Order, Words, & Voices
09.24.23, Wrestling with God, Genesis 32:9-30
Order
Pre Worship Music
Opening Song Lynn & Team
Count Your Blessings
Raise a Hallelujah
Call to Worship - Spoken Word Linda
Worship Response/Lord’s Prayer Rick
Reading Genesis 32:9-30 Cricklins
Songs Ocean Lynn & Team
It Is Well With My Soul
Message Wrestling with God Rick
Music I Surrender All Lynn and Team
Community/Peace Rick
Benediction/Closing Peace Rick
Post Worship Music
Music (slides) - Lynn and Team
When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
Are you ever burdened
With a load of care
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear
Count your many blessings
Every doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
So amid the conflict
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged
God is over all
Count your many blessings
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah Heaven comes to fight for me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
I raise a hallelujah with everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah in the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah fear you lost your hold on me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder in the presence of my enemies
Sing a little louder louder than the unbelief
Sing a little louder my weapon is a melody
Sing a little louder Heaven comes to fight for me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is aliv
Call to Worship - Spoken Words (Slides) - Linda
We gather this morning for a moment, a moment of worship, a moment of praise. We gather with countless others in our community, our nation, and around our world who share this common path towards Becoming the Righteousness of God. We gather in places where there is suffering in ways few can begin to imagine.
We gather with those who have experienced victories and those who are hiding their suffering while standing in front of us with a smile on their face. We gather with those whose comfort is guarded with a vigilance that is ultimately impossible to maintain.
We gather for a moment of rest in our struggles, a moment of shared refreshment before God. We share a called, and yet chosen path, a path of grace and a path of works. May we continue to move forward on our path of becoming as we worship the God who is love.
Call to Worship - Responsive Reading (Slides) - Rick
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, he makes me lie down in green pastures
Response: God leads me beside still waters
Leader: The Lord restores my soul
Response: God leads me on the right paths
Leader: Even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil, for the Lord is with me
Response: God’s rod and staff comfort me
Leader: The Lord prepares a table before me in the presence of those who would harm me
Response: God anoints my head with oil, my cup overflows
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
Response: I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long
Psalm 23
Lord’s Prayer (Slides) - Rick
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us. And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Reading Cricklins
Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau commanding the messengers, “Say to my brother Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says: “I have sent messengers to you , so that I may find favor in your sight.’’’
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “Your brother Esau, with four hundred of his men, is coming to meet you.” Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; he divided the people and everything he owned, into two groups; saying, “If Esau attacks one group, the other group can escape.”
Then Jacob prayed, “God of my father Abraham and of my father Isaac, my Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’
I am unworthy of all the favor and faithfulness you have shown to me. Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau; for I fear him. For You said, ‘I will make you prosper and make your descendants as the sand of the sea.’”
Jacob took his wives and people, to a safe place, leaving all that he had with them. Then Jacob spent the night alone selecting the gifts to pacify his brother, thinking, “I will appease my brother Esau with the gifts then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”
Then Jacob was alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while they wrestled.
The man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So the man said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and prevailed.”
Jacob asked the man, “Please tell me your name.” But the man said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” The man blessed Jacob there.
Genesis 32:3-29
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sov'reign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
When peace like a river
Attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot
Thou hast taught me to say
It is well
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
And Lord haste the day
When the faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound
And the Lord shall descend
Even so it is well
With my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
Message (Slides) Rick
[Slide leave up through next slide] Philosopher, Aristotle, believed that in good writing there must be the inclusion of catharsis. A process in which the reader, or audience, struggles with the story in a very personal way in which their own struggles replace the struggles of the story or characters in the story. This, then becomes a very intimate experience for the reader where they work through their own difficulties that have been inserted in the story and then, often, come out with a certain degree of relief. Aristotle called this experience a journey of cleansing through which the reader comes out lighter even though the story itself may end with great tragedy and loss. A moment of catharsis when those involved are able to release some of their own sadness, anxieties, or fears as a result of the story. (Woodhead Publishing, ‘What is literature? Definition, examples of literary catharsis)
[Slide] Such is the reality of the life of Jacob. A lot of bad, a lot of successes, a lot of failures, a lot of victories, a lot of deception, a lot of poor husbanding, even more poor parenting, a lot of tragedies, a lot of fear and insecurity, a lot of disappointment, a lot of good and bad ripples that extend still today - a lot of ripples that have merged to produce a tragic tsunami that still devastates, and saves, our world today. And… a moment of catharsis that prepared him for what lay ahead.
