“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” – Genesis 3:21 

My first job out of high school was working for the Christian school that my church operated. I was a campus supervisor and before/after school care team member. When you work with kids, one of the things you learn early on is after a dramatic event, they look to you to assess how to react. Especially with younger kids, the thing I was taught was “when a kid gets hurt, watch your reaction.” The reason being if we dramatically gasp and panic, the child will break down and get inconsolable. So unless it was a true injury, our responses would be a calm: “ouch, that probably doesn’t feel too good. You’re going to be okay.” 

After the pronouncements of the consequences of their sin, Adam and Eve are shown an incredibly thoughtful and gracious act by the Lord. God makes clothing for them. A few verses prior in chapter 3, Adam admits that he has hid from the Lord because he was ashamed to be found naked (verse 12). Who is this God who proclaims the “ground is cursed because of [them]?” That work and relationships will be a struggle? Who is this God who then fashions clothing and covers their shame? This is our God! Our God who pronounces consequences for sin, yet covers our shame.

God sets the tone after this traumatic event: sin and evil enter His garden. Let there be no doubt. God cannot allow evil in His paradise. So the man and woman are banished from the garden, but not without clothes. And as we’ll learn in chapter 4, God doesn’t abandon them. The relationship becomes strained but not completely broken. 

Is it any surprise then that Paul would write in Galatians: “So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27). Just as God covered Adam and Eve with grace and compassion. We too are recipients of grace and compassion in the Lord Jesus. We are covered in new clothing, our sin and shame are gone.  We walk with confidence with the God who, like a good caregiver, shows us: “you’re going to be okay.” 

May we respond to God in worship and adoration. 

Matt

Announcements and Other Thoughts

One more week! Harvest II Food drive. The Sunday School classes are competing to see who can raise the most food or cash donations to benefit the Harvest II food drive. This Sunday, Oct. 19th is our last week, so bring your cans or check! 

Trunk or Treat – Tuesday, Oct. 28th is Downtown Stillwater’s annual family friendly Halloween event. We’ll be hosting Trunk or Treat in our parking lot from 5:00pm-7:30pm. Please bring candy or sign up to host your car as a trunk or treat option! 

Build Nights – Sunday, Oct. 19th at 4:30 – Our next Build Night will be focused on the history, reasons, and methods of Worship as we continue to study the Five Purposes of the Local Church. Join us in the Fellowship Hall, and bring a dish to share!