DAY ONE – Wednesday, February 17, 2021 (Ash Wednesday)
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Wow what a dramatic start to things! As the creation story unfolds we can see that God’s work is well ordered and systematic. And yet what got things started is a wind from God sweeping over the face of the waters, which sounds messy and unpredictable to me. I am thinking of the passage in the gospel of John “The wind blows where it wills” (John 3:8).
As the rest of the chapter unfolds it is clear that Creation is not a sudden one-day affair. God takes time in creating: There was evening and morning, one day, two days, etc. Bringing creation into being over time tells us that creation is an on-going process and not a finished product. That means you and I are not finished products. Good news for people just starting out on our Lenten journeys!
Finally, (and I am reading ahead here!) it is interesting that God does not take an “I’ll do it myself” sort of approach to creation. God catches up the creatures along the way to participate with God in ever new creations: Let the Earth bring forth; let the waters bring forth... everything is caught up and invited into the creative process.
As the wind/spirit blows through our lives this Lent, may we be caught up in God’s creative process of creating a world that reflects the love, mercy and joy of God.
Elaine Hall
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
Wow what a dramatic start to things! As the creation story unfolds we can see that God’s work is well ordered and systematic. And yet what got things started is a wind from God sweeping over the face of the waters, which sounds messy and unpredictable to me. I am thinking of the passage in the gospel of John “The wind blows where it wills” (John 3:8).
As the rest of the chapter unfolds it is clear that Creation is not a sudden one-day affair. God takes time in creating: There was evening and morning, one day, two days, etc. Bringing creation into being over time tells us that creation is an on-going process and not a finished product. That means you and I are not finished products. Good news for people just starting out on our Lenten journeys!
Finally, (and I am reading ahead here!) it is interesting that God does not take an “I’ll do it myself” sort of approach to creation. God catches up the creatures along the way to participate with God in ever new creations: Let the Earth bring forth; let the waters bring forth... everything is caught up and invited into the creative process.
As the wind/spirit blows through our lives this Lent, may we be caught up in God’s creative process of creating a world that reflects the love, mercy and joy of God.
Elaine Hall