[End Screen Share]
Let’s be honest, the lives of Abraham and Sarah, of their son Isaac, and of his son Jacob and offspring do not really seem to be a blessing to the world as God’s promise leads us to expect.
Today’s story tells of a moment of the epic wrestling match between Jacob and God.
Jacob was a wrestler even while still in his mother’s womb. The twins that grew inside of his mother Rebecca’s womb were equated to two foes at war for the entirety of her pregnancy. When they were finally birthed, the second of the two, Jacob, carried the battles out beyond the womb, holding firmly onto his older brother’s heel in an attempt to move to the place of first born. Later he would metaphorically wrestle his brother Esau’s identity as the first born, and then Jacob would wrestle away the Esau’s blessing from father Isaac. Then, he would face an epic escape, he would let go of wrestling with his brother and run away for his own safety. But the wrestling match would continue even as he thought he was free of the consequences of his own actions. He would wrestle for his wife, he would wrestle with his father in law, he sought to keep his head above water with his two feuding wives, and he would wrestle with sons that were also immersed in the trail of trauma that Jacob left along the way.
Jacob’s story does not end with today’s moment, in fact, even though this moment is one of forgiveness, closure and peace, his future is one of other wrestling matches, defeat, disappointment, happiness, despair, and, in the end, Jacob dies in a foreign land living amongst a foreign people who were not his people and he was not in his land.
Leading up to this moment, Jacob had cleared up the relationship with his father in law and then headed to clear up the relationship with his own father and brother. Jacob expected his moment of seeking forgiveness from his brother and his father to be a painful experience, possibly a fatal moment of closure for himself. Jacob, however, did not expect to face God on the wrestling mat.
So, this mysterious man appears to Jacob as he settles down to rest before facing the battle of the coming day. This man, who we later learn is God, engages Jacob in a physical wrestling battle. I say physical, but it is not so much a battle in which the participants vied for a physical victory, instead, this duel was about a cathartic experience that would truly cleanse and prepare Jacob to face the past, present, and to serve as a preparation for the future.
Jacob, like all human beings, had been in a lifelong struggle with his own trauma. He carried the trauma of his ancestry, and the devastating choices made before him. And Jacob was fully aware of the trauma he carried by his own devastating choices and actions.
[Slide- leave slide up until next Slide]
Chan Hellman says that ‘Trauma robs us of our hope.’
(Chan, professor in the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and Founding Director of The Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma, and author of Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life)
Trauma leaves us with two options, either we face it head on and struggle through it, or, we can choose to ignore and hide the trauma allowing the pain to build into greater pain which often oozes out in the form of sinful and harmful actions.
In the midst of the grueling struggle, as the struggle ends, Jacob does the same thing that began his relationship problems in the first place - he asks for a blessing. The blessing he receives is a new name not status, power, wealth. This blessing is a new identity. His name is going to be changed from Jacob to Israel. He will ultimately be the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
[Slide] “Relationships are impacted by trauma and conflict as well as possible blessings that culminate in seeing one’s identity in a new way, which seems not to happen without a struggle.
[Slide] Seeing one’s place in the world in a new way is grounded in a different perception of self in relation to God and to others, which in turn paves the way towards replacing enmity with reconciliation.
