In The Beginning

Today our pastor began a new sermon series. Called "The Big Picture," it's a twelve week look at the Bible. Predictably we began today with Genesis. The "decorations" in the church, and on the bulletin, for this series are twelve icons, looking just like computer icons, depicting in simple pictures the topic for each week.

Such basic stuff might seem to be either a blessing or a curse when it comes to putting together sermons and Life Group lessons. On the one hand there's a lot of material to work with. The more material, the easier to put the sermon and lesson together. On the other hand it's stories that are very familiar to those who have been in church for a while. How can you come up with something that doesn't seem too simple?

Our pastor solved that dilemma with his sermon. Beginning with the creation and working his way through the patriarchs as far as Joseph, he gave us the basics of the Genesis story without it seeming too basic. Even having heard it many times before, I was able to keep my attention on what he was saying, and take a few notes of interest.

In Life Group, I concentrated the lesson on the importance of the creation story, how scientific discoveries have all confirmed what Genesis says, how at times when they seemed to disagree it was because man insisted on clinging to some beliefs that really weren't biblical. This was a good discussion, with everyone in class participating.

I'm not quite sure of my co-teacher's schedule. He had knee surgery in early July and I've taught every lesson for close to two months. I think I'll have the next three weeks off, and will enjoy just having to be prepared in case he gets called into surgery (as he did today). He texted me during church to say he had just finished a gastric torsion surgery and he wouldn't be there. He didn't say what kind of animal he performed it on. Whatever it was, I'm sure it was happy enough for the relief it got. I'll be glad for the teaching relief.