Episode 10: Genesis 9:8-17

Translation: The Message (MSG)

3 Questions:
What word, phrase or image strikes you in this text?
Toward what is God calling you in this text?
How will you remember God’s eternal covenant?

Additional texts:
Psalm 25:1-10
1 Peter 3:18-22 
Mark 1:9-15

Transcript

00:02.20
Kevin Shock
Nathan I had ah last night some delicious chicken tenders and it put me in the mood to want to tend.

00:10.57
nathanpile
Oh like God I was like where the heck is he going with this one chicken tenders though I see now chicken tenders that'll the.

00:16.79
Kevin Shock
Ah, tenders this Yes so um, tenders don't be chicken to tend. Okay I'm taking it too far. Yeah, ah to yeah.

00:26.22
nathanpile
Don't don't be chicken to tent. Yeah that you should have started there though that was that was a little funnier.

00:34.13
Kevin Shock
Ah, thanks for holding me in check that that's a that was a little funnier. Ah great. Um, okay, anyway today we're going to be looking at genesis chapter 9 versus 8 through 17 and ah the translation we're looking at today is ah. The message Eugene Peterson's ah, paraphrase of scripture. Um, and you can ah follow along on ah in any bible that you might have around or um, go to bible gateway to find that translation and many others. 3 questions for today. What word phrase or image strikes you in this text toward what is god calling you in this text and how will you remember? God's eternal. Covenant.

01:18.17
nathanpile
A disclaimer about our about who we are I almost went back to the old one there Kevin look at that. Yeah, a disclaimer about who we are. We are men married to women in financially stable households white in our late 40 s college.

01:23.32
Kevin Shock
The old one. Yeah I heard that.

01:36.80
nathanpile
And seminary educated we work in the lutheran church and were born and raised in Western Pennsylvania all of these all of this affects how we read scripture and discuss it. But none of it makes us better able to read and discuss scripture than anyone else. We believe that the wisdom of scripture is the whole communities. Compiled interpretation for life with god and with one another so we want to know what you hear and think from your life experience as well. The reading is from genesis the ninth chapter. Then god spoke to Noah and his sons I'm setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you along with everything alive around you birds farm animals, wild animals that came out of the ship with you I'm setting up my covenant with you. That never again, will everything living be destroyed by flood waters. No. Never again will a flood destroy the earth god continued this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and every 1 living. After you I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds a sign of the covenant between me and the earth from now on when I form a cloud over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living.

03:12.72
nathanpile
That never again will flood waters destroy all life when the rainbow appears in the cloud I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between god and everything living every last living creature on earth and god said this is the sign of the covenant that I've set between me. And everything living on the earth. If you are meeting with a group you can pause the podcast now and engage the questions on your own or you can listen to Kevin here share what word phrase or image strikes you in this text. Kevin.

03:52.58
Kevin Shock
Um I have to look to see what exactly the phrase was but it was um you and everything around you and everyone after you I think yes. Yeah, the the covenant I'm making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you um I just I mean I Enjoy the the image of the expansiveness of the covenant.

04:19.92
nathanpile
In.

04:23.35
Kevin Shock
That you know covenants much like contracts ah are are made between you know, small groups of people. Um, but this is ah this is a big covenant. This is with with every creature of any flesh that lives in creation. And with both Noah and his descendants and all of the descendants. Um, after them as well. The the expansiveness of the covenant and the way that it's articulated. Here in scripture.

05:02.70
nathanpile
Well and and um I I love the way that you put that the not just the expansiveness of it. Um, when you talk about a contract like today. It's usually. Interested parties. It's 2 interested parties here. Everything is in it and and that my my words are everything living because it's it's said in this translation. It's.

05:20.64
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah.

05:35.37
nathanpile
Thrown out there 3 times in that 4 times in that phrase with that phrasing at least 4 times that I can remember reading so everything living like living like a plant living like a slug living like a human um. Everything living is who's in the contract. Um, even if you don't care. You're in the contract like like like again in our society. It's usually 2 people that are are 2 entities.

06:02.17
Kevin Shock
Yeah, right.

06:12.30
nathanpile
To businesses to companies to can be 2 individuals um to groups of people that are interested in doing business together and so there's where the contract comes into play. Um here everything living is in the contract.

06:26.91
Kevin Shock
F.

