Tuesday 7 February 2023

Today is Tuesday the 7th of February, in the fifth week of Ordinary time.

Nick Chambers with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Where Were You?’

Where were you
When I laid the Earth's foundations?
Morning stars, they sang together
All the children of the heavens shouted for joy
Where were you?
Where were you
When I gave the sea its limits?
When I made the clouds its garments?
When I wrapped up in darkness, shut behind doors?
Where were you?
Tell Me, wherе were you
When thе waters split in two?
When the world was new?
When I said, "Good morning, dew"?
Show Me where were you
Do you know
The extent of all the horizon?
The expanse of all the oceans?
Have you walked these depths and edges
Mountains and shores?
Do you know
How I lead the constellations
And the rhythm of the seasons?
And did you set free Orion shine in the void?
Do you know?
Tell Me, do you know
How the light knows where to go?
Where the winds will go?
Where the darkness makes its home?
Surely you must know
I don't know
But in the whirlwind of my weakness
O, my God, I hear You speaking
When I think of all Your secrets
I shake and rejoice

Today’s reading is from the Book of Genesis.


Gen 1:20-2:4

And God said, ‘Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the dome of the sky.’ So 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. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.’ And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

And 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. God 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. And God saw that it was good.
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.’

So God created humankind in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
God 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.’ God 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. And 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. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all their multitude. And 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. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work that he had done in creation.

These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

God’s creation becomes even more fruitful and purposeful. Life of every sort comes teeming out of the waters, winging across the sky and walking or creeping over the land. Where does your imagination take you in this reading? How do you imagine God feeling as all this rich variety of life forms comes into being?

There are two accounts of Creation in Genesis. This account speaks of humankind being given dominion over the rest of creation, filling the earth and subduing it. What are your reactions and feelings when you hear those words and reflect on what we as the human race have done to creation so far?

As you listen to part of this reading again, notice what strikes you and why. Are you able to rest with God on the seventh day or is there something that excites or disturbs you?

We are made in God’s image and likeness. This gives us kinship with God the loving Creator who finds all things good, including ourselves. What do you find yourself wanting to say to God at this time?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.