The Liturgical Implications of Genesis 1

The structure of Genesis 1 was a topic early on in Genesis Marks the Spot (episode 2, to be exact).  I've also addressed how it relates to the Cosmic Temple.   This means that in the first account of creation in our Bibles, we have a sense of liturgy that is embedded into creation itself.  That's pretty obvious when you realize the importance of "the seventh day."  Israel's liturgical week was set up in relation to the seven days of creation.

In my episode, The Liturgical Chiasm of Genesis 1, Troy Yurchak and I discussed the structure in relation to the poetic form known as a chiasm.  What we find when we do this is a deep intention that connects to our modern-day liturgy. 

"Oh no, my church doesn't do liturgy!" 

Well, so long as you attend a congregation with any kind of structure at all, you are, in fact, engaged in some level of liturgy....and likely that liturgy involves the Lord's Table, Communion, or the Eucharist.  Here in this blog post, we'll trace the connections between the creation account and our worship practices, unlocking a deeper understanding of the theological and spiritual significance behind our rituals.

But first, we need to look at the structure of Genesis 1.  We can do that in several different ways.

Genesis 1 - Kingdoms and Kings

Meredith Kline has described God's acts of the first six days as the creation of kingdoms (environments) and kings (inhabitants).

In his book The Lost World of Genesis One, John Walton has brought attention to the "functional" or organizational aspect of creation and how the pattern of seven days of creation with a last day of rest is a pattern of temple-making.  Temples were dedicated with a seven-day celebration and on the last day, the deity was said to then "rest" in the temple--not for a nap, but to rule over the land and people.

Genesis 1 as a Chiasm

A chiasm is a literary device where ideas or phrases are mirrored in reverse order around a central axis.  Often this is pictured as a "mountain" where the text builds up to the center point, then goes back "down" after the center point.  We can also see it as a spiral that goes up the mountain, however, and in such a view, direct parallels that both go "up the hill" can also fit the idea of the chiasm.  The mid-point of the chiasm is an element that the author is pointing to specifically--it's not always the "main point" of the passage, but it's an element of note.

Here is one way to picture this (from The Shape of Biblical Language, by John Breck).

 

Chiasms are not necessarily "locked" into the text to the point that they cannot be seen in multiple ways.  A single passage can contain multiple chiasms or other structural elements.  While they can be poems, they aren't necessarily poems (Genesis 1 lacks the appropriate linguistic elements). 

A chiastic structure can possibly be seen in the days of creation (though please note discrepancies here):

A.  Day 1 - Light/beginning of time

  B.  Day 2 - Waters

    C.  Day 3 - Land

      D.  Day 4 - Sun/Moon/Stars (center)

    C'  Day 5 - Sea Creatures/Birds

  B'  Day 6 - Animals/Humans

A'  Day 7 - Sabbath

This chiasm puts day 4 as the center--the sun/moon/stars.  But we see problems in this structure, don't we?  A and A' (pronounced "a prime") are to match, as are B and B' and C and C'.  What do the waters above and below have to do with animals and humans?  What do the sea creatures and birds have to do with the sectioning off of land?

Oh we could force fit these ideas here (and many people do such things), but let's instead look at the idea of "climbing two hills":

A.  Day 1 - Light/Darkness (heavens)

  B.  Day 2 - Waters Above/Below (sky/sea)

    C.  Day 3 - Land/Plants

A'  Day 4 - Sun/Moon/Stars

  B'  Day 5 - Sea Creatures/Birds

    C'  Day 6 - Animals/Humans
                     (note:  plants are given as food)

Now we have structures that match!
A = A'
B = B'
C = C'

If this is our chiastic structure, then what becomes the center?  A chiasm requires a center.  The kingdom "environment" is land and the inhabitants/kings are animals and humans.  The center could be just the emphasis on land and people, but there's something we shouldn't overlook:  The other (and final) mention in both of these days is...plants!

Wait, plants are important?  Why would plants be important??

We could even rewrite our chiasm a bit:

A.  Day 1 - Light/Darkness (heavens)

  B.  Day 2 - Waters Above/Below (sky/sea)

    C.  Day 3 - Land

      D.  Plants from the land

A'  Day 4 - Sun/Moon/Stars

  B'  Day 5 - Sea Creatures/Birds

    C'  Day 6 - Animals/Humans

      D' Plants for food

Keep in mind that the center of a chiasm could be the main point--or it could just be an emphasized point.  No one thinks that the pinnacle of creation is plant life.  The culmination of the acts of the first six days is humanity, without doubt.  But there's something about plants that is important, and it's not just a meal plan or grocery list for Adam and Eve.

Why would plants be important?

No cheese for you!

It's not uncommon to see the listing of plants as food as some sort of dietary restriction--in spite of the fact that there is no prohibition mentioned.  The text doesn't tell humans not to eat meat.  We actually have to import the idea into the text. 

The promised land is "a land flowing with milk and honey" (Ex 3:8).  Well, milk and honey certainly aren't listed in Genesis 1, are they?  And yet I've never seen anyone make the case that we should not eat milk and honey based on Gen 1:30-31.

Did Adam and Eve really only eat seed-bearing plants and fruit from trees?  No cheese, eggs, milk, honey, mushrooms?  Did the animals only eat green plants--which, some would say are different plants than humans get to eat, so are the non-seed bearing green plants?  What fits in that category of non-seed bearing plants?  Moss and ferns....grass is apparently out, since that reproduces via seed!  We are to presume, then, that lions, wolves, horses, cats, dogs, pigs, lobster, birds....all ate fern and moss, right?  Think of the different shapes of the mouth of the lion, horse, and parrot.  Were these not intentionally designed by God to be perfect for their respective diets?