06:29.77
nathanpile
Whether you're you're interested or not God is saying I'm making this promise to you I'm not going to destroy everything on the Earth again. Um, and so this and this is typical God This is.

06:39.96
Kevin Shock
Yep.

06:50.58
nathanpile
You know like this is big, big big stuff like I'm when I'm when I make the promise I'm making it to everything I'm making it to everybody every one. Um, every plant every animal. Um, Yeah. All a creation is in ah is in on this and I'm the one making it which in and of itself like contracts are already really wordy and um and hard to. Um, hard to ah fully understand fully comprehend. But here we have God making a ah promise with with every living thing that would be huge like none of us would be able to. Make this promise actually Happen. We might want to make a promise like this but that we would never hurt anyone again. But unfortunately as human beings we can hurt those that we love more than more than once here God is saying I'm never going to do this again.

08:02.15
Kevin Shock
M.

08:06.13
nathanpile
So It's it is. It's a huge it's It's very expansive. But for me, it's that everything living is in this contract. Um on whatever level of living. Is Nano so.

08:24.68
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, yeah.

08:30.79
Kevin Shock
Yeah, um I laughed when you said typical God Um yeah I don't I don't know why I laughed but it but the typical is usually used in. You know, like a.

08:48.10
nathanpile
No well but like well I guess I see what you're saying, but but you but I believe God does big things.

08:48.18
Kevin Shock
Negative connotation. Um, Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah I mean I Yeah, Absolutely absolutely yeah, um I I I don't want to get in the habit of quoting. Ah, song lyrics too much because I did last episode to but um, no, it's not the same the all Legit. No, there's just um, my my ah my favorite current band is called the national and they have a song graceless.

09:07.77
nathanpile
Ah, is this the same theologian as the last time.

09:19.28
nathanpile
Oh yeah.

09:23.21
Kevin Shock
Graceless on their on one of their albums. Um, and there's just a line in that song where the singer sings God loves everybody. Don't remind me at at like typical God like that's where my mind goes when I hear typical God right.

09:36.29
nathanpile
Yeah I get yeah difficult god.

09:40.73
Kevin Shock
I Know I know I know I know God loves everybody Yep I get it? Um Yeah I know you're right God does huge things God does big things and and this this honestly Um, what's going on here in scripture I think is one of my favorite parts of scripture. Where this this shows God growing into relationship with create with the creation that God has lovingly created and then um and then against God's ah desires and and and and probably God's Predictions. Just.

10:06.72
nathanpile
M.

10:19.57
Kevin Shock
Fell apart just crumbled um and because humans are like God but they are not God and and humans at times try to be too much like God and and do a miserable job at it.

10:20.30
nathanpile
Yeah.

10:38.99
Kevin Shock
Um, so what I love about this section of scripture though is that God does something and then immediately says to God's self that was a horrible idea.

10:58.19
Kevin Shock
Ah I like like not I mean not in so many words, but essentially because god god floods the world to rid the world of all of the evil that existed and and then the first thing god does whenever Noah Disembarks from the from the ark.

10:59.20
nathanpile
Ah, yeah, right? Sure Yeah, that's.

11:17.48
Kevin Shock
Is saying here here's a covenant that I'm never going to do this again. I mean to me that says this was a bad idea not because God does things that are bad ideas generally speaking but because God was learning how I always how I. Always try to Articulate. It is that God who is a perfect being was trying to be in relationship with imperfect beings and and so there was a lack of understanding there. There was a lack of connection. Communication between the 2 and God is figuring out how best to be in relationship with humankind and and not and as we hear in this reading not just humankind but all of creation everything living and everyone that will come after this time too. So I Yeah I Just um. Ah God does God does big things and and in this case we see I think the beginning of God doing big merciful things too. This is a covenant This is a covenant of love.

12:24.40
nathanpile
Yeah, yeah, oh yeah.

12:30.52
Kevin Shock
And just and just the first of many covenants of love that God establishes.

12:33.33
nathanpile
Right? Yeah because we're really in the ninth chapter of the first book of the bible like it doesn't it doesn't it doesn't like we don't got to wait for god to start loving.

12:40.38
Kevin Shock
Yeah, we're we're early days here. Yes, ah.

12:46.26
Kevin Shock
No no.

