It's All Good!
Crash. Bang. Splat. Boom. Noises I have heard over and over again every day this month! At home we are unpacking, sorting, throwing out, and organizing. At church we are tearing out, breaking down, and shaking up. Literally everywhere I go- even in the car driving north or south there is construction going on somewhere- the sound of new things is all around! Perspective helps: hopefully we'll be unpacked at the house by the end of the week. At the church we'll check out the new construction around the end of September and say, "WOW!" But when one is in the middle of chaos, it can be exhausting.
Genesis begins with the wonderful words, "When God began to create the heavens and earth there was a formless void..." Unlike OLUMC or my house God did not tear out or adapt something to a new reality. As classical theology expresses it, God created ex nihilo, "out of nothing." There were no boxes to go through, no offices to relocate, no hammers banging. There was chaos, and God brought order. The first creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:4 speaks to God creating from voice. The second account (2:5-3:24) shows God as more hands on. However God creates, you and I can learn a thing or two about joy in the midst of chaos. God looks upon the creation and says over and over again, "It's good!"
And God's work of creation and re-creation is ongoing. Creation is never a static thing. One of the favorite cliches of church folk is, "God is doing a new thing!" God certainly is doing a new thing in the life of our church and in my family's life. But if we think that will be the end of God's work we'll be mistaken! Chaos has a habit of creeping up on us. The boxes and dust and old stuff may go away, but there is always something else to take its place. Remembering a breath prayer can help in such times. During your next chaos, say to yourself, "It's good!"
Genesis begins with the wonderful words, "When God began to create the heavens and earth there was a formless void..." Unlike OLUMC or my house God did not tear out or adapt something to a new reality. As classical theology expresses it, God created ex nihilo, "out of nothing." There were no boxes to go through, no offices to relocate, no hammers banging. There was chaos, and God brought order. The first creation account in Genesis 1:1-2:4 speaks to God creating from voice. The second account (2:5-3:24) shows God as more hands on. However God creates, you and I can learn a thing or two about joy in the midst of chaos. God looks upon the creation and says over and over again, "It's good!"
And God's work of creation and re-creation is ongoing. Creation is never a static thing. One of the favorite cliches of church folk is, "God is doing a new thing!" God certainly is doing a new thing in the life of our church and in my family's life. But if we think that will be the end of God's work we'll be mistaken! Chaos has a habit of creeping up on us. The boxes and dust and old stuff may go away, but there is always something else to take its place. Remembering a breath prayer can help in such times. During your next chaos, say to yourself, "It's good!"
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