I hope you find this to be a great faith activity for the whole family of all ages. This week’s theme focuses Dwight’s sermon from the January 3rd service.
Scripture: From Desmond Tutu's, Children of God Storybook Bible
Questions and Family Wonderings Based on the Scripture Above
- What was there in the beginning?
- What happened on the first day?
- What happened on the second day?
- What happened on the third day?
- What happened on the fourth day?
- What happened on the fifth day?
- What happened on the sixth day?
- What happened on the seventh day?
- That seems like a lot to happen each day huh. Do you think that the days were the same kind of days like how we think of them? 24 hours?
- What did God create humans, based on the scripture?
- What does taking care of the earth and enjoying it mean to you?
Thoughts from the Director of Faith Formation
In Dwight’s sermon, he identifies this first creation story as an origin story. I would agree. I have also been known to identify it in the literary genre of myth. Babylonian myth, to be precise. Some folks, scholars, conjecture that much of the book of Genesis originate in Babylonian myth. I love myths! There is a lot to learn from myths. And myths can re-frame our understanding of what a truth can be.
For me, myths aren’t factual truth, but something else. They are truth, in effect that they help us gain insight. This is why I ask the question about time above. Rather than think of each day in this creation story like days on a calendar, another way we could think about time here is by event. Each day is marked by an event, since there was barely a day and night to record calendar days by yet. If day and night were just created, then the calendar was still something to be figured out much later.
But, I’m getting way off topic! I love the Tutu translation of this story because of how it relates our purpose. Our purpose is to enjoy the earth and take care of it. One of the ways I enjoy the earth is noticing her in as many ways as I can. I try to take time to see the earth in small ways: a sunset, the ways the leaves change during seasons, how beautiful the earth becomes when the snow is falling, or the bounty of her beautiful lakes, of which we have many here in Minnesota. When I lived in California, I would go backpacking in mountainous terrain, and take in the beauty of the earth in higher altitudes like Yosemite. When I would go backpacking, I had nothing to do BUT enjoy the earth and take care of her. I would notice everything around me while backpacking because there were absolutely no distractions. I wonder how you enjoy the earth. Are the ways you enjoy the earth also taking care of it, too?
Activity: Creation Mirror
- You may have heard of mirroring exercises, where you have a partner and you both do the same movements, taking the lead from one another, with one person begin the leader and the other following. It’s a great way to learn about, and to get in touch with the other person.
- For our Creation Mirror exercise, each member of the family who is participating is invited to find something in nature to observe and then mirror. It’s that simple!! Through doing this, we can learn about creation, and get more in touch with it.
- After you’ve all done your mirroring exercise, you are encouraged to talk about your experience with each other.
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