This text is used for the Lectionary Year A on June 11, 2017.

The Goodness of God’s Creation
Every good story begins somewhere, goes somewhere, and ends somewhere. Genesis is the story of stories. Not only is Genesis the first book of the Bible but in Genesis we see the beginnings of our lives, and our universe. And in Genesis 1 we see God’s intended trajectory, where He wants this story to go.  To understand who we are and where we are headed, we need to understand Genesis.

So let’s get started by stepping into the story’s opening verse.  “In the beginning God created…”.  is among the most quoted literary lines in all the world. God is our Creator. From Genesis 1:2:4a we read the written revelation of God revealing Himself through creation. By paying attention to keywords and phrases in these 35 verses we: 1) can learn essential information, 2) be inspired to live at our best, 3) recognize the divine imperative.

A Divine Trail of Words and Praises
1) “God created… God said… God saw… God called… God made… God blessed… God rested.” These seven action verbs highlight that God acted intentionally to bring creation into being. (They are found in Genesis 1:1,3-12, 14, 16, 18, 20-22, 24-29, 31; 2.:2-3).

2) These active verbs are parallel to the use of “let” which indicates God’s permissive will to bring creation into being. Nine times “let” is used in telling about the initial six “days” of Creation. The word “let” has the sense of God’s graciousness. Creation came as an extension of His generosity.

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