Origins of Joy and Sorrow: A Study on Genesis

The first ten chapters of Genesis tell the Bible’s foundational story about the origins of joy and sorrow. In these opening pages of Scripture, we see a world created in beauty and goodness, and humanity given the calling to cultivate and care for God’s creation. Yet we also witness the tragic entrance of sin—temptation, shame, violence, fractured relationships, and the unraveling of human community.

In this six-week class, we will walk carefully through these early chapters of Genesis and explore what they teach us about God, the world, and ourselves. Along the way, we will consider themes that remain deeply relevant today: vocation and work, the stewardship of creation, the nature of temptation, the roots of envy and violence, the experience of shame, and the surprising persistence of God’s grace even in the midst of judgment. As we study these passages together, we will begin to see the gospel more clearly—where sorrow and joy meet in the saving work of God for the world.

Throughout the class, we will also practice two formative Christian disciplines that arise naturally from Genesis itself. First, we will learn to lament honestly—to face the sorrow and devastation of sin without denial or despair. Second, we will learn to receive and express joy as a gift, recognizing that even in a fractured world, joy bears witness to God’s ongoing redemption of all things.

Leader: Brad Watson & Others
Length: 6 weeks (April 12 - May 17)
When & Where: 9:00-10:15am on Sundays in the Chapel
Cost: $20 (scholarships available)

Childcare is available if you need it; just make sure to register your kids when you sign up. If you have any questions, email Brad.