Once you chase the trail to its conclusion, it doesn't make much sense that Gen 1:30-31 can be proscribing limits to diet.

The Bread of Life

I would argue that there is something more fundamental than diet in the minds of the people of the Bible when they read Genesis 1.  Considering the deep liturgical emphasis of the text, and the many ways in the text in which we can see the focus of liturgy, sacred time, and sacred space, this is also the reading we should bring in to Genesis 1:30-31.  It is not a matter of diet and nutrition and science, but liturgy and theology.

Bread is quite the heady theme to trace through Scripture.  Used in sacrifice, for hospitality, the manna that came from heaven, and most importantly--Jesus, our Bread of Life, the very sustainer of creation and the One who instituted the meal that Christians have participated together in ever since.  How many of these connect within liturgy?  (Hint:  all of them!!)

One of the cautions we need to follow in biblical interpretation is to ensure that we are not inserting our own ideas into the text.  Are we looking at our problems, or are we looking at the way the ancient person viewed the world?  Temple.  Sabbath.  Sacred space.  Sacrifice.  Manna.  Our daily bread.  The last supper.  Communion.  These are all concepts that arise from the Bible itself.  In The Liturgy of Creation, Michael LeFebvre shows how the Torah is based on the liturgical calendar of the Promised Land....another piece to this layered mosaic.  "Not seeing vegetarianism in Genesis 1" is not some attempt to "fit evolution into the Bible."  Rather, it's the beginning piece to this beautiful structure that we see in the beginning, that stretches into the whole of Torah, and beyond that to Jesus and our participation in his life in the church.  Not vegetarianism but--if I can put it succinctly--eucharist.  (The communal celebration of Jesus that brings us together as his Body in gratitude for what God has done.)

There is, of course, much that could be said about the wine and blood of Jesus in all this, as well.  The meditation elements involved here are copious.  What does water have to do with growing things as well as recreation and renewal?  Why blood?  The sacrificial system of the Old Testament did not include the drinking of blood of the animal, but did include the eating of the flesh of an animal, and there were drink offerings as well as flour/grain offerings.  So much might be regained if we ponder on the lives of a person in an agrarian society who literally lived and died by the agricultural cycles and harvest times.

For the record, I don't care if you're vegetarian--again, that's not the point.  The point is to see the text for what it is, and see how it brings life to our lives in Christ.  Jesus wasn't going around proclaiming the kingdom of vegetarians, but the Kingdom of Heaven.  This is a kingdom in which we are to participate with him and with his Body of believers.

Chiasms and Liturgical Patterns

Chiasms create a symmetry and balance that enhance the memorability and impact of the text and bring important concepts to the forefront.  In the case of Genesis 1, the chiastic structure suggests that the creation account is not merely a historical narrative but also a liturgical framework for worship.

The parallels between the creation account and liturgical patterns are evident in several ways:

• The progression from darkness to light in creation mirrors the movement from ignorance to enlightenment in worship.
• The separation of waters above and below parallels the purification and cleansing rituals often found in worship.
• The creation of vegetation, followed by land and creatures, resembles the offering of fruits and animals in sacrifices.

The Liturgical Implications of the Chiasm

The chiastic structure of Genesis 1 has profound implications for our understanding of liturgy.

• It establishes creation as a liturgical act. God's creation of the world is not simply an historical event but an ongoing liturgical action.  Each day, as we experience the sunrise and sunset, the changing seasons, and the beauty of nature, we participate in this liturgical act of creation.
• It provides a pattern for liturgical worship. The chiastic structure of Genesis 1 offers a blueprint for our worship services.  We begin with darkness and chaos, move through a process of illumination and purification, and ultimately arrive at the presence of God.  Liturgy should follow this pattern, moving from confession and repentance to praise and adoration.
• It emphasizes the importance of order and beauty in worship. The chiastic structure of Genesis 1 reveals God's love for order and beauty.  Liturgy should reflect this love by being well-ordered and aesthetically pleasing.
• It encourages active participation in worship. Genesis 1 is a narrative of God's creative action, but it also invites us to participate in that action. Liturgy is not merely a spectator sport; it is a communal act in which we join God in his work of creation and redemption.

The above image is a birds-eye view of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral in France.  It is meant to be a "pilgrimage" within the cathedral itself.  One can enter it, walk the path, and possibly imagine climbing up a mountain to meet with God.  Traveling the same path back "out" is like climbing back down the mountain, the very image of what a chiasm brings us in the text. 

Many of us have experienced "mountaintop" experiences with God and we might wish we could stay there in that reality and we lament that we cannot call such experiences to occur whenever we wish in order to get that emotional "high."  While liturgy does not always afford us a lightning-bolt experience, a purposeful worship life can connect us with creation and fellowship within the body of Christ and, most importantly, with God.  We need to take care not to overemphasize the emotional elements of an experience (our subjective experience) over the acts and habits that develop in a life of discipleship that transform our lives and lead to service with one another and which glorify God.

Genesis:  Liturgy, not Science

I've seen it asked, "what's the point of Genesis 1 if God wasn't telling us how he created?"

Along with other elements (the seven day creation, the focus of the Sabbath, the structure of the cosmos as temple, the pattern of eating and fellowship), the chiastic structure of Genesis 1 is a profound revelation that enriches our understanding of liturgy.  It shows us that creation itself is a liturgical act and our worship should reflect this truth.  By embracing these concepts and seeing them repeated in Scripture, we can deepen our worship experience and draw closer to God.

For further insights into the liturgical implications of Genesis 1's chiasm and how to see it in detail, be sure to listen to my conversation with Troy in episode 079 of Genesis Marks the Spot!