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Creational Devotional |Day One
Day One: Light, Dark, and the Wind from God
Today’s Reading
(Genesis 1, verses 1-5)
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the
earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the
deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God
said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light
was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the
light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and
there was morning, the first day.
Prayer
Creator God:
You breathe powerfully yet tenderly over the waters of creation.
May we, with all creation, learn to give You thanks for Your breath
of life. Amen.
Meditation Options
(1) Activity for young children to adults.
Light a candle and turn out all of the lights in the
room after you have read, out loud, the Bible reading and the prayer. In
silence, close your eyes and then try to imagine what the universe felt
like when it was formless, void, and completely dark. When you are ready,
open your eyes slowly and notice the light from the candle come in through
your eye lashes then into your entire field of vision. Talk/think about
how the first light in the universe may or may not be like this candle.
What was the universe like without a sun, moon, stars, or even an earth?
(2) Activity for young children to adults.
Please draw a picture of what the world would look like
if it were asleep. Make sure that you include the places, animals, people,
and things that you most like. Tell your family/group how you could wake
up your beautiful world in order for it to feel happy when it woke. How
do you like to be awakened in the morning? How did God awaken the world
and the entire universe?
(3) Reading for older children to adults.
Imagine that you are sound asleep, like a baby before
he/she is born. Not even a crack of light enters your eyes. You sleep in
a safe place, and the darkness in your sleep is like a warm, comforting
blanket. You begin to dream, and it's such a good dream that you consider
how nice it would be to stay dreaming forever. But, something deep inside
of you realizes that if you don’t awake, your fluid dreams will never become
solid and real. Just when you realize this, someone who cares for you dearly
comes and stands at your side. You begin to feel this person’s loving presence
and his/her comforting breathing – this presence and breathing
gently awaken you. So, slowly you begin to let light enter your eyes. Now,
you begin your day with the realization that you are dearly loved and that
your waking is precious to the one who loves you.
Now, in your calm, meditational state, imagine that there is no sun, no moon, no stars, and no Earth. The entire universe is in a state of deep darkness, as if in a sleep -- a deep, deep sleep like that of an unborn baby. In this dreaming state, the God comes to lovingly rouse the sleeping Creation. God casts a life-filled, all-embracing wind over the universe. This wind, or "breath," begins to awaken the universe to the experience of lightness and darkness, to the endless rhythms of activity and rest.
The awakening of the universe, of the entire Creation, is precious to the God of love. God loves us and all of Creation, and is pleased that we are all real and awake. Let us rejoice in the gift that we share with all of Creation: the gift of life with Creator and the gift of rest in the presence of our Creator when we are tired.
Growing Prayer
(One person:) Dear God,
As the winds continue to caress the waters of creation,
Expressing thanks to You,
So we thank You for Your continued presence throughout
the entire family of creation.
(Everyone:) And God saw that creation was good! Amen.
Suggested readings for the week
Adults: Dream of the Earth, by Fr. Thomas Berry,
Sierra Club Books.
Children: Old Turtle, by Douglas Wood, Pfiefer-Hamilton
Publishers, a Caldecott Award-winning book.