12:49.30
nathanpile
The the you know these actions tell us here early on you know that sometimes I think as christians we can think that that love really comes onto the scene in a big way in Jesus but god loved all of creation from the beginning. Um.

13:02.76
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, right right.

13:06.92
nathanpile
And makes promises in that trying to live into that relationship as you articulated here just a little bit ago between um, a perfect God and imperfect human beings um trying to figure out that relationship of how God can best.

13:17.72
Kevin Shock
M.

13:25.80
nathanpile
Be in relationship with us.

13:27.25
Kevin Shock
yeah yeah god god loves god loves creation from the beginning. Um, but already here and in chapter 9 as you said we see a renewal a new call to that. Love? Um, yeah, yeah, it doesn't right? It doesn't. Um, love does arrive on the scene in a big way in Jesus Christ but it is by no means the first time that it does in scripture. It's it's like the thousandth time. So yeah, um, yeah, we'll look at it a second time.

13:50.38
nathanpile
Correct. Yeah.

13:58.14
nathanpile
Right? Ready to do this the second time.

14:04.81
Kevin Shock
Ah, from genesis chapter 9 from the message then god spoke to Noah and his sons I'm setting up my covenant with you including your children who will come after you along with everything alive around you birds farm animals, wild animals that came out of the ship with you. I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by flood waters. No. Never again will a flood destroy the earth god continued this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and everyone living after you I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds. Sign of the covenant between me and the earth from now on when I form a cloud over the earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living that. Never again will flood waters destroy all life when the rainbow appears in the cloud. I'll see it and remember the eternal covenant between god and everything living every last living creature on earth and god said this is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the earth.

15:18.15
Kevin Shock
Nathan toward what is god calling you in this text.

15:24.12
nathanpile
Um.

15:31.00
nathanpile
I because this is God doing most of the action. Um I think my best word is trust um, that the trust the to trust the covenant to trust the promise.

15:41.55
Kevin Shock
Who.

15:47.80
nathanpile
Um, that this is who God is and who God will will be every day moving forward. Um I think that would be that would be my short answer.

15:55.54
Kevin Shock
E.

16:05.15
nathanpile
Um, the again this passage is is a foundational text for for um.

16:20.42
nathanpile
Ah, our siblings in faith the jewish people. But it's foundational and it and it helps us to see who god is even when story. Was the dominant way of talking about god um, and that you know this book of of genesis brings those stories to us so that we understand the evolving relationship god has with. With humanity here. Specifically it's Noah and his sons and their their their offspring for generations but that is to kind of show our relationship into the into this even at the very beginning. So. But being able to kind of recognize that because of the love that we've just talked about because of god's love for us. God is seeking. Um.

17:32.79
nathanpile
God is seeking not to destroy everything on the planet and for us or for me I have to be able to hear that information and and live with. Thrust into that promise. Um, so.

17:59.12
Kevin Shock
Um.

18:01.61
nathanpile
Um, giving giving you know it's not easy for us to trust things anyway or it can be It can be hard for us to trust. Um, and I'm not. You know I'm not Noah and I'm not his family I didn't see the destruction of the flood. But for me the listener of this story to me I think there's a promise being made that um, but I still there's still. Ah. Ah, part of me that has to hear this promise and if I'm going to be in as I'm in relationship with god I have to be able to trust that that that's there and so. Even though there this rainbow is a sign for god to remember, but it's also a sign for me to remember or the the promise that's being made. So um.

18:59.12
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah.

19:06.48
nathanpile
What about you toward What is God calling you in this text.

19:06.59
Kevin Shock
Yeah, um I think yeah, my my initial response or what I was thinking about was that um that that ah I'm being called toward.

19:25.14
Kevin Shock
Remembering that God has made this covenant with everyone and everything living. Um and I think part of part of why I need to remember that is because whenever I start to.

19:42.72
Kevin Shock
Have a ah a a less than favorable opinion of people and things in the world around me. Um that God has made a covenant with all of them as well. That um that I'm I'm.

19:50.71
nathanpile
M.

20:02.61
Kevin Shock
I'm no more special ah than than they all are um, in the love that God has for them. But there was something in your response. Um, that helped take that in a new direction too and I think that that's. Said something about you know God is God is not seeking to destroy the creation. Um, and and it made me think of you know times whenever you hear people of faith talking about like you know God God Let this happen because people are you know? blah Blah blah.

