Gardeners

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day six)

In Married for God, Anglican theologian Christopher Ash says we are called to make “little gardeners.” I love that phrase. It captures something tender and profound about the heart of our most ancient commission: to multiply, to cultivate, and to care for the earth and all its inhabitants.

From the very beginning, humanity was not created merely to exist in creation, but to participate in it, to be gardeners. Even the seventh day of creation, the day of rest, is not the absence of purpose but the fulfillment of it. God’s rest reveals the goal of creation: a world where humanity co-rules with God in harmony, delight, and trust, resulting in genuine human flourishing in the land.

And yet, isn’t it striking how few of us know anything about gardening? How far removed we are from the soil beneath our feet? I’m not sure the connection is simple, but it does seem that living by our own wisdom (reaching for the fruit of the tree of knowledge) has left us less attentive to the world we were made to tend and less careful with the lives placed in our care.

Perhaps Treebeard says it best when describing Saruman in The Two Towers:

“He has a mind of metal and wheels, and he does not care for growing things.”

It’s a haunting description because it feels familiar. We know what it is to live at a pace and in a system that prizes efficiency over cultivation, productivity over patience.

But the gospel tells a different story. Jesus came not simply to rescue souls, but to restore creation—to make us gardeners again. In him, we learn once more how to tend what God has entrusted to us: relationships, communities, and the world itself.

Image- Bearing

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day five) Did you notice the context and background in Genesis for the design of human stewardship and rule of creation?  It is part of being an image bearer. In other words, we are challenged to bear the image of God in our ruling and stewarding. We are created with the capability and capacity to steward creation as He would- with grace, love, compassion, wisdom, and creativity (to name a few). We are directed to reflect God’s glory in the way we manage and care for His creation. We are to rule and steward as God would. What kind of rule would that look like?  What kind of stewardship would that look like?  What kind of leadership would that look like? Perhaps a look at the “invisible image” in Colossians 1 would help answer. Even in this assigned task, the expectation is for God’s character and glory to be evident and visible in us.
What a responsibility!
What a privilege!

Unique

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day four)

Humans occupy a unique place in the created order. We are very much part of God’s creation. Adam was formed by the dust of the earth. Genesis, the creation of humans, brings God’s process of creating to a glorious finale. On the other hand, God created humans in his image – a privilege not shared by the rest of creation. We have a unique place of authority over the rest of the created world, yet we ourselves are part of that created world.

After sin entered the world, we struggled with how to handle this unique position. We have often misused our power over creation, exploiting it, squeezing the life out of it, abusing it. In our sin, we treat one another this way as well.

Our original calling as humans is to fill the earth and steward it. We are to do so as image bearers of the Creator himself. As we go about trying to steward creation as God intended, we are meant to reflect his character. What do we need to do differently in order to reflect God’s character in our stewardship of creation?

…As If It Meant More

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day three)

21that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:21)

The Chronicles of Narnia has always been one of my favorite book series. On an almost daily basis, I am reminded of how C. S. Lewis describes heaven, or the new Narnia, in his book, The Last Battle. Lewis attempts to describe the new Narnia as if someone was looking at a beautiful scene of nature in a mirrored reflection of what was truly behind them. They could see a reflection or a copy of what was true, but not the true scene itself. He goes on to write:

The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. (The Last Battle, pg. 162)

Romans 8:21 reminds me that the nature here on this earth that I love so much to be in is not the way that God intended. God’s creation, too, was subjected to the ripple effects of sin after the Fall. As a result, we see God’s creation as a faded reflection of what He truly meant it to be.

I long for the day when we get to see God’s Creation in the way He intended. Not merely a corrupted version, but the vibrant, beautiful, and very good Creation that God made when it, too, is saved from the effects of sin. May we be found as good stewards of His Creation until we see it meaning more!

Best Work

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day two)

God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. 31 a

When I was in graduate school, our conducting cohort often interacted with different disciplines within the school of music. There was a composition major who was interested in hearing his music performed. He handed the score to our professor and promptly told him “this isn’t my best work.” My professor handed it back to him and said, “when you do your best work, let me know and we will sing it.” There was a time and place for trying out new techniques and arrangements, but the top choral ensemble with limited rehearsal time, wasn’t it.

