Monday, November 19, 2012 7:28:35 AM by
Elizabeth Marcil
Beginnings
Most ancient peoples had a curiosity about beginnings. Try Googling “creation stories” someday! The Bible offers two creation stories: Genesis 1:1—2:4 and Genesis 2:5-25. Both have important insights. The first is a great poem with an idee fixe. In the beginning, it affirms, there was only God and not dual principles of good and evil competing with one another. On each day we hear “God said . . . and so it happened.” The very word of God is effective. Each day, God reflects on his creation and “saw how good it was.” God made the world inherently good.
Friday, October 19, 2012 3:58:30 AM by
Elizabeth Marcil
Fall in New England can literally take one’s breath away – especially on a clear, crisp day by a lake at sunset. How glorious! Nature’s beauty puts us in touch with the transcendent. We experience something far beyond ourselves and are caught up in wonder and awe. Try counting the stars on a clear night at sea! The vastness of the heavens and powerful depths move us. In the spring, waking to the sounds of chirping birds and a babbling brook can be sheer delight.
The beauties of nature are a path to God. The mystery of it all leads us to ponder the One who put the stars in place, the Artist who paints the fall, and the Creator who enlivens spring. The mystery calls forth a response. We cannot remain neutral or silent.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012 3:52:10 AM by
Elizabeth Marcil
Emily’s eyes lit up with wonder and delight as she saw the baby doll beneath the ribbon and wrapping. Her first doll! This gift was a perfect fit for the toddler who spent the rest of the afternoon hugging her new baby. At John’s fifth birthday party, he received two lego spacecraft kits. At first he was curious, but when he opened the box and a zillion tiny pieces spilled out, he was quickly overwhelmed. It took days and lots of help to complete the project. After he finished, the ship had pride of place on a shelf in his room. Years later, John spied the duplicate gift. He opened it and had it assembled in an hour. Had the gift been ill timed? Perhaps, but perhaps not.
Our human experience of gifts is complex. Some are treasured. Some are rejected. Some demand time and engagement. Some take on new meanings through the years. A gift requires a giver and a receiver. Gifts are gratuitous – we cannot demand them nor can we deserve them.
Faith is a gift of God. The Giver is a Person who desires a relationship with other persons.
Believing is a human act, subject to all the complexities of our human experience of receiving gifts.