23rd February: 2 before Lent
online Morning Prayer.
Genesis 2:4b-9,15-25
The second account of creation is written in a less formal and a more poetic style than the one in Genesis 1. God forms man from the dust of the earth (‘adamah’ in Hebrew), and sets him in a garden. He then makes a companion for the man from one of his ribs, a part of his own body, united to him and equal to him.
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
In the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.’
Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.’ So out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,
‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman for out of Man this one was taken.’
Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.
Luke 8:22-25
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side of the lake.’ So they put out, and while they were sailing he fell asleep. A gale swept down on the lake, and the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger. They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, ‘Where is your faith?’ They were afraid and amazed, and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?’
Something to think about
In the Old Testament there are many references to God’s power over the waters, starting with the creation story (Gen.1:1-2) and the rescue of the Hebrews at the Sea of Reeds (Ex/14:21-23). The Psalmist reminds the people of God’s power over the waters (Psalm.107:23-31, the writer of Job tells of the great sea monster, Leviathan, which God alone can control When Jesus stilled the storm the disciples wondered how he could share God’s power.
Collect
Almighty God, give us reverence for all creation
and respect for every person that we may mirror your likeness
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Post Communion
God our creator, by your gift
the tree of life was set at the heart of the earthly paradise,
and the bread of life at the heart of your Church:
may we who have been nourished at your table on earth
be transformed by the glory of the Saviour’s cross
and enjoy the delights of eternity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Next Sunday’s (2nd) Readings:
Exodus 34:29-35
Luke 9:28-36
Please remember in your prayers this week:
Those who are sick or suffering, including Tim Sadler, Linda Torr, Margaret Marsden and Nadia, or very elderly, especially Stella Young and Arthur Williams.
The recently bereaved, especially the friends and relatives of Angela Bonning, David Lowe, Patrick Lacey, Anthony Kellow, Judith Watson, Kevin Waring and Gerald Humphries.
Areas of conflict: the Ukraine, the Middle East and too many others.
Our local churches, as they face up to the problems of the future, such as the interregnum.
Our Ministry Team: Maggie, Nigel & Lynda and her support: Simon.