Loving God, we give you thanks this day for creating us, redeeming us, and making us holy by the power of your Spirit.  Make us faithful stewards of all that you have made, and renew us in your love, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            When we get to Trinity Sunday on the church calendar, we are invited to celebrate the fulness of who God is, as well as God’s relationship with us and with all of creation.  At the same time, we recognize the mystery that continues to be present in the triune God.  All of our questions do not get answered, but we are invited into the wonder that is creation.

         Today’s reading from Genesis takes us back to the very beginning, “when God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).  It is a description of creation that raises many questions for people, and so it is helpful to have a sense of what we are reading.  Genesis 1 is a poetic, and perhaps even liturgical, account of creation that was written much later than other parts of Genesis.  It was written to lift up the importance of the sabbath, as well as to distinguish the God of Israel from the gods of the surrounding nations.  And so, here are some of the things that are communicated:

         There is order in creation rather than chaos. / God’s word is powerful enough to speak creation into being. / All things were created good, and once the human beings have been added to the picture, God sees that it is “very good” (Gen. 1:31).  In fact, the human beings are created in the image of God, resembling both God and the other members of the heavenly council.  The human beings are also given dominion over all of the other creatures that inhabit the earth.

         Within the Scriptures, there is much rejoicing and praise in response to God’s creation.  Job describes how “the morning stars sang together and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy” at the time of creation (38:7).  In Proverbs, lady wisdom is present at creation, “rejoicing in [the] inhabited world and delighting in the human race” (8:31).  And, in the Psalms, the writer marvels that God would even care about human beings in the midst of such a vast and amazing creation (8:3-4).

         Whether it is gazing up at the stars, or admiring the beauty and intricacies of flowers, or breathing in the scent of the earth and trees in the woods, many of us have also marveled at the beauty, the majesty, and the tiny details in creation.  Many of the earth’s creatures are delightful to watch, and there are times when we, too, can rejoice in creation.

         These days, however, some of us might doubt God’s wisdom in putting human beings in charge of the rest of creation.  Whether it is destroying natural habitats, or plundering the earth’s resources, or polluting the air that we breathe, those with the money and the power have ignored the welfare of the earth and all of its creatures.  As with anybody who exercises dominion (or lordship), it can be done for the benefit of all, or it can be a tyranny based on selfishness and greed.

         As people who worship God and who believe in Jesus Christ, we are called to exercise dominion by being good stewards of all that we have been given – and that includes creation.  We are, in essence, being asked to care for something that does not belong to us, for “the earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it” (Ps. 24:1).

         These days, the climate crisis has gotten to the point that some experience only despair as they look towards the future.  Yet, others are doing whatever they can, making every effort to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.  In fact, one of the items to be addressed at the ELCIC National Convention this summer is how we as a national church can become carbon neutral.  While it might seem as though the things we can do are small and of little effect, a bunch of people doing little things adds up over time.  Plus, there are those interesting passages in the New Testament that talk about preaching the gospel “to the whole creation” (Mk. 16:15)!

         While this sentiment is not explicit in the commissioning of the disciples in today’s gospel, salvation is for all of God’s creation.  As we go, we are to baptize and teach and make disciples, all the while sharing the love of Jesus and being faithful stewards of the earth and all that is in it.  This is no easy task for those of us who are mere mortals – which is why the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost – and is given now.  The Spirit is the way in which Jesus continues to be with us – “to the end of the age” (Mt. 28:20).  Whether we worship, or doubt, or both, we are among those who are sent out.  And, just as the fullness of God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – was involved in creation, so will it be at the end of the age.

         In the meantime, remember that we have been created in the image of God, redeemed through Jesus Christ, and set apart for service by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

The Holy Trinity(A)                           Genesis 1:1-2:4a

June 4, 2023                                    Matthew 28:16-20

St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church

Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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