First United Church of Christ (Bremen, IN)

Murals on nursery walls give us a false impression of what happens in these verses. This is not a cute story. It is a story of judgment. What do we make of the death toll here? More importantly, what does God make of it?

Genealogies tend not to make for compelling reading. But this one is odd. First of all, folks die in their 900s. What do we make of this? And then there are these "sons of God" who marry "the daughters of men." Who are they? A passage like this raises larger questions about how we read the Bible. How do we understand how God communicates with us? 

Why is it that God rejects Cain's sacrifice? The fact that the text offers no clear answer suggests that maybe that's not the point. Cain knows what the issue is. But rather than addressing it Cain turns against his brother Abel. It's a win for "the seed of the serpent."  But there is hope in this chapter. In fact, there's evidence of God's secret weapon.

After describing the consequences of Adam and Eve's disobedience, God does two things: bars access to the Tree of Life and dresses the couple in clothing made from skins.  But these aren't just actions in response to what's been done, they offer insight into where things go from here.  There is a strange and profound grace here. 

After Adam and Eve make their excuses for eating the fruit, God lays out the consequences of their actions.  Given how interconnected the earth is, the impact of what they've done is felt in all aspects of life. Life will be a struggle. However, it will not be a hopeless struggle. Here's a printable version of the sermon.

The account of creation and fall in chapters two and three make a point of highlighting the nakedness of the human protagonists. It's not the nakedness itself that's important. It's the awareness (or lack thereof) that gives us a clue as to the nature of paradise and the consequences of the fall. Here is a printable version.

By eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve undermine the whole of the creation. They hit the self-destruct button, of sorts. Why would God even make that a possibility? Why put that tree in garden at all-- let alone smack dab in the middle? It turns out that what it represents is central to the whole operation. 

Our failure to fulfill our role as "bridge creatures" in ways that consider the land and its needs has had devastating consequences. Today we take an opportunity to consider one very particular way to bear witness to a different way of living. A way of loving the land and our neighbors-- both human and animal. 

This second creation account underscores the connection between living things. They are formed out of the earth. But how is the Creator connected to it all?  The passage gives us two ways indicating God's profound commitment to the earth. This is actually the audio of a video that was played in the service since Pastor Mark had COVID. The video is posted on YouTube.

Too often the main takeaway from Genesis 1 is that God created the universe. Certainly that is there. But to stop there is to miss what the structure and rhythm-- not to mention the language itself-- strives to tell us.