Dear friends,
I hope you’re as excited as me that we’ve begun our journey into Genesis! Last Sunday, I gave a broad introduction to Genesis, its context, and what it’s trying to convey to us across time and space, before diving more deeply into Genesis 1 & 2.
I shared some things that I learnt in seminary, things that surprised me because I was never taught these things throughout the decades that I’ve been attending church. I guess many pastors were worried about confusing or stumbling their congregations, so they decided to keep things simple, more black and white. But I respect your ability as a congregation to digest and grapple with more complex material. And more importantly, I hope that sharing these things with you will help you better appreciate the richness and depth of Scripture, as well as God’s heart for us and the world. My prayer is that this series will help expand your mind, heart, and faith.
To be honest, a part of me was concerned how this sermon might land with you. So I was relieved and deeply encouraged by the feedback that I received from several people. Amelia, who’s currently the Mission Secretary for Education, Formation, and Empowerment with the Council for World Mission, texted me this:
“Just wanted to say that two of us watched your sermon online yesterday and thought it was really great. Clearest intro to Genesis I think I have ever heard. Well done. Better than any theological college lecturer I have heard!”
This meant a lot to me, especially coming from her. If you missed this intro to Genesis and want to watch it, you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/X9_U7xicK_U?si=cMmVr3U7JLfBspNP
This Sunday, Wendy will help us gain a fresh perspective to Eve, and what was actually happening in the Garden. We will also be having AfterWord after the service, so bring your questions and insights to our discussion. You can register here: fcc.li/afterword
So come join us this Sunday, and I look forward to seeing you!
Shalom,
Pauline