The Jesse Tree

First Monday of Advent: Creation

A Reading from the Book of Genesis (1:1-2:4)

“In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day,’ and the darkness he called ‘night.’ Thus evening came, and morning followed – the first day.

“Then God said, ‘Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters, to separate one body of water from the other.’ And so it happened … Evening came, and morning followed – the second day.

“Then God said, ‘Let the water under the sky be gathered into a single basin, so that the dry land may appear.’ And so it happened … Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth vegetation: every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit with its seed in it.’ And so it happened … God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed – the third day.

“Then God said: ‘Let there be lights in the dome of the sky, to separate day from night.’ … And so it happened … God saw how good it was. Evening came, and morning followed – the forth day.

“Then God said, ‘Let the water teem with an abundance of living creatures, and on the earth let the birds fly beneath the dome of the sky.’ And so it happened … God saw how good it was, and God blessed them, saying, “Be fertile and multiply, and fill the water of the seas; and let the birds multiply on the earth. Evening came, and morning followed – the fifth day.

“Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth all kinds of living creatures: cattle, creeping things, and wild animals of all kinds.’ And so it happened … Then God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ … God created man in his image: in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them.

“God blessed them, saying to them: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all living things that move on the earth.’ … And so it happened … God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed – the sixth day.

“Thus the heavens and the earth and all their array were completed. Since on the seventh day God was finished with the work he had been doing, he rested on the seventh day from all the work he had undertaken. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work he had done in creation.

“Such is the story of the heavens and the earth at their creation.”

God of Creation, You made all things and set them in their place. You made humankind and set us at the pinnacle of Your Creation, alone being made in Your image and likeness. You saw how good it was. You blessed all Creation, and You blessed us with dominion over all Creation. With this dominion comes a responsibility to care for Your Creation. May we, by Your grace, be true to that responsibility, and recognize in all Creation the work of Your hand. Come, Lord Jesus! Amen.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.