On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
News Year Eve is the 6th day of Christmas. It is a fitting mid-way point for the 12 days of Christmas that lead to Epiphany. We have celebrated in this song symbols of God – the true love.
He has given us:
His Son: The Partridge in the Pear Tree
His Word in Old & New Testament – statements of his faithfulness and covenanted love: Two turtle doves
His Character to tell us who/what he is – Faith, Hope, and Love: Three French Hens
The Gospels Tell of His Son, Jesus’ life – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John: Four Calling Birds
The Torah, Moses’ books that begin the God Story – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers & Deuteronomy: Five Golden Rings
NOW, today we celebrate the beginning of the beginning books – Creation. In the 6 Geese a laying there is birth. The beginning of Genesis recounts the story of creation in six days. Each egg represents a day of creation, the time that God formed the earth. Genesis’ account of creation is not meant to be a debate, but a reminder of God the creator and sustainer of the world, and our role as stewards of God’s creation.
Our Readings:
Genesis 1:1-2 (NASB)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.
Genesis 1:26-31 (NASB)
26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you;
30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, I have given every green plant for food"; and it was so.
31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Psalm 90:1-2 (NASB)
1 Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
A Prayer:
Lord God, creator and sustainer, we honor you for your awesome power, your attention to detail, your ability to create the varieties and beauties of the world around us. Father, we accept the responsibility of being stewards of the world around us and at the end of this year we anticipate the new opportunities to “tend” your garden of the land we live on. Help us with your Holy Spirit to remind us of those ways to be faithful to what you’ve called us to do. In Jesus’ name we pray.
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