Even though we still have a couple more weeks of Summer, this Sunday marks the beginning of the “program year” at United Parish, so I suppose it’s fitting that our Bible story this week starts off with “in the beginning…”. It’s a story of God making order out of chaos, of making meaning out of mess, of making delight and life out of emptiness. It’s a lot to live up to…or is it? Perhaps to some of my school teachers’ chagrin, I’m decidedly not a perfectionist, and never have been. An oft-quoted motto is “good enough is good enough.”
And yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m unaffected by society’s emphasis on high-achievement, on constant self-improvement, on tweaking and perfecting and always striving to be better. In fact, I used to think that being content with being “good enough” just meant I was lazy. It’s a fraught little dance in my head between my own inner sense of “good” and our culture’s desire for “better and better still.”
That’s one of the reasons I love the creation story in the Bible. God creates the world, everything in it, and declares that it is “good.” Not “perfect” (that word is indeed used elsewhere in the Bible, but not in this story!). So if “good” is good enough for God, if God already delights in creation’s goodness, then why would I ever try to achieve something I wasn’t made for?
But that begs the question…what was I made for? What is our purpose? Big questions for a little blog. Join us on Sunday at 11am in the Sanctuary and on YouTube to ponder these Big Questions together. I promise it’ll be good.
In faith,
Amy
Kick-Off Sunday
9am: Children’s Choir “Open Sing” (Grades 1-8), in the choir room
9:45am: Church School kick-off, on the lawn (or in room 204 if rainy)
9:45am: Chancel Choir Rehearsal, in the Choir Room and/or Sanctuary
11:00am: Worship in the Sanctuary and online
After worship: Potluck picnic on the Front Lawn (or in Willett Hall if rainy)
