The first humans lived in the first garden, walking daily with God. The first humans lived in the first marriage, gardening-in-relationship by God’s word. The first humans lived in the first church, on a high place from which four rivers flowed, resting with God in perfect fellowship.

To realise that all three ‘spheres’ – human existence, the first marriage, and the first church – all happened in one moment, in one place, at the start of all things is to also recognise that the thread that runs through all three is the same: God’s created order brought about by his word.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen what this means for being a man, for being a woman, and for being a man and a woman in relationship (marriage). And last week, Trace helped us understand this order with the words ‘headship’ and ‘submission’ – descriptions of the qual but different roles for man and woman, and not statements of value or worth. This week, we will explore what that looks like in God’s mob.