"The continuation of the universe from one moment to the next is therefore as great a miracle and as fully the work of God as is its coming into being at the beginning. In this profound sense, we all live 'every instant by the grace of God'."
pg. 36 (Living at the Crossroads)
Just as God is every day sustaining his created order, he also sustains his created people. Have you breathed in the last 5 minutes? That is God's sustaining grace and power working in and through you to give you life.
"For in him we live and move and have our being."
Acts 17:28
"In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind."
Job 12:10
It is so easy to loose sight of these truths, isn't it? We so often get caught up in our routines, responsibilities, and difficulties that we forget God in the midst of daily life. But he is ever present, enabling your body to keep living and sustaining the earth to be your home.
As I think about the freedom that comes from understanding God, I am reminded that this understanding and freedom cannot and should not be limited to what we consider 'spiritual' parts of life. All of life, all of creation, and every part of you is fully God's, and therefore spiritual. We are most alive, most content, and most fulfilled when we live in light of that truth.
A fabulous term for this way of living is coram Deo. To live coram Deo is to acknowledge God's presence everywhere and in everything.
"To live coram Deo is to live in and to be aware of God's presence, responsive to his word, ready to serve him."
pg. 35 (Living at the Crossroads)
So my prayer for us today is that we would recognize God in every area of life, submit ourselves to his creative authority, and worship him with all of the creative power that we have.
Before the face of God. . . coram Deo.
God bless.
Now this doesn't sound so different from what I believe, does it? There is nothing wrong with finding Her in everything around us...finding the beauty in existence. That's freedom to me.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of the creation story, have you ever noticed that two separate stories are told in the beginning of Genesis?
hmm. . . well, I think our beliefs are more different than similar, to be honest. Although I do see God in the beauty of creation, I also recognize that He is completely seperate and different from it. He is not contained within it, but rules supreme over it. . . When I look at the beauty of creation I am reminded of His sovereign power.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I believe I know the controversy that you are refering to in the creation account. But I am very interested to get your take on it first. What do you see as the problematic issues within the story? Do they make the account unreliable in your opinion? Could there be another way of interpreting the text so as to unify the message?
I don't see a problem with the separate stories, they speak for themselves. It is just interesting that in one story the order of creation is different from the second. And in one story man and woman are created at the same time, while in the other woman comes second to man. I'm not sure there is a way to unify that. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteHere are some thoughts to your questions (finally):
ReplyDeleteAs for the creation of man and woman, if you read the text in its original Hebrew language, the term used for man (literally 'adam' in the Hebrew) can be interpreted man or mankind. You have to take into account the context in each case to determine the correct translation. The first account is giving us an overview of creation, and when I read it I see it as using the term in the more general context - ie. then God created mankind. In the second account the scope is narrowing to the specifics of the story, and the word would more appropriately be translated as man. So the author here is simply saying at first that on the 6th day God created mankind (beginning with Adam). He then zooms in to explain exactly in what fashion mankind was created - first man (ish in Hebrew), then woman (isha in Hebrew).
As to the order of creation, (I assume you are talking about the plants of the field being created after Adam in chapter 2) most Hebrew scholars (both Christian and not) believe that those plants refer specifically to plants that actually had to be cultivated. In chapter 1 God created plants. These plants needed no rain or cultivating - God caused the fruit to grow and man simply had to pick. After sin entered the world, man had to work and toil to produce fruit. The phrase "plants of the field" that is used in the beginning of chapter 2 is also used in chapter 3 during the curse. Therefore, when the author wrote that man was created before the shrubs of the field or the plants of the field, he was simply saying that man was created before the fall. . . before the curse.
So, I have to say that the misunderstandings of this portion of scripture must come from those who don't understand or know the original language or context, because as I read the explanations from those who do understand those things the answers seem clear. . .
hope that helps!