[Slide] It is possible then that the text is suggesting that wrestling and conflict are unavoidable. But what makes a difference is how we are called to transform conflict into a mutual blessing.
[Slide] Wrestling with the mysterious man interrupts Jacob’s preparation to control his coming encounter with his brother Esau”.
(Safwat Marzouk, Pastor, Wabash Valley Presbytery of PC(USA), Rochester, Indiana, United States)
Jakob is forced to face his own traumas. Now, before he could return to face the confrontation of the ones he deceived and abused earlier in his life, he had a much bigger struggle, an epic struggle, an unexpected and exhausting wrestling match with God. A struggle which would ask the question, ‘Was he ready to fully trust God?’
[End Screen Share]
Have you ever been awoken from your sleep finding yourself filled with anxiety or fears? Choices you had made but which now regret or concern you, relationships that were flawed or toxic that needed to be addressed or ended, tasks that laid ahead that would be exhausting and painful, messes that needed to be cleaned up or corrected which would be humbling, doubt that was crippling, hope that had turned to hopelessness, life that had taken an unexpected twist or turns? Have you ever woken up tired of who you have created yourself to be? This was Jacob’s struggle, a lot of everything piled up and now was not allowing him to sleep - a duel in which he could remain until completion or leave and be powerless and unprepared for the next step on his path.
Have you ever been uncertain who you were or unclear, lost in regard to your own purpose? This was Jacob’s state of mind as this brutal encounter began.
I’ve never officially been a wrestler. I do remember a torturous PE wrestling unit in seventh grade. I have, however, wrestled with my own children. That was all it took to know that once you begin you cannot stop or take a break. You can never quit paying attention and you can never let your guard down. Once you start you are completely in, physically, mentally, emotionally, every muscle is at work and you can never tap out. Your opponent, even when they are but a toddler, is ruthless.
It is near the end of the struggle, as daylight is approaching and Jacob needs to leave to find out his fate with Esau, that the stranger tells him the battle must end. “Let go of Me.” he says. But Jacob refuses, he will not let go. This may be the most pivotal moment of this entire story. Jacob has a chance to leave as he has always done, to take the easy victory, to leave with the birthright, the father’s blessing, his family and riches, to take a moment of rest, but he does not release the stranger. Jacob holds on as firmly as he held on when the wrestling began.
I’ve always wondered about this part of the story. Why is it significant that Jacob does not let go? This has been a life or death battle for Jacob. Not a battle to live or die, but a battle for his very identity and future, a struggle for Jacob’s place in God's plan. What will he be after this battle? Will he continue to use his wits, deception, riches, and his own power to navigate life and relationship or will there be something deeper? Will he care for others, will be better than those who came before him, will he know the God that made the promise to his grandfather, and to Jacob? So, he held on, he didn’t give up, he struggled through.
I think Mahatma Gandhi as well as Martin Luther King understood this struggle. As they sat with the pain of abuse and terror inflicted on their ancestors neither man would they let go and retribution and revenge. Both men held to their principals throughout their struggles.
I cannot help but compare this struggle of God and Jakob for the stories of individuals who have struggled with homosexuality, of skin color, of nationality status, of gender, or poverty, of those on the margins, those who live with the struggle but refuse to let go of God. They had held tightly to their faith even when their humans in their own faith call on them to let go. Yet, they hold on, refusing to let go of the God who will not let go of them.
Jacob still holding on to the stranger, says, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” and the stranger ‘touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while they wrestled.’
The stranger, crippled Jacob, he took away Jacob’s confidence in himself, his ability to fight as he had before. The stranger gave Jacob a reminder that he could not do what was ahead in his own power, he had to rely on the strength of God. He had to trust God in order to know God. Jacob had to depend on God in order to find God’s path for himself. Jacob had to hold on to God through all that laid ahead in his life because he had a purpose. He had seen God face to face and survived, now he was to shepherd those who would impact the world.
