Greetings and welcome to Monday. It's good to start the week with you in the Pastor's Workshop.
This week we're continuing in our series, "Begin with Basics." Our core Scripture for this month has been Genesis 1. The premise for our series, "When you start right, things go better. And when things go better, you can finish well."
Week one we began with "Start Right." When you think about beginning the day, the week, the month, or the new school year what better way to start than, "In the beginning God..." (Genesis 1:1). Week two we were encouraged to "Get Creative". "In the beginning God created..." (Genesis 1:1) and as people who face crises and have challenges in our lives we need to be creative as well. In Week three we were invited to use our creativity to "Shine a Light." In the beginning, when God created, God said "Let there be light" (Genesis 1:3). You and I are part of the "light shining" of God into our world. Week four we jumped to the end of chapter. Our theme verses were Genesis 1:26-31. We saw how God created us (humankind) in God's image and gave us dominion of God's "very good" Creation. We were invited to think about how we could be good stewards of God's wonderful world. Our title was "Care for Creation."
This week our focus verse will be the last verse of the chapter, Genesis 1:31. Our supplementary Scripture will be Acts 17:22-28. We'll explore the phrase "very good". Our title for the week will be "Claim the Good"!
Genesis 1
"31 God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."
Acts 17
22 Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. 23 For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. 24 The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. 26 From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, 27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him - though indeed he is not far from each one of us. 28 For 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.'
By now you know how our creative process works. Monday is our "immersion day." Read and re-read both Scriptures silently and aloud. Write and re-write each text. Use several Bible translations and paraphrases (Biblegateway.com). Paraphrase the text in your own words.
Are there words, phrases, images, ideas that capture your interest? Make sure to note these. Jot down any "random thoughts." The Spirit is stirring in your creative process so don't let these "movings and musings" get away.
It's Monday so I'll let you get to work. I'll do the same. And I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow in the Pastor's Workshop.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank you for the blessing of this day and the gift of the week ahead. Help us always to be mindful that in You we live and move and have our being. Let us know that the goodness of Your grace is in this day. Help us to claim it and live it to Your glory. In Jesus's name we pray. Amen
In Christ,
Paul