CREATED IN GOD

These activities are based on the first creation story in Genesis. Yes, there are two different stories from two different traditions that got edited together at a later point; the second creation story is the whole Adam and Eve Garden of Eden story found in Chapters 2 and 3. This first story is a poetic metaphor showing the creativity and power of God. It was probably never intended to be taken literally, as “God created the world in seven 24 hour days”. It is a myth that tells a truth; God is the creator of the Universe. Interestingly, this creation story has God creating male and female simultaneously, as opposed to the second story, which has God creating man first and then later creating woman out of his rib.[1]

Step one: Read the scripture

Either do a straight reading of Genesis 1:1-2:3 or divide the group into seven teams (if you have fewer than seven people, you can easily combine days one and two). Have each team read one of the days of creation and give them 10 minutes or so to figure out a way to act it out for the rest of the group.

Have them act out the scripture for each other.

Part two: Me as one of God’s tiny universes

Leader: We’re going to do seven activities based on the seven days of creation to get us to think about ourselves as a tiny universe created by God.

Day one: the light and dark of me

Leader: I’m going to invite you to put your body where your personality/physical characteristics are in terms of “in the light” and “in the shadow”. Imagine that one side of the room is “the light”; (point to that side) the place where everything is clear. The other side of the room is the dark or shadow side, (point to that side) where things are not so clear or may or may not exist. I’m going to say different physical and personality characteristics and want you to move to the light side of the room if it’s very clear that you have that characteristic. Move to the shadow/dark side if it’s not really clear if you have that characteristic, or if you’re sure you don’t. Remember the light is not better than the dark, just different.

Day two: Heaven above and earth below.

Leader: Next we’re going to reflect on our personal “firmament”, heaven above and the earth below. Earth is perhaps an easier thing to experience than heaven. Earth is more concrete; heaven seems to be more abstract. In the world of “you” what physical things make up your firmament, your physical characteristics. In the world of “you,” what abstract things make up your firmament, your personality, feelings, beliefs?

Close your eyes. I’m going to talk about your body from head to toe. As I mention parts, think about the strength or weakness there, what parts do you love, what do you take for granted.

chest… back…tummy…internal organs… hips…butt…vagina or penis, depending on your gender…legs…feet…

Keep your eyes closed and try to think of the non-physical firmament in your life. What values do you have?…What holds everything together in your life?… What gives you strength? For instance, how strong or weak is your relationship with God… Your friends …Your family …Your integrity … Being compassionate … Your cultural identity … Your sexual orientation … the things you love to do … music …

Now open your eyes and find one other person in the room to share one physical and one non/physical or abstract element of your firmament.

Day three: dry land and vegetation

Leader: Vegetation serves a number of purposes. Some of it is simply there to be beautiful, and others are for food. Now break into groups of three. If you had to come up with a simply beautiful plant that would describe you what would it be and why? Share it with your group.

When the “beautiful plant” sharing is finished look at the other people in your group. Take turns telling the others what kind of food plant you think they are like; how are they sustaining and nutritious to others? What gifts of tase and texture are they in recipe/relationship to others? Spicy? Sweet? Crisp? Hidden seeds? etc.

Leader: We really only get the sun, moon, and stars from a distance, and mostly what we see is a reflected image. Break into new groups of three. The sun is the biggest and brightest thing in the sky, it’s like the first impression people have of us. Go around the circle and come up with a word or phrase describing your first impression of each other.

The moon is not as bright and bold, but it holds things that can’t necessarily be caught on the first look. Go around the circle and come up with a word or phrase describing yourself.

The stars are bright bits. Take two minutes and throw out as many images you can of each other.

Day five: fish and birds

Leader: Fish live in the water, which in psychological terms is symbolic of our emotions. Birds live in the air, which is symbolic of thoughts or ideas. Swim around the room and find one other person. Now tell them about how you’ve been feeling this past week (take two minutes for each person to speak). Now, fly around the room and find a different person. Tell them what you like to think about when you’re daydreaming (take two minutes for each person to speak).

Day six: animals and humans

Leader: The tiny universe of “you” does not exist in a vacuum. We have other universes around us that form the many relationships in the larger world of family, friends, and community. Close your eyes. I’m going to go through various kinds of animals and people. Who in your life corresponds to each of them?

Day Seven: God looked down on what God had made, saw it was good, and rested

Leader: After God created everything, God looked down and saw it was good. After God created you God looked down and saw that you were good. On the count of three we’re all gonna yell as loud as we can, “God made me Good!!!” … one…two…three….

ACTIVITY TWO: REFLECTING THE IMAGE OF GOD THE CREATOR

(Approx. 1-2 hrs.)

Materials needed

· Seven good size (2x3 or 2x2 or 3x3) pieces of plywood or sheet rock or ¼ inch poster board, (or any other very sturdy material).

· Clay or play dough in different colors (the salt, water, flour stuff works just fine)

· Access to natural stuff, rocks, sticks, leaves (carefully gathered so as not to kill anything or mess up the habitat of other creatures)

Re-Read Genesis Chapter 1:1-2:3 or have the group retell the story of what happened each day

Making and sharing their worlds

Reaffirm to them that Genesis 1:27 says they were created in the image of God. A very creative God. Ask them to think about what they’d do if they had the chance to create a world. Get them into groups of five and have them build a world using all the craft materials. Tell them to be as creative as they wish.

When every group is finished have them show their world to the other groups and talk about how they decided what to do what they did, and interpret any symbolism if they would like.

ACTIVITY THREE: TAKING CARE OF GOD’S CREATION (Approx. 1-2 hrs.)

Step one: Re-read Genesis 1:26-31

Many English translations of scripture say that humans have dominion over the rest of creation. The more exact translation from the original Hebrew would be more that we are “caretakers” or “stewards”. Have a discussion of the difference between the words “dominion over” and “stewards of”. How might our understanding of ourselves as “stewards of creation” change the way we act in the world as opposed to “having dominion of creation”?

· write letters to government agencies or officials about environmental concerns

· raise money to help an environmental organization like Greenpeace or the Save the Rainforest group

You can do the play as part of the retreat or do it for a group of children as your environmental action.

Invite each person to make a personal commitment in their lives to do at least one thing that will help the Earth. Have them make stoles (cloth pieces 3 inches by 3 feet decorated with their names and their promise) and commission each person to go and help God’s creation.

· Stand in a circle and invite each person to come and kneel in the middle one at a time, holding their stole. (A pillow on the ground would be helpful)

· As each person kneels ask them, “What is your name and what is your promise?” When they respond say, “________________ (Name), I commission you in the name of God who created you, Christ who redeems you, and the Holy Spirit who sustains you to use your gifts. May God give you the strength to fulfill your promise.”

[1] This editing together of these two stories puzzled early Rabbinical scholars and they concluded that God must have actually created two women. The first woman, who they named Lilith, left the garden because she wanted to be Adam’s equal. The second woman, Eve, stuck around until that snake/tree/forbidden fruit incident.