20:34.50
nathanpile
M.

20:37.65
Kevin Shock
And and the destruction that we like the the ongoing um human caused destruction that we see going on in creation around us. Um God does not just. I Think when I read this I know it's talking about a specific thing I know it's talking about um God not destroying the the world by Flood again. Um, and you know hear people say things like yeah but God could destroy the world by any other means. Okay, fine, but whatever.

21:15.22
nathanpile
Right? right.

21:15.24
Kevin Shock
Not a helpful conversation in my mind. Um that that what God is talking about is I will not destroy and and that is in line with who. Um.

21:23.45
nathanpile
Now.

21:30.50
Kevin Shock
Who we experience God to be throughout all of scripture that God is not a destructive God Um, there are times whenever it it seems as though God is destroying um and and perhaps we can look at that. Maybe it's not fair to look at that through the eyes of renewal. Um I don't know that's maybe that's another conversation. But I What I'm thinking about is that um whenever I see the destruction of the world around me and and even participate in it. Um I feel like I'm being called to remember that God. It's not a God of destruction but a God that gives life and a God of renewal and that that the the the mentality I'm not saying that I hold this mentality but maybe at times I Um, kind of ah what's.. What's the word I'm looking for subconsciously hold this mentality without realizing it that that um the the destruction of the world is you know it's not helpful for me to think that. Well God is going to save the elect and the world is going to be destroyed and it doesn't matter because we'll get to go to heaven and you know and be with God like that's not a helpful way for me to think um and and maybe I do fall into that subconsciously sometimes but but to remember that everything around me.

22:48.83
nathanpile
Who so.

23:01.47
Kevin Shock
Is something that God has God has and God God has loved and does love and God has made a covenant with um and so my role is not to not to through my own living undermine. That covenant but seek to support that covenant not just for myself. But for everything around me as well. I I guess the way of summarizing that is to say if God is not a God of destruction then I should also be concerned about not destroying and and that comes that comes to both how I interact with creation. And and the the the viewpoint or mentality I have toward other people. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

23:59.45
nathanpile
If we're made in the likeness of God then because God doesn't destroy. We should not destroy.

24:11.40
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, we're not, We're not yeah, even more so we're not actually made to destroy. We are yeah we are um and and we when when we do destroy.

24:14.98
nathanpile
Yeah, we're not made to destroy.

24:26.20
Kevin Shock
We're not, We're not being the people that God made us to be. We're um, where we're operating in opposition to who God made us to be.

24:45.59
Kevin Shock
Yeah I think that's what I want to say but.

24:50.15
nathanpile
Know well your line of thought. Um for me um, is one of the things about the church or about god's people today. Um.

25:07.23
nathanpile
Like I I I I live in a very natural space and place and feel very in tune in a natural space. But I do worry. That we as the people of God doesn't matter the denomination or for even faith tradition that we're a part of um, we've done some some damage to our to everything else that is living.

25:43.39
Kevin Shock
Sure.

25:45.56
nathanpile
Um, and and so your reflection there makes me um, new kind of hits me and in a way that um.

26:01.98
nathanpile
That makes me sad that we continue to live destructive lives that are destructive to our natural world. Um, and and.

26:10.68
Kevin Shock
A a.

26:18.79
nathanpile
How else how else could we live and and and as um, you know and I'm I'm as guilty of it as everybody else that might be listening. You know I still drive my cars and. And and they need gas and I have a furnace that burns oil so that I can be warm in the winter. Um, but how do we and and so that's 1 level. But there's another whole corporate business world level of damage that we're doing and many of us just kind of let it go just yeah, like there's nothing I can do about this and yet there's probably some things that we could do about it. We could.

27:04.78
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, yeah.

27:13.60
nathanpile
If we were really angry about it eventually. Our politicians would have to listen or they're not going to get voted in if we could really get ourselves that upset about it but um, and so we as as.

27:23.68
Kevin Shock
Now.

27:31.70
nathanpile
Or I as a lutheran christian I have a responsibility for the natural world and and though I try to take care of these four hundred acres here that I am been called to be a steward of what about the rest of the world. What about other places. Um, even what about my own community. You know I talk about the streams that as they leave camp's property. They're clean but doesn't take long for them to run into mine drainage and runoff and and like so how do.

