by John W. Herbst

The most fundamental of Old Testament ideas is Yahweh as Creator. The concept of Yahweh as creator points obviously to God’s omnipotence and rightful place as ruler of the universe. For people of the Old Testament however, Yahweh’s role as creator implies the power to “recreate,” that is, to restore that which is barren and lifeless.

by Tamara Henry

While churches have often focused on engaging in care for creation by directing attention to issues of environmental justice (i.e. stewardship of the earth’s natural environment) an equally important aspect of affirming the sacredness of creation today must also include emphasis and regard for the dignity of lives of vulnerable human populations, including young persons of color in the United States who have increasingly become victims of socio-historic modes of racism.

by Jill Schaeffer

A city is the whole shebang living within the Word of God. Preaching to and out of an urban scene locates the lives and stories generated in that scenario dwelling within the Word. There is nothing that cannot be said or proclaimed that lies outside that Word. And nothing foretold that has not been anticipated through that Word.

by Susanne Wigorts Yngvesson

A common belief among Christians is to imagine the creation of the world as an historical point at an end of a linear timeline; when God separated light from darkness and heaven from earth. The risk of describing creation as an historical point is to reduce it, to make it mechanical (cause and effect), as if everything was completed and perfect once upon a time and has to be restored.

by Jo David

The earliest chapters of Genesis struggle with the issue of how men and women were created and the nature of their relationship to one another. It is particularly interesting that, in Genesis 1, the almost universal idea that men are the “natural rulers” of the world is challenged in significant ways.

by Asayo O. Thomas

Each star and galaxy are evidence of God’s creation. God did not just create them, but has been nurturing them for billions of years. And new stars keep emerging into this universe almost every day.

by Brandt L. Montgomery

That grace can be found in the New Testament is an issue of no debate, for the fourth Gospel declares, “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:17). But the assertion that there is grace throughout the Old Testament is one that still generates considerable debate within certain Christian communities and theological circles.

by Peggy Adrien

The Book of Genesis describes a beautiful story about the beginning of life on earth. However, it is also a story anchored in debate, fueling conversation known as “the battle of the sexes” and addresses the ongoing issue of female leadership. Should women hold positions of authority in the church?

Reviewed by Neal D. Presa

In this volume, Tim Keller has given us a tour de force that every homiletics professor and pastor will want to buy, read, and apply to their preaching and teaching. In this volume, Keller is careful to say that he has not written a preaching manual, but he has penned his preaching manifesto. In reading this book, you get a sense that you are sitting at the feet of a preaching master while at once with a fellow brother in Christ who is encouraging and rooting you on in the serious business of exegeting text, context, and subtext.

Reviewed by Karen D. Belin

Prophets highlighted in scripture, exclusive of a few prophetesses, are primarily men, and in many instances, biblical prophecies and psalms by unknown authors are assumed to be men. However, can established writings in the canon be reassigned to prophetesses, who we know existed in ancient times, but allegedly have no record of? Are we mistakenly identifying scriptural prose and songs as being that of men? Nancy C. Lee, addresses ideas such as these and explores biblical language, poetry, and phonetics in order to distinguish female voices embedded within scripture in an attempt to discover unbeknown to us, female prophetic voices traditionally presumed to be predominantly male.

by Darla Turlington

Here are some quotations from the Bible and secular writings that pastors and others may find useful in sermons, essays and other venues.

by Jin Hee Han

Our spring issue of 2016 compels us to re-start our New Year with a reflection on creation. The theme has inspired poets and preachers, as well as the ancient rabbis who gave the theme the prestigious place at the beginning of the Bible. According to a legend, the book of Job was a contender as the head of the Bible, but the sages agreed that the story of the Bible should begin with creation, not with suffering. Firmly grounded in this tradition, many of our authors direct us to the first part of the book of Genesis.

In this issue on creation, we encounter voices that challenge us to learn to value the life of the oppressed for whom God cares. They tell us that God has created human beings in God’s own image, and that every person helps us see God in all spectrums of colors and physical manifestations.