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Good morning. Today marks the birthday of James Ussher in Dublin in 1581. Ordained in the Church of Ireland in 1602, he became Archbishop of Armagh in 1625. He is remembered chiefly because of his attempt to find the date of creation. He spent long periods poring over the genealogies in the Old Testament and then in 1650 published a book with a long Latin title concluding that the world had begun in the year 4004 BC and was even more specific, suggesting that it was on the 22nd or 23rd  of October.

But there is rather more to Archbishop Ussher than his chronological activities. His scholarly ability was prodigious- with a deep knowledge of the Bible and the early Church, wrote about the beginnings of Christianity in the British Isles and took part in the religious controversies of the day although those didn’t prevent him being in contact with Roman Catholic scholars throughout Europe. ’

In 1640 he travelled to England but with the outbreak of the Great Rebellion in Ireland the next year followed by a long period of conflict, He never returned to his native land, dying in London 1656. He was buried in Westminster Abbey on the instructions of Oliver Cromwell, usually no friend of bishops.

With the scientific discoveries of the last four centuries, it would be easy to poke fun at Ussher’s conclusions about Creation although I do know some people who sincerely believe that he got it more or less right. Maybe we should acknowledge Ussher’s honest attempt with the available knowledge of his time to answer the question but also acknowledge the most important thing about creation is not the date but the belief that it was God who created all things visible and invisible

Lord, may we rejoice in your creation and you, the Creator.  Amen