As we begin a new school and program year, we’ll also enter our new series, Story Matters. And on Sunday, we’ll go back to the beginning, with God’s creation of humanity in the garden. Genesis 2-3 paints a picture of a world ordered by God, complete with boundaries and limits. From the very start, God offers humans both abundance and restraint. Creation is not limitless; even in paradise, there are boundaries meant to sustain life in harmony.
The challenge that we continue to struggle with is to accept those limits. Humankind’s decision to eat from the forbidden tree is more than a simple act of defiance; it’s a rejection of God’s created order. In crossing that boundary, humanity begins a pattern of overstepping, misunderstanding our place within creation, and damaging what was meant to flourish. As Wendell Berry reminds us, “The great obstacle is simply this: the conviction that we do not need to live in our place, but that we can live above it, beyond it, without its blessing.”
This ancient story speaks to our modern world, where the consequences of ignoring creation’s limits are all too real—environmental destruction, climate change, and the exploitation of resources. Just as this story matters, we are reminded that the stories we tell and the stories we live shape how we understand our place in God’s creation. This year, as we journey through scripture, we’ll encounter the ongoing narrative of God’s relationship with humanity—a relationship that invites us to rediscover the sacred balance between freedom and responsibility, abundance and restraint.
The story of Adam and Eve is not just a cautionary tale from the distant past. It’s the beginning of a larger narrative that shows us how God continues to offer guidance, wisdom, and mercy when we fall short of honoring creation’s limits. Each week, as we explore new passages, we’ll find that God’s story is one of love, justice, and restoration—a story meant to shape our shared life of faith. Through these scriptures, we’ll be invited to see how the choices we make today, individually and collectively, can either perpetuate harm or bring healing to the world around us.
As we walk through this year together, may these ancient stories guide us toward living more faithfully, helping us recognize the sacred limits in our lives and the call to care for God’s creation with humility and grace. In a world often driven by the impulse to take more than is given, these stories remind us that God’s way is the way of life—flourishing within the boundaries of God’s good creation.
May God’s peace find you today. -Pastor Peter
Let’s pray… Creator God, guide us to honor the sacred limits of your creation. Help us live faithfully, embracing your story of love, justice, and restoration. Amen.