Week 1: God Made Matter
Genesis 1-2 Review the big story: This is the very first story we read in the Bible. With the foundation of this story, we start to understand all other stories in the people of God.
Tell the story: These stories tell us that our beginnings are in God. They tell us that God created the earth and God created us, all to live in harmony with each other.
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Prime the Pump: As you read these stories, here are some things to think about.
- Things to notice:
- Notice how peacefully and intimately God works in creation. How does reading about this peaceful work feel to you when you look around at creation now? When you look at what is happening around the world?
- To understand why this story was so radical in the ancient world, read this story (http://www.gly.uga.edu/railsback/CS/CSMarduk.html), which tells the Babylonian creation myth.
- Notice that the Bible tells the story of creation twice! These stories show us different perspectives on the same story. Why do you think they are both included in our Bible?
- Notice all the times that God blesses what God creates. Say those blessings out loud. Let them be blessings for you and for the world around you.
- Notice what the humans do on their first full day of life (hint, day 7). Why do you think their lives start this way? Can this be instructive for us?
- Background information:
- The Hebrew word for “earth” is adamah, and the word we translate as “man” is adam. We are so connected to the earth. Throughout the passage, notice the relationship we are created to have with all creation.
- The “wind from God” is the same word (ruach) we translate as “spirit,” and it’s a feminine noun. Right off the bat, we learn that God is not just one particular gender.
- Conversation starters:
- Genesis 1:27 is a poem, and it makes a big difference in how we understand ourselves. What does it mean to be made in the image of God?
- What images of God are in this story?
- What wonderings do these stories inspire in you?
Microsong: “God Made Matter”
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
Sing the Big Song
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
God loves every one of us, it’s true, and God loves the universe.
This is the story of how it all began. God made matter, and chaos shattered.
God loves every one of us, it’s true, and God loves the universe.
Go do your household project!
To learn more about the inspiration behind these household projects, click here.
To learn more about the inspiration behind these household projects, click here.
Project Ideas:
The project proposal is simple. We suggest that each household (or group of people who choose to collaborate) choose a project that they will work on each week, which will culminate in a big story project. Here are a few of our ideas, but let these be the yeast that gets your ideas growing!
The project proposal is simple. We suggest that each household (or group of people who choose to collaborate) choose a project that they will work on each week, which will culminate in a big story project. Here are a few of our ideas, but let these be the yeast that gets your ideas growing!
- Sing through the Bible playlist - find one song for each story (it doesn't have to be explicitly about the story; it could be connected to your reflections on the story).
- Bible story book: Create an illustration for each story. On the opposite page, put the story or key passages, your own summary story, or the microsong.
- Photo Journal: Write something each week as you reflect on the story.
- Poetry Journal: Write a poem inspired by the story each week.
- Lego storytelling: Create a scene (or several scenes) of each week's story. Take pictures, stop motion animation, or video of it. At the end of the series, you'll have a lego meta-story.
- Act it out each week. Record your dramas.
- Come up with a motion for each story/micro-song.
- Eat it: Cook something each week that is inspired by the story. Keep track of what you make, and at the end, you'll have an Eating the Bible Cookbook.
- Podcast: Using a simple and free podcast app, record a short podcast of your reflections on the week's story.
- Service: Find a way to enact what you have learned each week, doing an act of service that is inspired by the story. Take pictures or short videos, and at the end of the year put them together into a reminder of your year of service.
- Map: Create a large map of the "Bible Lands" - maybe one that lives on a wall of your house, or one that gets rolled up each week. Create a weekly small drawing or symbol and tape or pin it to the map. Maybe you even want to connect each story with thread so you can trace the movement of the people of God.
- Hybrid: Do a different version of the project each week (maybe one week you draw it, another week you build it, and another you act it out). Keep a record of it in some way so that you can string the projects together into one big Bible project at the end.