Reverse post

Okay. So usually I post after the Sunday night teaching. This time I want to post before. This weekend we're talking about Genesis 6 (skipping 5 b/c it's mostly genealogy). What do you make of that stuff? It's certainly not one you're going to hear preached on most mornings in most churches. Obviously the Noah stuff we've heard before, but the first section? There are LOTS of varied thoughts on this one. What are yours?

Thoughts? Please??

Genesis 4

We continue our walk through Genesis as we come to the first children on earth and the first murder. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points:

The difference between Cain and Abel’s offering came down to the heart and the personal cost. What are you offering to God?

God steps in to intervene with Cain, but Cain must still make a decision of how to proceed. In spite of Cain’s decision, God still extends love and protection to him. What does this say to you about God’s love for His people?

What other questions or insights does this chapter raise?

Chime in...

Inequity of Wealth

I just read this statistic:

The combined wealth of the worlds' three richest people is greater than the combined Gross Domestic Product of the world's poorest 48 nations.

That's terribly sad. Maybe sad isn't even the proper word.. We have professional athletes pissing and moaning b/c suddenly $3 million a year isn't enough to put food on the table, all while people literally have no food and no table.

Recently I read about the United Arab Emirates where they have been auctioning off license plates with single digit numbers on them. I don't know if they've gotten to number 1 or not. They started with 9 and worked backwards. These license plates are going for millions of dollars. A license plate. And the proceeds are going to the department of traffic or something (I can't really remember).

Is there a possibility of bringing some equity to the world's wealth? Is there a chance of eliminating poverty? I don't know the first thing about the economics of this and the whole deal with capitalism and the other "ism's" so please don't go off on that. I just wonder if we will ever see the rich helping the poor. I'd like to think that I would if I had millions. It makes me wonder what I can do now with my thousands, compared to the millions or billions that others have.

What do you think about this? How do you see the average person being able to make a dent in this. And will we ever see the ridiculously wealthy doing the same?

Earth Day

Tuesday is Earth Day which began back in 1970. It began as an effort to raise awareness of the earth and the care for it. Today it is far more chic to "go green" than it was back then. Earth Day then was far more for the environmentalists and "tree huggers." Now even large corporations are going green and caring for the planet (though some are going green and selling organic all the while carrying out deplorable work conditions and putting small business out of work). The question is really about how we as the church are responding.

As we have recently begun studying Genesis it is very clear that God created the earth and was pretty pleased with it. God called it good. And God created man and woman to care for it. Some translations that we have today create the feeling that we have dominion over the earth in that we can use and abuse it for our purposes. The original words used, however, are much closer to the meaning of caretaker. God created us to be the caretakers of earth; to care for the earth as God's prized creation.

What are we doing to lead the charge in caring for God's creation?

Genesis 3

We continue with our walk through Genesis. Here we see the breaking of relationship between God and humankind. Here's the podcast. Here are the discussion points:

The serpent doesn’t really tempt Eve as much as he raises doubt about the truth of God’s Word. Do we still see that tactic today and how can we be ready for that? (Eve’s response to doubt was the real issue.)

As a result of this interaction with the serpent we now see guilt, shame, and fear enter humanity. We still battle these today even though we were created for wholeness and relationship with God. What is our role as a community in helping meet the needs of each other, and the greater community, who are struggling with guilt, shame, and fear?

Genesis 3 is both a story for then, but also a story for now. How do you see this doubt of God’s Word happening in your life and in our community?

What other questions or insights does this raise?

What do you think? Let's continue the discussion here.

Genesis 2

We continue to look at the creation account with chapter 2. This chapter is a closer look at creation of humankind. Here's the podcast. Here's the discussion points that we used:

What further revelation of creation does this chapter give us compared to chapter 1? How is it significant to you? How is it significant to us as a community?

In comparing the Bible with other early religions, it becomes clear that humans were the plan and desire of God compared with being an after-thought of the gods. How does this affect your desire of relationship with God?

What is a new insight for you from this chapter? What is a new question for you from this chapter?

Do you have any thoughts to share?

In the Beginning

Phew. Tonight at Journey we began a walk through a new book of the Bible. Not tht the book itself is new but that we newly began this look at the book. Yeah. So we are embarking on the journey through Genesis. It's a long one, but full of lots of fun stuff. Here's the podcast. Here are some of the thoughts that got our conversation going...

God created the earth, therefore we should care for the earth. God created humans, therefore we should care for humans. We, as created ones, should long to reflect something of the Creator. No person is insignificant and no part of the created order is without meaning.

The creation story is consistent throughout major religions and many minor religions, with the exception of the personal nature of God’s love for people. Only the God of the Bible embodies this love.

What questions or insights does this raise?

Other thoughts? This is a great chapter for conversation. Join in...