28:02.37
Kevin Shock
Oh.

28:06.66
nathanpile
As ah as a neighbor in these communities. How do I then advocate for the stream or don't I Um, yeah, so so this passage as you were talking about that piece as we reflect or mirror.

28:12.33
Kevin Shock
A. Yeah, but.

28:26.54
nathanpile
Um, God um in in not being destructive and yet we continue to as the richest country in the world. We continue to do what we need to do to have our lifestyles the way that they are.

28:32.49
Kevin Shock
No.

28:44.77
nathanpile
Um, so.

28:45.10
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah I mean I Yeah I I think about this stuff all the time and I don't know that I come to any better conclusions. Ah maybe I do um.

29:00.45
Kevin Shock
But but you're right and and there also is a sense of like helplessness ah around you know the destruction we see in the world and and what is what is 1 person able to do or or how much how much power do we have whenever there's an understanding of oh this is just the way. This is just the way things are and we can't really resolve it. Um I I think that there's a there's there's a powerlessness and there's a hopelessness when it comes to it and and you know and we find like there's.

29:23.63
nathanpile
Yeah.

29:36.74
Kevin Shock
You and I know have talked about consumerism on here. But when it come all human beings by nature are consumers. Um I mean and and some things are necessary and some things are maybe ah less necessary than others.

29:42.45
nathanpile
Yeah.

29:53.80
Kevin Shock
But I you know I I have the I have the conundrum of like I remember hearing some environmentalists say years ago that the the most environmentally sound car that you can drive is the one you're currently driving meaning. Run your car into the ground like don't buy a new car every five years um because that that will be the most environmentally sound thing that you can do and and so far I'm doing with this car I'm doing a pretty good job of it. Ah.

30:24.00
nathanpile
I Was gonna say you've had this car for a long time.

30:28.68
Kevin Shock
I've had this car coming. It'll be. It'll be 10 years this month and it was ah wait will it be 10 yeah, it will be 10 yeah and it was um and I bought it used. Ah so it's actually it's actually a twenty ten so it's like a 14 year old car. Um, and it has like. Coming up on like it's like a 255000 miles right now. Um, and I just I I'm getting an oil change tomorrow but just to help me a little bit on the ride back for malt tuna today I put a cort of oil that's because things are getting a little icy. Um.

30:51.37
nathanpile
Ah.

31:02.30
nathanpile
Ah, oh you getting dicey.

31:06.85
Kevin Shock
but ah but anyway um but you know I've I've been thinking about like what's my next car going to be because this one's not going to last forever and and for years probably almost for two decades now I've had this desire to want to buy a fully electric vehicle and you know a few years ago

31:13.70
nathanpile
Right.

31:21.90
nathanpile
Yeah.

31:26.57
Kevin Shock
Um, you know it it actually like the technology got to a point where it like it's it. It could be a reasonable purchase. Um, you know it could be something that would serve me for my needs. But now you hear all of the stuff about like the the.

31:34.45
nathanpile
M.

31:44.63
Kevin Shock
Destruction of the earth that comes with cobalt and nickel and and lithium mining and I just heard probably two days ago on the radio a discussion about how a lot of this a lot of these um rare earth elements. Um.

31:44.76
nathanpile
Ah, yeah.

32:02.43
Kevin Shock
That are being mined are on or near indigenous land and and that ah that you know that people again are after they've already been generationally exploited are in danger of being exploited again and so you know.

32:05.56
nathanpile
And they are Yeah yeah.

32:20.92
Kevin Shock
So there's a part of me now that like I don't know if I want to buy a fully electric vehicle because maybe it's not the most environmentally sound thing to do um you know and so it's yeah I I haven't landed on a solution yet. But ah, but certainly um.

32:29.82
nathanpile
Now.

32:40.37
Kevin Shock
Yeah I mean these are things that like just we we I think we're called to think about them and and to and probably to wrestle with them to struggle with them. Ah yeah, so because in the struggle I think then we begin to make better decisions about how we are consumers. Ah.

32:47.65
nathanpile
Yeah.

33:00.36
Kevin Shock
So that's yeah I don't I don't want this to turn into an an environmental podcast though that wouldn't be a bad thing but ah, but we'll stay will let people have their own struggles and come to their own conclusions about stuff.

