In the beginning God created

This past week started our discussions at the beginning. We decided that if we want to explore who God is as Creator, and seek to understand what that means for us today, we should probably start at the beginning of the story. We need to read much of the bible as a story(of course we need to read the palms as songs, letters as letters, and prophecies as prophecy literature) . While we read and explore we must keep in mind that the story is still going even today. Once the bible got written the story didn't stop, and that is one of the beautiful things about God and life. If we are to understand our place in the story, history, we might want to know the context, and where and how the story began.

After God created man, He gave Humanity planet earth and all that was in it. God asked us to care for the animals, to tend the fields, and to enjoy what He made. Everything was pleasurable and good, but God gave man only one condition. Don't eat the fruit on a particular tree. Then as the story goes, man ate the fruit and opened Pandora's box in a sense. Then God sent them out of the garden for fear that they would eat the tree of life and live for ever. God didn't want sin, hatred, and sickness to continue forever. When he sent Man out of the garden he clothed them with the skin of an animal. If you want to know what happens next, read Genesis.

When we were exploring the beginning of the story we asked a few questions. If God is all powerful why would he create us, what inspired God to create? And if God is in control of everything why is the world so messed up? Did God know we would eat the apple, or did he relinquish some of His all knowing qualities our of love and trust for us? God told us to name the animals, and take dominion over the earth. To work the fields. If in the beginning God told us to take care of the earth, work the soil, and name the animals, is He asking us to do something similar today? Have we decided that God is in control so we have given back the gifts and responsibilities He gave to us? What does this creation story mean for us in the context we find ourselves in today?

That is what we talked about in a nut shell on thursday night.

Grace and Peace
Chris

If you read this but don't attend the group, please feel free to respond to these posts, and add your input and thoughts. I would be stoked if these discussions continued on after thursday night.