Where All Things Must Begin

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 

LEADER: The heavens declare the glory of God,
  and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
  Day to day pours out speech,
  and night to night reveals knowledge.

ALL: The law of the LORD is perfect,
  reviving the soul;
  the testimony of the LORD is sure,
  making wise the simple;

LEADER: More to be desired are they than gold,
  even much fine gold;
  sweeter also than honey
  and drippings of the honeycomb.

ALL: Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
  in keeping them there is great reward.

LEADER: Bless the LORD, O my soul!
  O LORD my God, you are very great!
  You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

ALL: He set the earth on its foundations,
  so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a garment;
  the waters stood above the mountains.

LEADER: O LORD, how manifold are your works!
  In wisdom have you made them all;
  the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide,
  which teems with creatures innumerable,
  living things both small and great.

ALL: May the glory of the LORD endure forever;
  may the LORD rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles,
  who touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
  I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

LEADER: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

Col. 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

2Cor. 4:1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Glory be to God for dappled things –
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough;
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

In the Beginning, Henri Blocher
Creation and Fall, Temptation–Two Biblical Studies, Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Body God Gives Us, Robert Smith