33:08.40
nathanpile
But well, there's some really good um podcasts out there that do talk about some of those things that you just talked about like the the mining of um of.

33:16.52
Kevin Shock
There you go.

33:25.41
nathanpile
Of lithium and what you know how hard it is to get and and what happens and so there's some really excellent podcasts. It was about a year ago Angie and I were listening um to to one that kind of it was a series. It was like 6 episodes. Um.

33:28.89
Kevin Shock
5

33:44.24
nathanpile
That went into depth ah about those challenges. So if you're really interested in that they're out there. Um, and so go where you go where you find 10 a bible podcast and look for some ah some other podcasts that.

33:59.53
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

34:01.77
nathanpile
Do that and if I can if I I don't know the names of the off the top of my head if I can find it I'll put it in the show notes. So all right? Let's third time then god spoke to Noah and his sons I am setting up my covenant with you including your children.

34:06.41
Kevin Shock
Sounds good. All right, let's look at this a third time then.

34:20.96
nathanpile
Who will come after you along with everything alive around you birds farm animals, wild animals that came out of the ship with you I'm setting up my covenant with you that never again will everything living be destroyed by flood waters. No. Never again. Will it is a flood destroy the earth god continued this is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and everything living around you and every 1 living after you I'm putting my rainbow in the clouds a sign of the covenant between me and the earth from now on. When I form a cloud over the earth and the rainbow appears in the cloud I'll remember my covenant between me and you and everything living that. Never again will flood waters destroy all life when the rainbow appears in the cloud I'll see it. And remember the eternal covenant between god and everything living every last living creature on earth and god said this is the sign of the covenant that I've set up between me and everything living on the earth. Well Kevin how will you remember? God's eternal. Covenant.

35:42.82
Kevin Shock
I feel like this question is ah ah, pretty similar actually to the question in our last ah podcast episode. How will you write? How do you return to god um, but it's not the same thing. No I guess it's not the same thing. Um.

35:59.59
Kevin Shock
For me God gives ah you know the sign of the covenant of this particular covenant that we hear about in this particular reading is the rainbow and and I think as um as a Christian that comes from a.

36:07.79
nathanpile
Is it.

36:18.10
Kevin Shock
Historic tradition meaning that our our denomination our our branch of the christian tree has been around for a long time. Um, and and is rooted in other branches of the tree. Ah we have a lot of. We pay attention to the signs that god has given for covenants throughout history and so you know we in our tradition talk about the sacraments. Um, and we have in the Lutheran Church we have 2 sacraments. Baptism and holy communion and we believe that they're sacraments because they are a they're a a visible physical sign of the covenant that is brought together with the word and command of god um, and so. The sign the physical sign in baptism is water and the physical sign in holy communion is bread and wine or or things that are very similar to that. Um, as communities celebrate it. So I think that um.

37:33.81
Kevin Shock
How I remember God's eternal covenant is paying attention to the signs that God has given um and and and not I guess another way of saying it is to see the holy in the in the ordinary physical things that are around us. Um I mean.

37:38.56
nathanpile
And.

37:53.37
Kevin Shock
People are a sign of God's eternal covenant. Um, but I just think about you know like I I live in a place where rainbows are not uncommon because I live next to a flood control Lake and and we tend it tends to be a pretty damp.

38:12.45
nathanpile
So.

38:12.99
Kevin Shock
Place So when ah you know when when the sun is shining through the clouds. It's not that unusual to see some kind of rainbow um and and especially in you know in the summertime after ah after a rainstorm has blown through and in in the late afternoon. The sun is shining in from the West. Um, we get some pretty brilliant rainbows in this valley. Um, and I always look at them and I'm mystified by them and I think they're really cool but I don't think I don't think I always think. Ah, yes, God's eternal covenant. But I'm lucky at a Rainbow. Um.

38:43.92
nathanpile
Are yeah.

38:51.13
Kevin Shock
But in this in the same way, you know how much do I How much do I deal with water on any given day and that's an opportunity for me to remember that God has um God has made me and so many others a child through the through the waters of Baptism. Um, yeah, and again I I don't think that I always take the opportunity to remember that covenant whenever I'm whenever I'm in engaging with water. Yeah so I think that there are signs all around us. That remind us of ordinary signs that remind us of God's extraordinary work.

