Creation: Genesis 1:1-2:4
September 8, 2013
Pastor Doug Holtz
A
theologian friend of mine translates the word “good” in the creation story to
mean in balance.
When
you think about it, that’s true
We love our budgets to balance
Checkbook
Admire gymnasts with great balance
Strive for work/family/self balance
God
created in balance, which is good
Night
/ day
Water
/ land
Rotation/revolution/tilt
of the earth
Just
the right balance of gases
Oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen
To sustain life
One
thing God created out of balance
He made us the pinnacle of creation
A little lower than God’s own self
Not just good, but VERY good.
As
we are lifted up as the crown of creation.
We affect balance
Climate
change on a micro level
Heat
islands in our cities
Air
conditioning/heating in our homes.
We
invent, we create, we destroy, we modify
Somehow the earth stays in balance
But
when life gets out of balance, we suffer
Michael
Hyatt gives us five consequences of living life out of balance
1.
Your health.
No time for healthy lifestyle means no healthy lifestyle.
2.
Your family.
Divorce rate around 50%. Children who often raise themselves.
3.
Your friends.
No time for nurturing friendships means friends disappear
4.
Your effectiveness.
We’re at our best when rested and relaxed. Energy drain means we have to work
harder/longer for the same end product.
5.
Your example.
If you are in any leadership position, even as a parent, you are leading with a
bad example that people will follow.
It’s a
painful reality. But God created us to be, at our best, living in balance.
Even
God lives in balance as the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
John 1: “In the beginning was
the Word (capital W), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was
with God from the beginning.”
Genesis 1:2: The
Spirit of God was brooding over the waters.
Brooding as in mothering… caring for,
guarding, watching
From
the very beginning God exists in relationship. It’s that important
God
created us to exist in relationship.
In the image of God (who is in
relationship)
He created them (plural, all of us, in
relationship)
Be fruitful, multiply. Rule over the fish
and birds, every living creature
Speaking to the collective, not
one individual
Doing
it my way, on my own,
Something to be desired
The
rugged individualist has it all wrong
No such thing as self-made person.
Many influences along the way
We are who we are because of relationship
It’s
popular today to be “spiritual and not religious”
How they are correct: no religion is
perfect
No denomination has it quite right
Although many claim to
No
single church, no one preacher
Has all the right
answers
Romans 3: All have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.
I
understand why they don’t want to be part of a church community
Except that they’re not living as God
intended
Because God exists in community
Matthew 18: Wherever two or more are gathered, there I am also
Despite the disagreements
Despite the fear and
frustration of change
God is doing
something new
And it only
happens in community.
We
can’t fully worship and serve without community.
And no, we will never be quite right
Never be perfect, always have
differences
God blesses us, loves us,
cherishes us.
So, if
you’re looking for the perfect church, good luck.
Humans are imperfect and the church is led
and humans
As much as we can mess things up,
At least we have each other to
keep ourselves on track
Those “going it alone” have
little hope of finding peace
But the
God who created us loves us so much
That the Father sacrificed the Son who was
with him from the very beginning
To die for us, and then lived again
That our faith might be perfected
in our own death and resurrection
2 Cor. 5:17 Living each day a new creation in Christ
Living each day as an
integral part of the community of faith
Working together--God’s
hands doing God’s work in world
Not as
perfect men and women;
Hebrews 12: but trusting
in the founder and perfecter of our faith
Living life in balance with one another.
And God said it is good. Very good. Amen.
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