God didn’t experiment. What we see around us, from the mountains to the valleys, wasn’t a trial run at creation. It was perfect. He made everything, exactly as he desired. When he stopped, he looked and said it was very good. If creation speaks of its creator (Romans 1:20), then it needs to do it well. If God poured himself into his creation to testify to his goodness, then we ought to steward well this gift so that our children can enjoy and give glory to the maker of all things.

Monday Re:Vlog – 2/9/26

Re:Verse passage – Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22 (day one)

Join us as Senior Pastor Chris Johnson, Associate Pastor Aaron Hufty, and Minister Megan Langan walk us through Genesis 1:26–31, Romans 8:18–22  in our Re:Verse Series: “Kingdom Generosity – Stewardship in God’s Economy.”

To watch the Re:Verse Blog, Click Here!

Cheerful Giver

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day seven)

 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Cor 9:7

Giving is not a unique belief to Christianity. Most major religions have an aspect of charity that is similar to our tithing. Truth be told, our recommended giving of 10% would be on the upper end of what most religions would ask for. What makes the Christian tithe different from other charity? What makes Christianity unique from other religions as a whole?

God is Love.

Most religions command giving. They make their charity obligatory and compulsive to the point that you might not go to heaven if you don’t give as commanded. Read through the Bible, including the passage today, your tithe is not salvific or redemptive. Tithing is an overflow of a relationship with the One who gave us everything. As we learn that He is Love, we will be eager to give back a portion of what He has given to us. As we experience He is Love, we will be joyful as we trust Him to provide for us in all ways. As we embody that He is love, we will be excited to contribute to the Kingdom’s work so that others might learn that He is Love.

To Give is Human

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day six).

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ: though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

When Paul points the church toward generosity, he doesn’t begin with obligation. He begins with Jesus. Christ’s self-giving life is not only the means of our salvation; it is the restoration of our humanity.

We were created as image bearers, made to reflect a God whose very nature is self-giving love. Sin distorted that image, turning us inward on ourselves. But in Jesus, we see humanity healed. He gives, not reluctantly, but freely. And in doing so, he shows us what it means to truly live.

Generosity, then, is not a loss of life but its fulfillment. To give is not to become less human, but more. When we live generously, with our resources, our time, and our presence, we participate in the life of Christ himself.

Being generous is what it means to be human.

Giving and the Gospel

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day five).
Did you notice that in both of our Re:Verse passages this week that the Gospel is either mentioned or described. Paul wants to teach/tell these believers that there is in fact, a deep and meaningful connection between generous financial giving and the gospel. The Gospel is to be not only understood and received, but in chapter 9 Paul points out that believers should “obey” the Gospel. We obey the gospel through loving actions of sacrifice and service. And generosity expressed through giving, as Paul points out in chapters 8, is also a beautiful picture of the Gospel- Jesus giving up His riches in heaven in order for us to become rich. So, when we give, we obey and portray the greatest generosity ever known!!

Growth

Re:Verse passage – 2 Corinthians 8:1–9, 2 Corinthians 9:6–11 (day four)

When we think about our spiritual growth, certain things come to mind: growing in our faith and trust in God, growing in our knowledge of Scripture and doctrine, developing our spiritual gifts, growing in love for our neighbors and spending more time serving others. All of these are great indicators of spiritual growth, which Paul acknowledges are happening among the Corinthians. He adds another indicator of spiritual growth to this list, though: generosity in finances.

When we think about spiritual growth, finances aren’t usually the first thing to come to mind, but Paul reminds us that the way we steward our money and the way we give to others is very much a reflection of our spiritual life. It’s easy to think of our finances as a separate category, but our life is one integrated whole, of which Jesus demands the entirety. Just as we are to grow in prayer, service, and wisdom, we are to grow in generosity. When we truly understand Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, the ultimate form of generosity, then we will reflect that generosity in every part of our lives, just as the Macedonian Christians model for us here.

We would never say “alright, I now have exactly enough faith,” or “I have enough knowledge of Scripture, I don’t need anymore.” We want to grow in those things more and more for the rest of our lives. In the same way, may we grow in generosity, allowing the Lord to show us more and more ways to give and steward our money according to his purposes.