39:39.60
nathanpile
Amen Yeah I would I would um I would say my my response is very similar. Um again because of where I live and and the location of the camp I spend a lot of time in Nature. I Say a lot of time probably more than most people. But for me I still say I could spend more time in there but but it's seeing the holy in in that. So it's It's seeing a tiny little acorn.

40:00.41
Kevin Shock
You.

40:14.19
nathanpile
Next to the giant oak tree in the middle of camp. Um and knowing that the thing that made that oak tree started looking like this tiny little acorn. You know God did this big thing out of this little tiny tiny acorn.

40:19.10
Kevin Shock
E.

40:26.20
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

40:33.76
nathanpile
Um, and and we have one of those giant we have a giant oak tree right in the middle of um, right in the middle of main camp and every fall or every other year in fall because it's a red oak tree every other year in fall it has acorns all underneath its branches. Um, and so it's like little marbles all over the place. Um, and so in seeing that I think the the more common problem for me is as you just said that that um I don't like if I if I'm walking through Camp. I'm not always um in the mindset to be reminded of the promise. Um that God does the does you know that God is not going to destroy the earth. But.

41:21.41
Kevin Shock
E.

41:28.69
nathanpile
That God is no longer a destroyer but I'm oftentimes not in the mindset to to see the wonder to be in awe of what God promises both in creation. But also through this reading and so. There are times that that happens to me when I notice more is when I go for longer walks the longer walk helps me to engage in that way. Um, the long you know the if it's if it's um.

41:56.47
Kevin Shock
E.

42:04.81
nathanpile
Walking along the road from here to that my house a lot of times my mind can wander and think about oh okay, this has to be done at the pool or this has to be done at the parking lot or this has to be done on that bridge. Um, but if I'm actually back out in the woods. Sure sometimes I'll still think about like oh we need to do some trail maintenance here. But um. But the longer the hike is or walking around in nature allows me to remember um and so I think my answer to this question is being able to to keep pushing myself and I've been doing that for the last couple of years pushing myself to go for a walk here. Go for a walk today take that break so that I might see the awe and wonder of who god is in the creation that surrounds me. And I could do that probably in other places but because of who I am it happens for me in nature pretty easily if I get out there I'll find ah um, some you know whether it be a seed whether it be a um. A plant whether it be a spider's web something causes me and draws me in and helps me to see um this god who who is not a destroyer but a creator. Um and so being able to see that.

43:29.56
Kevin Shock
H.

43:35.59
nathanpile
Um, because of my natural setting and the natural setting that I'm in but I and I just don't it just doesn't happen like it. It happens if I go for a longer walk just just the repetition of the walking and the steps and eventually um. All of the other scales and things fall away from my eyes and allows me to kind of see that that I really consider to be a gift of the holy spirit more so than me walking and saying okay Nathan focus on nature focus on it's not that it's just that I'm walking and it allows me to um to let go of whatever else is going on.

43:58.73
Kevin Shock
A.

44:05.89
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

44:15.60
nathanpile
You know one of the things that I was in awe of we. We just had a group of kids in this past weekend and we went for a hike and of course um this past weekend we had a it was very It was much warmer than it had been so all of our snow we had probably eighteen twenty inches of snow and you know for over 4 days it melted and it rained Three days on top of that we had water everywhere. It was running down the side of the mountain here. We're on the side of a mountain and so it's running everywhere through camp and so we went ah hiked out to the rocks with these kids and and I went back I wanted to show them a section of the rocks and thought they could kind of crawl through one spot. And we got back in there there so much water in this one spot the one there's what we call it the eye of the needle There's a really tiny hole between a couple of rocks and you can crawl through it but you have to kind of almost lay on the ground to kind of crawl through it. There was two and a half feet of water in the hole that you had to crawl through.

45:05.80
Kevin Shock
Oh wow.

45:10.00
nathanpile
Right? And so like when I got down there I was like in awe of how much water was in this bond like I expected it to be damp but it was full of water. Um, and so that was just and again like you know we had to change our plans and we had to fight our way through some green Briar and some other stuff.

45:12.45
Kevin Shock
Oh my god.

45:29.81
nathanpile
To kind of get the kids back out and back on the trail because the way I had gone in. We were kind of this was the way we were going out but we couldn't go out that way now. Um, and so like but I looked at this pit of why and like in the summer you never see any water in there and here after this big.

