We Are Beginning Together Afresh!

Genesis chapter 1 was written in the form of poetic liturgy. You will hear lots of repetition
(“it was evening, and morning, the second day”) because it was written for a worship setting.
So, in that spirit, hear today’s reading from Genesis 1:1–2:4.

Stories of Beginnings

As our kids were growing up, I had a tradition of tucking them in on the night before their
birthday and telling them the story of their birth. It became something special that I looked
forward to, and I hope they did, too. It helped me remember the unique circumstances of their
birth-days and gave them a sense of how excited we were on the day they entered the world.

• With Henry, we were living in New Jersey and got lost on the way to the
  hospital. We went out the wrong way on a roundabout, which put us on an unfamiliar bridge,
  and as I had a contraction, I saw the sign, “Welcome to Pennsylvania.”
• With Owen, who was born in Colorado, I remember looking out the hospital
  window as the sun set over the Rocky Mountains.
• With Zoey, we had three false alarm trips to Sacred Heart throughout the
  month of June before she finally arrived by induction on June 29.

Stories of beginnings are a comfort—especially when things are unsettled. Maybe you’ve started
a big project and then got frustrated or lost in the details, needing to remind yourself why
you started. Or perhaps in grieving someone who has died, you found comfort in remembering the
beginnings of that relationship and the wonder of the ups and downs you experienced together.

Remembering a beginning is healing; it’s comforting; and it can be motivating.

The Beginning of God’s Relationship With the World

That is what we have with the book of Genesis: a recollection of the beginnings of God’s
relationship with the world.

When the creation story of Genesis 1 was written, things were not going well for Israel. Many
people don’t realize that Genesis 1 was written late in Israel’s history. Just because
it comes first in our Bibles doesn’t mean it was written first. Scholars believe that Genesis
is like a patchwork quilt of stories by different authors, written at different times. The
first chapter is believed to have been written by a priest or group of priests late in Israel’s
exile in Babylon, around 500 BC.

It was a time of crisis when God’s people didn’t think they had a future. A series of greedy,
self-serving kings had sought power for personal gain. The rich exploited the poor, and only a
few prophets spoke out. Trust broke down. Israel and Judah could not defend themselves. The
temple was destroyed, cities lay in ruins, and leaders were killed or taken into exile. Chaos,
darkness, disorder, disorientation—these described their reality.

But priests in exile decided to remember the beginning—the very beginning—of the world under God’s rule.

• Into chaos, God spoke order.
• Into darkness, God spoke light.
• Over the deep water, God breathes.

This priestly account was not meant as a scientific or historical record. It was meant to be a
wake-up call to the goodness of God in unimaginable chaos. It was written as
liturgy—so it could be repeated in worship and not forgotten.

Features of the Creation Liturgy

1. Symmetrical Order

The days of creation are beautifully structured:

• Day 1 (light) ↔ Day 4 (sun and moon)
• Day 2 (sky and sea) ↔ Day 5 (sea creatures and birds)
• Day 3 (land and vegetation) ↔ Day 6 (land animals and humans)

This symmetry signaled perfection in the Hebrew worldview. In the midst of chaos and
disorder, recalling the perfection and goodness of God was essential.

No matter how bad things get here, God is good.

2. Abundance

There’s abundance everywhere: birds, fish, land animals, vegetation.
“Be fruitful and multiply!” God says.

“Everything in its kind is to multiply the overflowing goodness that pours from God’s creator
spirit. And as you know, the creation ends in Sabbath. God is so overrun with fruitfulness that
God says, ‘I’ve got to take a break from all this. I’ve got to get out of the office.’”

This was a stark contrast to Israel’s mindset in exile. They were used to scarcity—of resources,
of hope. They believed their life together was over.

But the priests offered a counter-voice: In God’s world, there is
abundance. God created with abundant generosity and continues to do so. The
resources for wholeness are already here. Abundance is built into the fabric of creation.

3. “It Is Good”

The refrain “It is good, it is good, it is very good” resounds through the liturgy. God did
not call creation perfect—God called it good.

Many think creation started perfect and has declined ever since. But that’s not what the text
says. God is pleased with creation. And even after exile, shame, and guilt, the priests
proclaimed this truth:

“In the beginning and in the end, and in everything in between, God calls creation good.”

This includes the world and us. Humans, created in God’s image, are good.

Remembering Goodness in Unsettled Times

Next week, we’ll look at the reality of sin through the story of Adam and Eve. But first, the
priests wanted God’s people—and us—to sit with the deeper truth: the world is good.
We are good. God’s creation is filled with beauty, order, and abundance, and God is not going anywhere.

“Remember the beginning,” the priests wanted to say, “and let it bless you and give you hope for a future this side of heaven.”

Remembering Our Own Beginnings

In August, CPC will celebrate 135 years since its founding. This church has a
long history! If we look back, we’d see ups and downs, vibrant times, and discouraging ones.
Everything around us is changing. We may feel like exiles in a foreign land, as fewer people
connect with the language that once served us well.

In such times, we must remember our beginnings. This church began during a boom time, but
twenty years later, after a war, it struggled. It began again—joining with the Methodist
Episcopal Church to create a more vibrant, unified voice. They saw God’s goodness beneath the
instability. They saw abundance and possibility beneath scarcity. They saw themselves as
good—capable and commissioned to bear witness in unsettled times.

A Final Word

Remembering and speaking aloud our beginnings is powerful.

It shapes who we are and how we see ourselves. It reminds us we are in the hands of a good and
generous God.

May we move forward together, through the chaos, in grace. Amen.