Cori Anderson preaches from Genesis 1:1-2 at the 2024 Women's Christmas Gift Exchange.
Cori Anderson preaches from Genesis 1:1-2 at the 2024 Women's Christmas Gift Exchange.
Women’s Gift Exchange 2023
Chaos vs Peace, Creation and Jesus
Welcome to this year’s Women’s Gift Exchange. I know many of you have participated before but for those of you who are first timers, you should know that some of us show a side of ourselves that doesn’t come out on the average Sunday morning. There are some competitive women in our church, but also a lot of cheerleaders. You will likely feel both intimidated and encouraged at some point today. It can be a bit chaotic, but it is organized chaos of the best kind and we hope everyone feels welcome.
Speaking of chaos, I find the holidays to hold in tension both chaos and peace. There are so many parties, gatherings, concerts, and events that the calendar definitely feels chaotic. Some gatherings involve tense relationships or hard conversations that feel difficult, maybe even chaotic. Holiday shopping and traffic are absolutely chaotic. But at the same time the still nights with twinkling Christmas lights, hot coco in front of the fire, the picturesque manger scene on a Christmas Card, candlelight Christmas Eve services, and hymns like Silent Night all present visions and moments of peace and warmth.
So, what does the Bible tell us about chaos and peace? Order and Disorder? In Genesis 1:1-2 we read about God hovering over the dark waters.
In the beginning God Created the heavens and the earth. 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. -NIV
The Message version helps us really paint a mental image:
First this: God created the Heavens and Earth—all you see, all you don’t see. Earth was a soup of nothingness, a bottomless emptiness, an inky blackness. God’s Spirit brooded like a bird above the watery abyss.
In the ancient world the words formless, darkness, emptiness, watery abyss were all words communicating chaos. God forms the cosmos out of this “soup of nothingness”, creating order out of disorder, separating the light and dark, the water and dry land. He appoints beings to rule over the created order. The heavenly hosts rule in the skies, the great sea creatures rule in the seas, and humans are given dominion over the earth. These are all deemed to be “Good” but when they abuse their power, deviating from God’s ordered design, they become emblems of chaos and de-creation.
Throughout the Bible we see how God overcomes the various “Chaos Monsters”. He slays the Leviathan in Isaiah. Through the power of the Lord, Moses controls the staff which becomes a serpent and then a staff again. The Lord overcomes corrupt leaders like Pharoah, and the king of Babylon. David’s faith in the Lord allows him to slay the giant, Goliath. Daniel survives amongst the hungry lions. And ultimately Jesus crushes the head of the serpent, the Satan of the Garden of Eden, and He calms the wild chaos waters on the Sea of Galilee.
What does it mean for us, that the God of the universe who rules over the Chaos waters and controls the Chaos Monsters, has adopted us as sons and daughters. We read in Matthew 14:22-33 that while the disciples are in the stormy waters on the Sea of Galilee expecting death, Jesus invites Peter to join him on the water, the chaotic, stormy water.
As soon as the meal was finished, He insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while He dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, He climbed the mountain so He could be by Himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night.
Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared to death, “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror.
But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Do not be afraid.”
Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.”
He said, “Come ahead.”
Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!”
Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “faint-heart, what got into you?”
The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat having watched the whole thing worshipped Jesus saying. “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!”
Jesus, demonstrating power over the chaos waters that only God has, invites Peter into the chaos of this world, into the role designed for Adam to rule over creation, maintaining the order He created. When it’s too much for Peter, Jesus IMMEDIATELY reaches out his hand. They step into the boat together, into the peace and calm.
We have the power, through Jesus, over death, the ultimate de-creater of God’s created order. We can lean into our designed role as God’s appointed rulers of creation with confidence, knowing Jesus will immediately reach out to us when we need Him most. What does that look like for you this holiday season? Can you reign in the chaos by extending some extra grace to a difficult family member or coworker? Can you extend kind words to an anxious friend or the peace and comfort of being present to someone missing a loved one. When you feel the anxiousness bubble up inside of you, remember, your Lord controls the chaos, He creates order where there is disorder, and He has extended his peace to you so that you might extend it to those He has placed around you.
If you haven’t met this Jesus who controls the chaos, creates order, brings peace, and overcomes death, read his Word. Talk to a friend who brought you. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and He will give you peace and help you navigate through this often chaotic world sending the Holy Spirit to guide you. I’ll leave you with this benediction from Romans 16:20.
The God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.