why we have so much disagreement over this great gift of God.  We still disagree even after He sent His Word in the Flesh (Jesus) to clarify and amplify the meaning of God's message to us.

Over the next 52 weeks lets do a lot of listening to God's living word.  Let it come to us without our baggage.  Let it inform us outside of our prejudice.  Let it lead us in spite of our unwillingness to follow.  Let God make something new of these people who are seeking His face.  Let us do what we learned Sunday ... humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face and repent, then He will heal us, including our lack of understanding.

Something out of nothing ... that's a God thing!

Getting Closer

Just over two weeks and we will be in our year-long study of 52 Major Stories from Scripture.  We will begin, oddly enough, with the story of creation.  OK ... let's start some discussion.  Why does God say that "they" create man and woman in their image?  Can you find signs of the persons of God in this story?  What does Genesis Chapter 1 tell us about our reflection of God's image and gender?

These are deep theological questions.  Take a stab and let's reflect on this first story.

PreacherRandy

Our first story is the story of creation.  For the first week in January read Genesis 1,2,3.  Reflect on what happens and realize that this has lots to do about why we are here.  The link below will give you Dr. Bill Mounce's teaching on this story in Scripture.  Reflect, think, and ask yourself why God tells this story.

http://www.biblicaltraining.org/52-major-stories-bible/william-mounce

Lets Begin

Over the year of 2011 we will be sharing together a journey.  We'll walk together through 52 of the most compelling stories of Scripture.  We will dialogue, pray, converse and share each others thoughts.  I don't completely know how we will begin or what you will or will not add to the journey.  Remember that we will be sharing as Christians and, as such, will be showing the fruit of love, peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, humility, patience and goodness with one another.  I hope this journey brings us closer as God's people.  Thanks for sharing time and energy with one another!
PreacherRandy