Later, as Jacob meets Esau, Esau says to him, “Truly, to see your face is like seeing the face of God”
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender allAll to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Community (Slides) Rick
Benediction (Slides) Rick
As we leave this place we continue on this journey fully dependent on the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are on this path because of God’s extravagant grace and by our own choice. We are connected to the soil and the pursuit of becoming the righteousness of the Holy God. This is a pursuit that gives us no choice but to face the struggles and wrestle them through. Through which we are blessed.
We move forward even when we cannot see, we dive into the flowing provision even when the waters appear difficult, we hope even when our despair threatens to consume us, we love because that is the sole path and purpose of becoming. We wrestle through even when our body, and every muscle within us, is exhausted.
And, when our faith seems worthless, when hopelessness rules our reality, and when hatred seems to consume our world, we still choose to move forward in trust, to hope in the empty grave, and to love because that is our path, that is our call.
Closing Peace Rick
Leader: May the Peace and Hope of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Leader: Go in the Peace and Hope of the Lord.
09.24.23, Wrestling with God, Genesis 32:9-30
Order
Pre Worship Music
Opening Song Lynn & Team
Count Your Blessings
Raise a Hallelujah
Call to Worship - Spoken Word Linda
Worship Response/Lord’s Prayer Rick
Reading Genesis 32:9-30 Cricklins
Songs Ocean Lynn & Team
It Is Well With My Soul
Message Wrestling with God Rick
Music I Surrender All Lynn and Team
Community/Peace Rick
Benediction/Closing Peace Rick
Post Worship Music
Music (slides) - Lynn and Team
When upon life's billows
You are tempest tossed
When you are discouraged
Thinking all is lost
Count your many blessings
Name them one by one
And it will surprise you
What the Lord hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
Are you ever burdened
With a load of care
Does the cross seem heavy
You are called to bear
Count your many blessings
Every doubt will fly
And you will be singing
As the days go by
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
So amid the conflict
Whether great or small
Do not be discouraged
God is over all
Count your many blessings
Angels will attend
Help and comfort give you
To your journey's end
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your blessings
See what God hath done
Count your blessings
Name them one by one
Count your many blessings
See what God hath done
I raise a hallelujah in the presence of my enemies
I raise a hallelujah louder than the unbelief
I raise a hallelujah my weapon is a melody
I raise a hallelujah Heaven comes to fight for me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
I raise a hallelujah with everything inside of me
I raise a hallelujah I will watch the darkness flee
I raise a hallelujah in the middle of the mystery
I raise a hallelujah fear you lost your hold on me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is alive
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder (Sing a little louder)
Sing a little louder in the presence of my enemies
Sing a little louder louder than the unbelief
Sing a little louder my weapon is a melody
Sing a little louder Heaven comes to fight for me
I’m gonna sing in the middle of the storm
Louder and louder you’re gonna hear my praises roar
Up from the ashes hope will arise
Death is defeated the King is aliv
Call to Worship - Spoken Words (Slides) - Linda
We gather this morning for a moment, a moment of worship, a moment of praise. We gather with countless others in our community, our nation, and around our world who share this common path towards Becoming the Righteousness of God. We gather in places where there is suffering in ways few can begin to imagine.
We gather with those who have experienced victories and those who are hiding their suffering while standing in front of us with a smile on their face. We gather with those whose comfort is guarded with a vigilance that is ultimately impossible to maintain.
We gather for a moment of rest in our struggles, a moment of shared refreshment before God. We share a called, and yet chosen path, a path of grace and a path of works. May we continue to move forward on our path of becoming as we worship the God who is love.
