EarthWords - connecting Scripture and Creation

"Creation flavored" thoughts on the lectionary texts

 

Date: October 22

 

Text: Psalm 104.1-9, 24,35c God's Power, God's Greatness Shown in the Creation

Thoughts

vs 7-9 God sent the water into the polar ice caps? How much of the earth will it cover as they melt? What does vs 9 mean in this context?

vs 24 - "the earth is full of God's creatures." Does that change the way we think about them?

 

Text: Job 38.1-7, (34-41) God Speaks to Job from the Whirlwind

Thoughts

"Can you answer the questions I ask?" And the Evolutionaries say "yes"! And the Creationists and the Intelligent Designers say "yes"! And they both have different answers, and frankly I don't think any "debate" is going to change anyone's mind. But why is this always posed as an either/or debate? Certainly if we are looking for scientific truth, only one is going to be "right" and I believe the Evolution model is "true" in a way that the Creationist model isn't. But sometimes I'm not looking for scientific truth; sometimes I'm looking for "meaning". And in those times I'm just as comfortable wandering through Genesis 1 and 2. If we are looking for meaning, maybe "conversation" between the two is more appropriate and helpful than "debate". The ancient people were in so many ways so much wiser than we are. They had no qualms about putting 2 contradictory stories of the creation (Genesis 1 and Genesis 2) in the Bible, for Pete's sake. This is not in some obscure textbooks, but in the Bible!

 

"Who placed the cornerstone while morning stars sang and angels rejoiced" (vs 6-7). That's just a really nice image.

 

Nature (hungry young lions, starving ravens) is lovely and beautiful in a truly awesome way. ( "Hey - I know that gazelle is beautiful, but the lions are hungry!") I'm not a hunter, or really a fan of hunting, but they (hunters) do keep us connected with where our food comes from. (Although a modern "factory-farm" and slaughter-house has little connection with the guys and gals out in the woods!)

 

Text: Mark 10.35-45 James and John Want the Best Seats

Thoughts

Not really any nature images here, but rather an attitude toward life. James and John want the seats next to Jesus. Maybe that's not necessarily bad, but as Jesus responds, many things in life are "not ours to grant". An attitude of humility is more appropriate, especially for those of us "sitting here beside Lake Superior" - certainly one of the best seats in the world! Rather than looking for what we can get out of the creation, an attitude of humility would lead us to think about how we can serve the creation, even the most obscure birds and frogs.

 

Prayer

Almighty God,

there is so much that you know that we don't.

Give us enough wisdom to live well in your world.

Remind us that we don't always have enough wisdom to "run" your world.

Grant us an appropriate sense of humility as we sing and rejoice. Amen.

 

One thing to do -

Take a seat beside your favorite natural location - lake, stream, waterfall, tree. Can you see yourself as a servant of the things around you?

 

 

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