Our Sr. High Sunday school class is digging into the Hebrew Scriptures this fall. We are looking for ways to connect our narratives to the stories of God's people found in the Old Testament.
We started this week looking at one of the creation stories in Genesis. Did you know there are two creation stories in Genesis? We started with the one found in Genesis 2:15 that says "The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
We learned that the Hebrew word for work or serve (ahad) is the same root as the Hebrew word for worship (avodah) and began discussing how we can worship together as we take care of the creation God has given us to care for.
Together, we pondered whether the liberation for us and the earth talked about in Romans 8 is can be a reality in this life, or only in the next and how easy it is to feel disconnected from creation in the cities and suburbs we live in.
Join us in the discussion this week. Use the following questions to spark conversation at the dinner table or engage in one of the challenges listed. Let us know how your story unfolds!
Conversation Starters
- If you don't have the option of working outside like the man created by God in the Garden of Eden, how can you live in a way that doesn't leave you feeling disconnected?
- What are your three favorite things in creation?
- What are the things you do that make you feel most connected to God through creation? What prevents you from doing them more often?
Challenges
- Consuming meat is harmful to the environment. It is estimated that eating meat four or five times a week produces the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 4.5 hours of driving. Try cutting back your meat intake this week, starting with Meatless Monday.
- Find a local farmers market and buy all of your food for the week from farmers working the land near where you live. Ask them about seasonal produce and recipes that can sustain you through the winter.
- UNICEF reports that humans need approximately five gallons of clean water a day to survive. In the United States, we use an average of 151 gallons per day. Look for ways to reduce your water intake his month. You could turn the water off while you brush your teeth, drink one less pot of coffee each day, drink from the tap instead of bottled water or take shorter showers. Challenge your family to do it together and log your progress on the fridge.