God Speaks and It Happens - A Sermon for Sunday September 7th 2025
Welcome to the Narrative Lectionary.
The pattern for readings is different than we are used to
with the Revised Common Lectionary.
Each Sunday we will focus on one reading,
as opposed to the traditional 4 scripture readings.
These readings move through the biblical narrative,
and we will see many connections.
This is God’s Story, and in it, we find our story.
Invite scripture reader forward.
We begin today like our Bible -
in Genesis, in the beginning.
So let us enter the story,
let us open our hearts and minds to God’s Word
to hear what God is saying to us, today.
FIRST READING: Genesis 1:1-2:4a
L: A reading from Genesis.
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night.
C: And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
L: 6And God said, “Let there be a dome in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7So God made the dome and separated the waters that were under the dome from the waters that were above the dome. And it was so. 8God called the dome Sky.
C: And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.
L: 9And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas.
C: And God saw that it was good.
L: 11Then God said, “Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.” And it was so. 12The earth brought forth vegetation: plants yielding seed of every kind, and trees of every kind bearing fruit with the seed in it.
C: And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
L: 14And God said, “Let there be lights in the dome of the sky to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, 15and let them be lights in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. 16God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. 17God set them in the dome of the sky to give light upon the earth, 18to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness.
C: And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.
L: 20And God said, “Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.” 21So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, of every kind, with which the waters swarm, and every winged bird of every kind.
C: And God saw that it was good.
L: 22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”
C: And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.
L: 24And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind: cattle and creeping things and wild animals of the earth of every kind.” And it was so. 25God made the wild animals of the earth of every kind, and the cattle of every kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground of every kind.
C: And God saw that it was good.
L: Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”
29God said, “See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
C: God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
L: Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. 2And on the seventh day God finished the work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. 3So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation. 4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
Word of God, word of life.
Thanks be to God.
It is fitting to hear “In the beginning” today
as we celebrate the start of fall programming,
as we celebrate with new members,
and the promise of Baptism.
Creation begins on a Sunday,
the first day of the week.
Saturday is the week-end,
the 7th day,
and Sunday is the first,
even if some calendars are printed otherwise.
This is why Jews to this day honour the Sabbath
on Saturday,
when the week’s work is complete.
Christ rose from the grave on a Sunday,
Now the eighth day of creation,
a new completion,
which is why most Christians worship on Sundays.
These ancient practices are rooted
in the ancient stories of creation.
God speaks - and it happens - and it is good.
Except that God does not say “it is good”
on each of the seven days.
Not every day of creation is called “good”
On day 1, Sunday,
God saw the light and said “the light is good”
Then on the second day when God created
the dome that separated the waters,
God doesn’t say “it is good”
because it was a Monday,
of course Mondays are no good.
Seriously, no, God did not have a case of the Mondays.
Day 2 was not called “good”
because it was not complete.
On day 1, there is a problem: darkness.
Darkness means chaos,
darkness means unknown,
darkness means fear.
God says “Let there be light”
and the darkness problem has a remedy,
and it is good.
Day 2, there is a dome separating the waters,
but there is still the problem of the waters.
In ancient times, water is associated with chaos.
Still today, water is chaotic,
just ask the ocean,
it doesn’t care.
God’s work is bringing order and beauty
out of chaos.
On day 3, dry land comes forth,
and vegetation comes forth,
order and beauty out of chaos
and then it is good.
Day 4, God creates the Sun, moon and stars;
Light amidst darkness,
light amidst chaos -
and it is good.
Day 5, Thursday, God creates fish and birds.
God’s creative fingerprints are found
in the air and the seas,
but it’s not complete.
God does not say “it is good” on day 5.
On day 6, God creates land animals,
with this, there is life in the air,
and in the seas,
and on the land,
then, it is called good.
But “good” isn’t good enough,
Remember, Day 6 is Friday,
humans are the last thing created
and no one does their best work
on a Friday afternoon.
It’s a bad joke -
humanity is broken,
humanity is fallible,
but you and I are not a product
of God just getting the work done before the weekend.
God doesn’t mail it in at the end of the work week.
God speaks, and it happens.
God creates goodness,
then God rests.
And is not until God’s likeness is created,
not until humankind is created in God’s image
that creation was called “very good.”
Remember this.
When you have a poor sense of self,
when you are down in the gutter,
when sin and suffering and enemies surround you
Remember:
You are part of what makes God’s creation very good.
Humanity has a unique capacity for good,
and a unique capacity for evil.
Humanity is invited to live into God’s creation
to become co-creators with God,
in unity,
celebrating diversity
living in harmony,
joining God’s work
of bringing order and beauty out of chaos.
But we humans often choose chaos,
we choose disunity,
we choose the fist over the handshake.
we choose darkness over light.
we choose chaos over beauty and order.
God seems ok with this - we aren’t puppets,
in God’s wisdom,
we can choose life or death,
light or dark,
goodness or evil.
One way of understanding God’s work in creation
is God creating healthy boundaries
so that chaos doesn't take over.
The chaotic waters wont swarm the land.
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness cannot overcome it.
We know that there is chaos still out there.
God’s ongoing work continues
to bring order and beauty out of chaos.
With this creation story,
we become co-creators with God,
“Be fruitful and multiply”;
from the very beginning
God is interested in new life;
not just making babies,
but all creation being fruitful and multiplying
in its goodness.
A word on the language,
you probably noticed the plural:
“Let us make humankind in our image”
which stands in contrast to monotheism.
We believe in one God,
so do our Jewish neighbours;
some presume to think there were multiple gods,
but this is not accurate.
I learned this week that this royal “we”
in ancient times,
was imagined to be God in the royal court
making plans with the angels.
Some Christians take a different approach,
we tend to see the Holy Trinity here.
God the Father, Creates.
In the beginning,
Ruah, wind, spirit hovers over the waters.
And from John’s Gospel,
the third creation story,
In the beginning was the Word,
Jesus Christ.
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
The Triune God speaks, and it happens.
About some 13.8 billion years ago,
at the moment of creation,
the Big Bang, if you will,
sound waves vibrated through primordial ooze
and God made the universe,
God speaks, sound waves ripple,
and creation happens.
Friends,
another word on language,
the Genesis story
makes it sound like God created,
and took off.
Complete, finished,
see you later.
But we know that God is speaking.
God is still creating.
The universe is infinitely expanding,
God is renewing and sustaining all of creation.
So what does God speak today?
God’s Word brings order and beauty out of chaos.
In the chaos and depth of human sin,
Jesus speaks forgiveness.
In the chaos of finding our place in this world,
Jesus speaks acceptance
In the chaos of polarity, mental health,
economic and social insecurity,
God, the Mother Hen
gathers us in protecting and loving embrace.
In the chaos of hunger,
Jesus feeds us at the Welcome Table.
From the very beginning and even today
God feeds God’s people.
God speaks,
and it happens.
When God speaks,
God brings order and beauty out of chaos.
Trust this: forgiveness is happening,
acceptance is happening,
love is happening,
feeding is happening.
By Christ’s life, death and resurrection,
by the Word who was in the beginning with God,
our faith is perfected,
completed,
by the same Holy Spirit that hovered over the waters
and raised Jesus from the grave,
your sins are gone,
by the same Creator who spoke in the beginning,
our God continues to bring order and beauty
in the chaos of your life.
God is at work in you,
and indeed, it is very good.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
