Questions for Children (or anyone else)
Genesis 1
Trinitarian: Vestiges
May 17 2020
Click here for: Vestiges Children's Sheet
Draw a peacock's feather or tail. What about it is amazing? What about it is beautiful?
Where in the first three verses of Genesis can we see the Son?
How does "incompletion" emphasize the Son?
Do you ever stop to look at the beauty of something God made? This week go outside and spend some time looking at the insects. What structure do you see in them? What beauty do you see?
Draw a picture of the outpouring of God's spirit or gifts. What would that look like?
Make a list of ten things you are thankful for that you don't deserve.
Sermon Text
Genesis 1:1–3 (ESV)
1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
2The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:31–2:3 (ESV)
31And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
1Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
2And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.
3So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.
A Little Deeper
There is tremendous value in reflecting back on God and His (Triune) nature through creation. Bonaventure, a medieval theologian I have come to greatly appreciate for his thoughts on the Trinity, would talk about "exemplarity" and within his system this exemplarity was the the middle term emphasizing the Son within the triad of emanation (F), exemplarity (S), and consummation (HS). Bowman, in The Cosmic Exemplarism of Bonaventure, writes, "Exemplarism can be defined as the doctrine of the relations of expression between God and creatures. It presupposes that God is the prototype of all that exists and he expresses himself in creatures, so that as a result creates express the Creator."
In the sermon I mention both structure (S) and beauty (HS) and how they are seen in the peacock's tail. Stuart Burgess, a Christian and engineer, has written a journal article on the peacock's tail, but his brief talk here on Youtube is far more accessible and absolutely delightful. In fact, I encourage you to show it to your children. I trust that as you remark on the unbelievable design, structure, and beauty of the peacock's tail, your heart will be caught up to praise our Triune Creator.
Songs for singing and listening to. Use them to reflect on before or after the sermon.