This is the manuscript of my second sermon at Grace UMC on Harbison in Columbia, SC. Preached Sunday July 7th, 2024. The sound was not working in the livestream so I'm sharing it here in case anyone would like to read it.
July 7, 2024 Genesis 2:8-17
Sermon Title: Garden of Eden, part of the Road Trip Series
Goals: Set up series. Emphasis on God is with us from the Garden of Eden to Emmanuel God is with us in Bethlehem. This is the thread of the series, and the story arc of the Bible; God is with us!
Notes: Garden of Eden. The goodness of God, the provision of God. Adam and Eve were kicked out, but God’s provision was still there. We may not be in the garden, but we still have the benefits of God’s good earth. Humans are not the totality of God’s creation. Introduce the theme of awe, how can someone look at God’s creation and not be in awe of God. Reference the creation psalms, glory of God, the heavens tell the glory of God. Who is God that God is mindful of us…
Sermon:
Something you don’t know about me; I love to drive. I have taken the boys even when they were little on long solo trips to Ohio, before getting married single girl thought nothing of jumping in the car and driving away. I love road trips. Snacks (gummi sharks), audiobook and miles of open road. (pause) Love it. So, when I was thinking about summer preaching (which is defined by usually lighter topics) I thought…(pause) let’s go on a road trip! And since we’re traveling by imagination, what would be some iconic destinations? (breathe)
We’re going to start with the Garden of Eden, head to Mount Sinai, then to the River Jordan and end up in Bethlehem for a little Christmas in July. The thread that connects each of these stories is God’s presence and provision. God provides everything in creation, God gives order, God provides instructions and a way in the wilderness, and God is with us, Emmanuel, the name which means God is with us, God comes to Bethlehem. The Messiah, our Savior is with us. It’s going to be a beautiful trip.
So, first stop, (pause) the Garden of Eden. The garden of Eden is described in the Book of Genesis, primarily in chapters 2 and 3. “The exact location of the Garden of Eden remains a mystery, but we do know its general vicinity. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are the clearest landmarks [and are mentioned in today’s scripture reading]. We also know that early civilization centered in the Fertile Crescent, the area sweeping through modern-day Kuwait, Iraq, Syria and Israel. Eden was either located in the northern mountains around the source of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, or in the southern delta region, closer to the Persian Gulf.” (Wayfinding Bible see page 11) I think it’s amazing that theologians, archaeologists and scientists have an idea where the Garden of Eden was located!
From today’s text we know that the garden of Eden was a paradise created by God as the dwelling place for the first human beings, Adam and Eve. It was abundant with every type of tree that was pleasing to the eye and good for food. Verse 9, “Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” God provided both beauty and the practicality of food. I love the emphasis made on pleasant to the sight, I think so often we get caught up in the day to day grind we forget to stop and marvel at the beauty of creation. The beauty of the shape of the canopy of a tree or the shape of a green leaf. It’s amazing that a tree, something that is typically large, grows from something as tiny as a seed. And when you think about the odds against a seed growing, “some estimates suggest that only a small percentage of seeds (often less than 10%) may successfully germinate and grow into mature trees in the wild. (nature.com)” Yet, we have trees! It’s a miracle worth admiring. And the trees were designed by God to be both beautiful and fruitful. That’s amazing. And a good reminder to stop and admire creation. When was the last time you marveled at creation?
If we look to the psalms, we find many examples of the wonder, the moments of awe and admiration for God’s creation. Moments when we connect with the sacred through the beauty of creation. God created humanity with so many pathways to connect to God. Beauty is a powerful way. Have you ever driven on a long stretch of road and come round a bend or crested a hill and just been in awe of nature? I’m thinking of coming round the bend near the Saluda grade by Asheville and the magnificent view of the blue ridge parkway. Or as a kid when we turned on to Locust Avenue and I could see the white chicken barns of my grandparent’s farm. We take trips to see God’s beauty, in the natural settings we see or in the people we are visiting. We, as humans, need beauty. I know that may seem strange in our world today to declare that humanity needs beauty, because practicality and convenience have displaced beauty as a value. Yet something happens to us in those moments of beauty when we encounter God in creation. (Brian Zahnd, Beauty will Save the World) When was the last time you marveled at creation?
The Bible highlights this experience, of marvel or awe or wonder, in the psalms. In Psalm 8, the Psalmist marvels that despite the vastness of the universe, God cares for human beings and has crowned them with glory and honor. Psalm 104 is a majestic hymn celebrating God as the creator and sustainer of all life. It vividly describes various aspects of creation—water, mountains, vegetation, animals—and praises God for provision and wisdom in sustaining all of creation. Psalm 24, praises God's sovereignty and holiness, acknowledging that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it is God’s. It emphasizes the beauty and significance of God's creation as part of God’s divine ownership. When was the last time you marveled at God’s creation?
Our reading today ends with the command to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Most of us know the rest of the story, Adam and Eve are tempted and eat the fruit. They are kicked out of the garden. It’s a complicated story, and has theological ramifications and has at times been used to subjugate women and to teach that humans are inherently evil…I’m not sure the Bible, as a whole, supports all the ways that the creation story has been used in the world. But I think it is important to highlight that God’s provision did not end in that moment when Adam and Eve exited the garden. God clothed Adam and Eve and creation, the land, plants, animals all of that remained. God continues to care, to be mindful of us. God is present, providing for our needs and seeking ways to reconnect to humanity. We will talk more about God’s rescue plan when we get to Bethlehem.
The Jesus Storybook Bible, that I read to the children for children’s sermon puts it like this: “God wrote I love you in the sky, and on the earth, and under the see. God wrote this message everywhere. God created everything in the world to reflect God like a mirror, to show what God is like.” (Jesus Storybook Bible, page 12) The creation story teaches us what God is like. God is a creator. God is a provider. God wants creation to succeed and not only have life but to have beauty and joy and wonder! That’s amazing. When was the last time you marveled at creation?
It's amazing that despite Adam and Eve being kicked out of the garden we, even today, benefit from God’s good creation and provision. Humans are not the totality of creation, there is more to the story here. God’s provision remains for humanity and for all of creation. God’s story begins in the Garden, just like our road trip, but God’s story far surpasses any road trip we can take because God’s story is written in every place, every face…God’s story is written in love. God did not create the world and walk away, God has remained. God is with us in our struggles and wins and every mile of our faith journeys. So the question I leave you with today to ponder this week is When was the last time you marveled at creation? When is the last time you truly had a catch your breath moment of marvel at the goodness of God? As we journey onward, may we make time on our journey of faith to look for beauty and marvel at God’s goodness in creation. Amen. Amen. Amen.
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