Week 2 Bible Study

Last night was my second night with the Disciple Bible Study program at church....the majority of our reading dealt with creation, beginning obviously with Genesis and then various readings from Psalms and Job that relate back to the Genesis creation story.  Quick(ish) thoughts...

• Our materials sought to stress the important of not taking the story literally.  I have to admit, I was relieved by this.  Lately I have encountered much of this, and have been amazed as I become increasingly aware of the hostility our country in general has as it regards not just evolutionary theory of species, but scientific theories and explanations for the origin and processes of the universe.  It was interesting to hear people talk about how many of them weren't even exposed to the scientific ideas until high school, and how difficult it has been for them to move forward.  I have never had a problem looking at the story figuratively (might be my Catholic background, among other reasons), and thus have no issue reconciling it with scientific theories on the universe and the evolution of species.  Because of how much tension I have seen this cause in other circles of our society, it was nice to have an open, respectful discussion.

• The theme for our week of reading was titled "Wonder."  Similar to my reading I have discussed previously of Heschel's "God in Search of Man," the gist is having wonder at creation.  What I find particularly interesting, both in Heschel's work and in many of the notes in the study bibles I have looked at, there seems to be an underlying suggestion that scientific discovery removes wonder from our world.  I assume the thinking goes that having a scientific explanation for the setting sun, and how the hues of colors are reflected in the atmosphere somehow makes the beauty of the sunset less wondrous.  I've never really understood this...for me, the more I learn about the natural world, and the complexity and intricacies and the expansiveness of it all, the more in awe of it I am.  An interesting point in our discussion last night dealt with sharing a moment where one felt complete joy or peace or wonder at creation. Everybody's story dealt with a moment in nature.  Mine, which I remember vividly as being a moment where I was just "WOW," was when I learned that 2 or 3 earths could fit inside Jupiter's large red spot storm.  I have to be wired differently.

• Our discussions on the concept of rest and the Sabbath were very interesting, particularly as we all have somewhat busy lives, with either work or kids (or both) making the idea of a strict, literal rest for an entire day seem impossible.  I think the idea of taking time away from everything, to recenter and refresh with our spiritual selves is excellent, and is in no way limited to a day (this parlays back into the discussion of a literal translation of Genesis - was the earth created in six days?).  Anyway, what I take is that we often get bogged down in details and the minutia of a "law" or "rule," or forget to live by the purpose.

• We had a great discussion on our role as stewards of creation. I often feel that this is an overlooked part of the Genesis story, our responsibility to care for the world.  We talked about being more conscientious about what we consume, to explore more recycling, the "doing" stuff that I really like in these conversations.  I also think there is a relationship between how we interpret the creation story in Genesis and our ability to meet this charge.  In order to better take care of this world, of creation, we must educate ourselves and become more knowledgeable about it, and our role and impact on it.  For me, this requires us to explore science earnestly.  Viewing the earth as 6,000 years old, based on a literal interpretation, in my opinion, does nothing to help us meet our charge.

Apart from the ideas we discuss, its been a good group.  Its somewhat apparent to me that I have to be wired differently...others talk about "God" moments they've had in the past week or in their lives, and its not something I have ever had, and its not something I instinctively accept.  But I don't doubt their genuineness and authenticity, so its very thought-provoking for me to observe.  But I imagine it will be easier and easier for me to share my complete thoughts (always with an appropriate filter - I have my reasons) as the class progresses.  As it is, with the nightly reading and notetaking, and a 2-hour-plus discussion setting reminds me how much I enjoy being a "student."