Envisioning God When you close your eyes, how do you imagine God? When you think of God, what images come to mind? “Take it with you” journal Doodle, take notes, sketch, color, acrylic painting Share your perceptions during coffee time

Why not How!

Envisioning God as… Creator/ Father Gen 1-2,  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Envisioning God as… Creator/ Father Gen 1:6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 9 And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry ground “land,” and the gathered waters he called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Envisioning God In the beginning… God… Created… Heavens and the earth… God saw that it was good…

Envisioning God God formed humankind… 2:7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. 8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed.

Envisioning God Formed vs. Created God formed people out of the dust of the ground that God had created

Envisioning God Jesus was with God in the beginning and had a hand in forming people Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men… 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father,

Envisioning God Jn 17:24 Father …You loved Me before the foundation of the world. God loved Jesus before world began

Envisioning God God loved us before world began Eph 1:4…He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,

Envisioning God God’s plan from the beginning was to have people in His family; with God as Father. 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself,

Envisioning God Controversial thought: Biblical teaching places humanity as God’s crowning creation; formed in His image

Envisioning God Controversial thought: “What is man, that You remember him? Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him? 7 “You have made him for a little while lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, And have appointed him over the works of Your hands; 8 You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him.

Envisioning God… in summary God was before anything was created Before the creation of the world, God wanted a relationship with you! God created everything that is to support the existence of humanity God chose to dwell among humanity

So What? Envisioning God as… An architect? A planner? A designer of intricate detail? A lonely being? A puppeteer?

Envisioning God