Call to Worship - Responsive Reading (Slides) - Rick
Leader: The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want, he makes me lie down in green pastures
Response: God leads me beside still waters
Leader: The Lord restores my soul
Response: God leads me on the right paths
Leader: Even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil, for the Lord is with me
Response: God’s rod and staff comfort me
Leader: The Lord prepares a table before me in the presence of those who would harm me
Response: God anoints my head with oil, my cup overflows
Leader: Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life
Response: I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long
Psalm 23
Lord’s Prayer (Slides) - Rick
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, while we forgive those who trespass against us. And, lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Reading Cricklins
Jacob sent messengers ahead of himself to his brother Esau commanding the messengers, “Say to my brother Esau: ‘Your brother Jacob says: “I have sent messengers to you , so that I may find favor in your sight.’’’
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “Your brother Esau, with four hundred of his men, is coming to meet you.” Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; he divided the people and everything he owned, into two groups; saying, “If Esau attacks one group, the other group can escape.”
Then Jacob prayed, “God of my father Abraham and of my father Isaac, my Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’
I am unworthy of all the favor and faithfulness you have shown to me. Please save me from the hand of my brother Esau; for I fear him. For You said, ‘I will make you prosper and make your descendants as the sand of the sea.’”
Jacob took his wives and people, to a safe place, leaving all that he had with them. Then Jacob spent the night alone selecting the gifts to pacify his brother, thinking, “I will appease my brother Esau with the gifts then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”
Then Jacob was alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he had not prevailed against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while they wrestled.
The man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” So the man said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have contended with God and with men, and prevailed.”
Jacob asked the man, “Please tell me your name.” But the man said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” The man blessed Jacob there.
Genesis 32:3-29
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep my faith will stand
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sov'reign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I will call upon Your name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
When peace like a river
Attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot
Thou hast taught me to say
It is well
It is well with my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
And Lord haste the day
When the faith shall be sight
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll
The trump shall resound
And the Lord shall descend
Even so it is well
With my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well
It is well with my soul
Message (Slides) Rick
[Slide leave up through next slide] Philosopher, Aristotle, believed that in good writing there must be the inclusion of catharsis. A process in which the reader, or audience, struggles with the story in a very personal way in which their own struggles replace the struggles of the story or characters in the story. This, then becomes a very intimate experience for the reader where they work through their own difficulties that have been inserted in the story and then, often, come out with a certain degree of relief. Aristotle called this experience a journey of cleansing through which the reader comes out lighter even though the story itself may end with great tragedy and loss. A moment of catharsis when those involved are able to release some of their own sadness, anxieties, or fears as a result of the story. (Woodhead Publishing, ‘What is literature? Definition, examples of literary catharsis)
[Slide] Such is the reality of the life of Jacob. A lot of bad, a lot of successes, a lot of failures, a lot of victories, a lot of deception, a lot of poor husbanding, even more poor parenting, a lot of tragedies, a lot of fear and insecurity, a lot of disappointment, a lot of good and bad ripples that extend still today - a lot of ripples that have merged to produce a tragic tsunami that still devastates, and saves, our world today. And… a moment of catharsis that prepared him for what lay ahead.
[End Screen Share]
Let’s be honest, the lives of Abraham and Sarah, of their son Isaac, and of his son Jacob and offspring do not really seem to be a blessing to the world as God’s promise leads us to expect.
Today’s story tells of a moment of the epic wrestling match between Jacob and God.
Jacob was a wrestler even while still in his mother’s womb. The twins that grew inside of his mother Rebecca’s womb were equated to two foes at war for the entirety of her pregnancy. When they were finally birthed, the second of the two, Jacob, carried the battles out beyond the womb, holding firmly onto his older brother’s heel in an attempt to move to the place of first born. Later he would metaphorically wrestle his brother Esau’s identity as the first born, and then Jacob would wrestle away the Esau’s blessing from father Isaac. Then, he would face an epic escape, he would let go of wrestling with his brother and run away for his own safety. But the wrestling match would continue even as he thought he was free of the consequences of his own actions. He would wrestle for his wife, he would wrestle with his father in law, he sought to keep his head above water with his two feuding wives, and he would wrestle with sons that were also immersed in the trail of trauma that Jacob left along the way.
