Passage:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” There was an evening, and there was a morning: one day.
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.
(Genesis 1:1-5, 26-27 CSB17)
Song:
In the Beginning by Sam Lee, Jonathan Baird, and Ryan Baird
Lyrics:
In the beginning was the Word
And the Word was with God
And the Word was God
He was with God in the beginning
Through Him, all things were made
Apart from Him, nothing was made that has been made
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men
The light shines in the dark, but the darkness could not comprehend
For God so loved the world
For God so loved the world
That He gave His only Son
That He gave His only Son
If you believe, you will not die
You will receive eternal life
Prayer:
The stars dance for you, Lord, while seasons laugh and sing. Planets shine for you, announcing your wisdom. Your lights sing to the glorious Trinity. Here below, we too are your glory. We exist to sing your praises, Light of the world. Immortal One, glory’s highest, you took on mortal flesh so you could put an end to our grief. I live for you, and my songs arise for you. I am a breathing sacrifice, putting aside all the things I once possessed. So I give to you now the only thing remaining: I will be silent, or sing, at your will. May I do your bidding, either way. May I say what is right, and nothing else. With your guidance, let me see the pearl in the mud, the gold in the sand, the rose in the thorny thicket. Let me hear what is pure in the noise of life. Amen.
—Gregory Nazianzen
