Cover to Cover: Day one

Day 1: Genesis 1-2 and others

I bought a copy of Cover to Cover, CWR's chronological Bible reading plan, years ago. I've finally got around to trying to read the Bible through in a year – something I haven't done since I was a student. My life is very different now – much busier, less focussed, with lots of differing demands on me and my time. If I succeed in getting through the Bible in 12 months, it will have cost me some considerable effort, and hopefully it will have taught me something new about disciple and focus.

I think it's a worthwhile effort.
The headings that follow are taken from Cover to Cover. Following them are my thoughts as I read.

The Pre-existent Christ: John 1:1-2 

 The creation declaration: Psalm 90:2

The Origin of Creation: Genesis1:1

Satan Cast out of Heaven: Isaiah14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:13-19

Judgement of Creation:  Genesis 1:2a

Creation for habitation: Isaiah 45:8

The Six Days of Creation

1st & 2nd Days: Genesis 1:2b-8

3rd Day: Genesis 2:5-6; 1:9-13

4th, 5th and 6th Days: Genesis 1:14-26, 2:7

Creation of Man in Detail: Genesis 5:1, 1:27

Creation of Woman :Genesis 2:18-25

Names given: Genesis 5:2, 3:20

Man's Dominion over Creation: Genesis 1:28-30

Creation Completed: Genesis 1:31, 2:1 & John 1:3

Seventh Day established: Genesis 2:2-3, Exodus 20:11

The Garden of Eden: Genesis 2:8-17

I have read a piecemeal series of verses describing the circumstances of Creation, the primordial chaos our of which creation happened, the fall of Satan from two pieces of poetry in Isaiah and Ezekiel, which refer, half to earthly kings, and half to something else. Then the story of creation itself, of the dome that God planted in the midst of the waters of chaos, separating them into two halves, and establishing a boundary within which order and beauty march their way across ocean, land and sky. Then, the creation of humankind, specifically and uniquely made in God's own image, given dominion over the rest of creation, given a garden – a world in miniature – full of beauty and fruitfulness, in which to dwell.

The story is written to make many different points – it isn't told straight. Reading all these bits one after another has the effect for me of underlining God's purposefulness – all this was done with a plan in mind – a destination that would be hard to reach. It's a story that will span the whole of the Bible, before that destination is at least sketched out.

No wonder God needed a rest after starting it all off!

The blog of despair

What do you write in your first blog post? Something optimistic, surely? Some words of hope about the blogging marathon you are cheerfully committing yourself to?
Well, I had to be different.
I have a realistic impression of how many readers I'm going to get.
None.
There, I've said it. I'm talking to myself, and I know it.
I can only hope that at least God is listening in. If he had any junior angels spare with nothing much to do, surely by now they're all fully employed 24/7 keeping up to date reading the latest posts from the world's lonely bloggers. Of whom I am the latest.
Not that I'm lonely - far from it. Often I crave more time to be alone, or at least, alone with God.
The hermits do much the same - justifying loneliness in order to get close to God.
My trouble is that I'm lonely for God. I miss him. I don't find enough time to be with him, and I feel stretched too thin, like butter on too much bread, as Bilbo says.
First blog posts should contain a mission statement. What I intend to achieve with my new window on the (cyber)world.
Do me a favour, gentle angel reader. Read again the sentence about being stretched too thin and wanting to be with God more.
Will that do as a mission statement? Is that something worth your time in reading this?