Jacob’s story does not end with today’s moment, in fact, even though this moment is one of forgiveness, closure and peace, his future is one of other wrestling matches, defeat, disappointment, happiness, despair, and, in the end, Jacob dies in a foreign land living amongst a foreign people who were not his people and he was not in his land.
Leading up to this moment, Jacob had cleared up the relationship with his father in law and then headed to clear up the relationship with his own father and brother. Jacob expected his moment of seeking forgiveness from his brother and his father to be a painful experience, possibly a fatal moment of closure for himself. Jacob, however, did not expect to face God on the wrestling mat.
So, this mysterious man appears to Jacob as he settles down to rest before facing the battle of the coming day. This man, who we later learn is God, engages Jacob in a physical wrestling battle. I say physical, but it is not so much a battle in which the participants vied for a physical victory, instead, this duel was about a cathartic experience that would truly cleanse and prepare Jacob to face the past, present, and to serve as a preparation for the future.
Jacob, like all human beings, had been in a lifelong struggle with his own trauma. He carried the trauma of his ancestry, and the devastating choices made before him. And Jacob was fully aware of the trauma he carried by his own devastating choices and actions.
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Chan Hellman says that ‘Trauma robs us of our hope.’
(Chan, professor in the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work and Founding Director of The Hope Research Center at the University of Oklahoma, and author of Hope Rising: How the Science of HOPE Can Change Your Life)
Trauma leaves us with two options, either we face it head on and struggle through it, or, we can choose to ignore and hide the trauma allowing the pain to build into greater pain which often oozes out in the form of sinful and harmful actions.
In the midst of the grueling struggle, as the struggle ends, Jacob does the same thing that began his relationship problems in the first place - he asks for a blessing. The blessing he receives is a new name not status, power, wealth. This blessing is a new identity. His name is going to be changed from Jacob to Israel. He will ultimately be the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
[Slide] “Relationships are impacted by trauma and conflict as well as possible blessings that culminate in seeing one’s identity in a new way, which seems not to happen without a struggle.
[Slide] Seeing one’s place in the world in a new way is grounded in a different perception of self in relation to God and to others, which in turn paves the way towards replacing enmity with reconciliation.
[Slide] It is possible then that the text is suggesting that wrestling and conflict are unavoidable. But what makes a difference is how we are called to transform conflict into a mutual blessing.
[Slide] Wrestling with the mysterious man interrupts Jacob’s preparation to control his coming encounter with his brother Esau”.
(Safwat Marzouk, Pastor, Wabash Valley Presbytery of PC(USA), Rochester, Indiana, United States)
Jakob is forced to face his own traumas. Now, before he could return to face the confrontation of the ones he deceived and abused earlier in his life, he had a much bigger struggle, an epic struggle, an unexpected and exhausting wrestling match with God. A struggle which would ask the question, ‘Was he ready to fully trust God?’
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Have you ever been awoken from your sleep finding yourself filled with anxiety or fears? Choices you had made but which now regret or concern you, relationships that were flawed or toxic that needed to be addressed or ended, tasks that laid ahead that would be exhausting and painful, messes that needed to be cleaned up or corrected which would be humbling, doubt that was crippling, hope that had turned to hopelessness, life that had taken an unexpected twist or turns? Have you ever woken up tired of who you have created yourself to be? This was Jacob’s struggle, a lot of everything piled up and now was not allowing him to sleep - a duel in which he could remain until completion or leave and be powerless and unprepared for the next step on his path.
Have you ever been uncertain who you were or unclear, lost in regard to your own purpose? This was Jacob’s state of mind as this brutal encounter began.
I’ve never officially been a wrestler. I do remember a torturous PE wrestling unit in seventh grade. I have, however, wrestled with my own children. That was all it took to know that once you begin you cannot stop or take a break. You can never quit paying attention and you can never let your guard down. Once you start you are completely in, physically, mentally, emotionally, every muscle is at work and you can never tap out. Your opponent, even when they are but a toddler, is ruthless.
