Thursday

Good morning! How are you today? Thursday = sermon, prep for Sunday day. We had a good class last night. We laughed a lot as we considered Genesis 2. I think it was holy laughter. We discussed the idea that "naked" was before the Fall, and "nekkid" was post-Fall. OK, you had to be there. I am really wrestling with how to capture what's going on in Genesis 2. I think it's a picture of what we all long for, what we desire. It's paradise, where everything is as it should be.

What's interesting is how the Story of God reads. God creates paradise -- a garden, more like a national park. Mankind is placed there, in God's cosmic kingdom, to partner with God, to work in the garden, to have dominion over it and what's in it. We are the crown of creation. Through our selfish rebellion, we forfeit it. See Genesis 3. But God won't let it/us go. He begins the long process of restoring it, and that's how the Story ends in Revelation. Paradise is restored to those who are faithful.

Revelation 2:7
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Revelation 22:1-5
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

We are in the middle of the Story. Our faithful position in it requires us to bring the future into the present by living out God's loving way and will. Thus the Lord's prayer, "Your will be done on earth as it in Heaven." Of course we are fallen and the all of creation is fallen, which makes it challenging, to say the least. We, along with all of creation, long for the Day when everything will be made right and new. Restoration and Redemption. See Romans 8:18-25.

This morning I will work on my sermon to point of frustration, which is a key part of the creative process. Then it will be time for a run. Usually in a state of frustration, my sub-conscious mind keeps working, and then when I come back to the desk, I am ready to move forward. Some things cannot be forced. I have scheduled for today hill repeats. I ran 6 easy miles yesterday morning. Twenty five degrees with little wind actually felt pretty good!