45:36.50
Kevin Shock
Yeah, yeah.

45:48.60
nathanpile
Meltoff and and all of the rain I'm like that's really deep and of course one of the kids is like oh I'll get in it and I'm like you're not getting in it. Your boots are not tall enough and they're like what are you talking about like it's not that deep and like they they started to go in and of course I grabbed their arm but like the foot they had a full boot on that came up middle of their calf. But like they they were just on the edge of it. It was already almost to the top of their boot and they were like oh yeah, it is pretty and I'm like yeah, it's like two and a half feet deep guys. You know like this is ah this isn't a little tiny puddle. Um, but again like it's just you know in a couple of in a in a week's time now. It'll be.

46:14.79
Kevin Shock
Yeah, ah, ah.

46:25.86
nathanpile
It'll be all drained out because there's rocks and stuff and so it'll flow out of that area in space. But but like walking back in there and just being surprised by the sheer amount of water that has melted and come down out of the sky in the last five days you know, just ah again, azing? um.

46:43.57
Kevin Shock
Um.

46:45.55
nathanpile
Amazing things So helps it helps ah helps helps me realize that I'm a part of that creation. But that there's such why I have such wonder for it. Um, and and the way that God has put it put those um has created has has put those pieces together.

46:45.74
Kevin Shock
Now.

47:05.15
nathanpile
So.

47:07.99
Kevin Shock
Well something that you say in your reflection Nathan ah made the connection for me to the third question in the last episode and that is I heard you talking about um, needing to be reoriented to.

47:22.13
nathanpile
And.

47:25.16
Kevin Shock
Being able to pay attention to the the wonder of God when you're when you're in the natural world or or not even in the not even in nature necessarily. But perhaps you know in relationship with other people. Whatever it may be that there's there's still a there's.. There's an ongoing need to um yeah, ah to to let all all of the junk that we carry with us all the time be washed away for a little bit at least and being able to.

47:59.59
nathanpile
Ah, yeah.

48:02.78
Kevin Shock
Have our perspective. Ah our perspective changed in such a way so that we can actually perceive the promise of God The covenant of God The wonder of God The mercy of God In. All of these things around us. Yeah, yeah, that even even in the things of the church. Um, you know I think about there are times when you know I've I've been a pastor long enough that when I presided communion. I can go through the motions like that's like my you know it's muscle memory to me at this point and then there are times whenever I'm presiding a communion where I'm overcome by this recognition that this this is a this is a sacred eternal covenant that God has handed down to the people.

48:43.37
nathanpile
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

48:58.93
Kevin Shock
And and here I am as a ah a Steward a keeper a handler of that covenant. Um, and it's and it's awe inspiring. It's it's overwhelming. So.

49:13.16
nathanpile
Yeah, yeah.

49:16.35
Kevin Shock
But but again, it's all whether my my perception is tuned in such a way to be able to recognize that or or if I'm wrapped up in all my own stuff too much to be able to recognize it. So.

49:28.31
nathanpile
No yeah, yeah, there's something about being in um, being in such a way that we're able to to remember that promise.

49:44.77
Kevin Shock
Um, yeah, yeah, yeah, well, um, some additional texts for this ah related to this reading ah from genesis.

49:45.25
nathanpile
Being in tune to it. Yeah.

50:00.61
Kevin Shock
Psalm 25 verses 1 through 10 Ah your paths o lord are steadfast love and faithfulness there. We go that covenantal that creator not destroyer. Ah from first peter chapter 3 verses 18 through 22

50:09.10
nathanpile
First.

50:18.73
Kevin Shock
Talks about being saved through water another sign of that covenant and importantly, this is um this stands as a counterpoint to ah what proceeds in genesis here and that is ah being destroyed by water this is being saved through water.

50:36.97
nathanpile
Um, saved.

50:38.55
Kevin Shock
And then from Mark chapter 1 verses 9 through 15 is the story of the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness for forty days so we hope that you have an opportunity to reflect on those texts or the one that we have just talked about. And ah and may your reflections ah too new to to the ability to see the wonder of god in everything and everyone around you. We hope to tend our faith with you again soon. Grace to you.

51:12.49
nathanpile
And peace.