It is near the end of the struggle, as daylight is approaching and Jacob needs to leave to find out his fate with Esau, that the stranger tells him the battle must end. “Let go of Me.” he says. But Jacob refuses, he will not let go. This may be the most pivotal moment of this entire story. Jacob has a chance to leave as he has always done, to take the easy victory, to leave with the birthright, the father’s blessing, his family and riches, to take a moment of rest, but he does not release the stranger. Jacob holds on as firmly as he held on when the wrestling began.
I’ve always wondered about this part of the story. Why is it significant that Jacob does not let go? This has been a life or death battle for Jacob. Not a battle to live or die, but a battle for his very identity and future, a struggle for Jacob’s place in God's plan. What will he be after this battle? Will he continue to use his wits, deception, riches, and his own power to navigate life and relationship or will there be something deeper? Will he care for others, will be better than those who came before him, will he know the God that made the promise to his grandfather, and to Jacob? So, he held on, he didn’t give up, he struggled through.
I think Mahatma Gandhi as well as Martin Luther King understood this struggle. As they sat with the pain of abuse and terror inflicted on their ancestors neither man would they let go and retribution and revenge. Both men held to their principals throughout their struggles.
I cannot help but compare this struggle of God and Jakob for the stories of individuals who have struggled with homosexuality, of skin color, of nationality status, of gender, or poverty, of those on the margins, those who live with the struggle but refuse to let go of God. They had held tightly to their faith even when their humans in their own faith call on them to let go. Yet, they hold on, refusing to let go of the God who will not let go of them.
Jacob still holding on to the stranger, says, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” and the stranger ‘touched the socket of Jacob’s hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was dislocated while they wrestled.’
The stranger, crippled Jacob, he took away Jacob’s confidence in himself, his ability to fight as he had before. The stranger gave Jacob a reminder that he could not do what was ahead in his own power, he had to rely on the strength of God. He had to trust God in order to know God. Jacob had to depend on God in order to find God’s path for himself. Jacob had to hold on to God through all that laid ahead in his life because he had a purpose. He had seen God face to face and survived, now he was to shepherd those who would impact the world.
Later, as Jacob meets Esau, Esau says to him, “Truly, to see your face is like seeing the face of God”
Music (Slides) Lynn and Team
All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me Jesus take me now
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender allAll to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly Thine
Let me feel the Holy Spirit
Truly know that Thou art mine
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
All to Jesus I surrender
Lord I give myself to Thee
Fill me with Thy love and power
Let Thy blessing fall on me
I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all
Community (Slides) Rick
- Next Sunday, No Reference Point, Exodus 1:8-2:10; 3:1-15
- Next Book Discussion Luncheon, ‘Making Sense of the Bible’, Some Books available in entry was -$15, or link on web page will take you to Amazon order page (audio, or library app), luncheon will take place in October (date - TBA)
- Celebrating Excellence Banquet, Sunday, October 29, 6 free GF Seats Available - speak with Rick
Benediction (Slides) Rick
As we leave this place we continue on this journey fully dependent on the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are on this path because of God’s extravagant grace and by our own choice. We are connected to the soil and the pursuit of becoming the righteousness of the Holy God. This is a pursuit that gives us no choice but to face the struggles and wrestle them through. Through which we are blessed.
We move forward even when we cannot see, we dive into the flowing provision even when the waters appear difficult, we hope even when our despair threatens to consume us, we love because that is the sole path and purpose of becoming. We wrestle through even when our body, and every muscle within us, is exhausted.
And, when our faith seems worthless, when hopelessness rules our reality, and when hatred seems to consume our world, we still choose to move forward in trust, to hope in the empty grave, and to love because that is our path, that is our call.
Closing Peace Rick
Leader: May the Peace and Hope of the Lord go with you.
Response: And also with you.
Leader: Go in the Peace and Hope of the Lord.