First Sunday in Advent

When God began to create the heavens & the earth, the earth was formless & void, while the Spirit of God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light!” — and there was light. And God saw that the light was good….

In the day that the Lord God made the earth & the heavens…then the Lord God formed an earth-man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being.

— from Genesis 1 & 2

They will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

— from Isaiah 11

And the one who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new….”

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God & of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the City. On either side of the river is the tree of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Nothing accursed will be found there any more; but the throne of God & of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him; they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever & ever.

— from The Revelation to John 21 & 22