Genesis 1, Adapted

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and everything in between, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that it was good!  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. 

And God said, “Let there be sky, to separate water from water.” 7 And it was so. And God saw that it was good!  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day. 

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. And God saw that it was good!  

 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day. 

And God said, “Let there be sun and moon to give light on the earth, and let them mark sacred times, and days and years, and let there be stars.” And it was so. And God saw that it was good!  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day. 

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And it was so. And God saw that it was good!  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. And God saw that it was good!  

Then God said, “Let us make humans in our image, in our likeness, that they may care for the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky,  the livestock and all the wild animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created humans in God’s own image, in the image of God, God created them; in all genders and shapes and colors God created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful, bring life to the earth and care for it. Care for the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you the earth, that all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—may be fed. And it was so. God saw all that God had made. And God saw that it was good!  

And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day. 

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Questions for Reflection 

• How have you learned about the earth on which we live? Give thanks for those who have taught you about life and creation! 
• Where do you feel most connected with God, our creator? 
• How do you feel called to live out God’s invitation to care for the earth, and all that lives in it?