Sunday, May 22, 2016

WOW.... REJOICING AND DELIGHTING

May 22, 2016 (all ages)
Pentecost 1
STORY TELLING
¨      Wow!
¨      What makes you say "wow"?
¨      Louis CK video.

¨      My flight to YZF last week.
¨      Don't ask... Just enjoy.
¨      Awe... awwww... awesome.


MESSAGE
¨      Let's talk about the creation of the heavens and the earth.
¨      When did it happen? Most agree sometime between six thousand twenty years ago and fourteen billion years ago.
¨      No humans to observe the beginning.  Depending on who you ask, "we" didn't come along until sometime between five days and 14.9998 billion years after creation began.
¨      Tradition-based: Genesis 1 (order to chaotic sea); Genesis 2 (growth of the earth); Proverbs 8 (artisan).  Start now as work back.  Explain what exists now.  No need to explain creation beyond human experience.
¨      Evidence-based:  scientific observation focused on 'laws' of physics.  Reverse engineering an expanding universe.
¨      "How" the universe came into being is a scientific question.
¨      "Why" the universe can into being is a philosophical question.  Philosophy is influenced by spirituality.
¨      Spirituality can pick up where science leaves off.
¨      Interventionist God versus Artisan-and-Observer God.
¨      Free will versus Dictatorship: Gareth Higgins video. 

¨      God wants to be discovered more than God wants to control us.
¨      Is there space between the extremes worthy of our delight and joy.
¨      Case of self described "a-theist" Rev. Gretta Vosper and West Hill UC (Scarborough: Toronto ON).  See Toronto Star article.
¨      Does it matter if we think God exists or not?  What is the advantage or draw back?
¨      Proverbs 8 "artisan" and/or "child".
¨      The poetry of metaphor give language to beliefs... but we don't believe in the metaphor, but in what it represents.
¨      Our actions are most authentic when they are consistent with the beliefs behind the metaphors.

Let us pray:
God of All, thank you for the enjoyment of the life you gave us.  Each breath we take is a miracle and we are grateful.  Amen.


#226VU “For the Beauty of the Earth” (tune #81VU)

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