Fresh Air: Renewal in God’s Creation & Kingdom
When you send forth your Spirit, they are created,
and you renew the fact of the ground (Ps 104:30)
The World is catching some fresh air as countries begin to emerge from the pandemic. Throughout the crisis, we were all stunned by how fragile life can be – even the smallest of germs can bring havoc to modern science and to the social structures that many of our contemporaries take pride in. We were awakened to pray to God for life, who is not only our Saviour but our Creator. It is “the Spirit1 of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (Job 33:4). We become aware that creation is the foundation of the gospel, a fact made clear by both the first and the last books of the Bible: “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory… and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” (Rev. 14:6-7). Jesus Christ was in fact the Creator long before he became the Saviour, “for by him all things were created” (Col. 1:16). This year’s sermon series is designed to help us reflect on Christ as both Creator and Redeemer, as we look to him for “fresh air” in both our physical and spiritual life when we, our church and our world emerge from the pandemic. As such, we must not forget the dual Great Commandment and Commission that the Triune God places on our shoulders:
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over
the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over
every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Gen. 1:28)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” (Matt. 28:19)