Wrestling With God.
One never knows (at least I don't) how God is going to move in and through a sermon. What I have learned over the years and definitely through this pandemic time is this: the word reads me, lives in me, makes its way out of me. These words just don't appear on paper nor do they just flow out of my mouth. The Holy Spirit definitely has a part in the weekly process. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Below you will find the transcript to the sermon, the YouTube link of the service and the SoundCloud link of the sermon.
You will also find a link to Steve Garnaas-Holmes' words from last week on the topic.
May there be growth, healing, and transformation along your path.
Rev. Deb
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“Wrestling With God”
Genesis 32:22-31 (CEB)
August 2, 2020 (9th Sunday after Pentecost)
St. Elmo UMC (FB Live)
Genesis 32:22-31 (CEB)
22 Jacob got up during the night, took his
two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok
River’s shallow water. 23 He took them and everything that belonged
to him, and he helped them cross the river. 24 But
Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke. 25 When the man saw that he couldn’t defeat
Jacob, he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and tore a muscle in Jacob’s thigh as he
wrestled with him. 26 The
man said, “Let me go because the dawn is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.”
27 He said to Jacob, “What’s your name?” and
he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob
any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.”
29 Jacob also asked and said, “Tell me your
name.”
But he said, “Why do you ask for my name?” and he blessed Jacob
there. 30 Jacob named the place
Peniel, “because I’ve seen God face-to-face, and my life has been saved.” 31 The sun rose as Jacob passed Penuel,
limping because of his thigh.”
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THIS IS THE WORD OF GOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF
GOD.
THANKS
BE TO GOD.
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Wrestling with God.
What would that be like?
Some of you may have wrestled in high school
and/or college and you know exactly what that is like.
All I know about wrestling is what I
learned from my two younger brothers and leg wrestling from band camp
days.
Wrestling with God after something is
broken. OUCH!
How many of us know the pain of a broken
bone or a pulled muscle, ligament, or tendon?
How many of us have needed to walk with
the assistance of crutches, a walker, or even use a wheelchair, or a knee
roller?
Now, imagine being in a situation where
you are in pain, hurt, yet you don’t let go because you want that something
more, that blessing?
Can you imagine telling God you’re not
going to let go until you get to that point?!?!
That’s what Jacob did. Jacob was
not going to let go of God until he got what he was after, the blessing.
After Jacob asks for the blessing, God
answers Jacob with a question in verse 27: “What’s your name?”
Is
it odd that God asks Jacob his name?
Doesn’t God already know Jacob’s name?
Why would God ask Jacob his name and why at this point?
Notice Jacob’s response. He answers simply, giving his name. He doesn’t question God asking his name. He doesn’t question why a blessing wasn’t
given rather than a question.
Upon hearing Jacob’s name, God responds
thus: “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled
with God and with men and won.”
The renaming of Jacob to Israel can be seen as a a blessing, as names
have significance. In this case, “The
new name ישראל “Israel” is a combination of the verb ש.ר.ה, “to strive with,”
and a designation for God, אל.[’el’] The passage uniquely describes a person
successfully battling God or his messenger.”
After Jacob receives his new name, Israel, he asks of the one with
whom he had wrestled, “Tell me your name.”
However, this was not directly answered either, but rather answered with
another question: “Why do you ask me for my name?” With that question asked, God blesses
Jacob/Israel. Jacob/Israel names the
spot “Peniel” because it means having seen God face-to-face. As he traveled on, he traveled with a limp,
because of his thigh. He wasn’t going to
quickly forget this encounter.
It had changed him, significantly.
What we didn’t start out with was the back story. Let’s go back and take a look at that. Where was Jacob going?
Jacob was on his way back to meet his brother Esau, to make amends
with him. You may remember the encounter
where Jacob fraudulently stole Esau’s birthright from him. There was some fear and trepidation, rightly
so, in Jacob going to meet his brother.
Before he gets to his brother, he has this encounter with God that
leaves him limping, humbled, broken, yet with a blessing from God. Changed, in other words. Transformed.
Jacob is now Israel and is changed in more ways than name only.
Think, for a moment, about the spiritual and emotional struggles
that plagued Jacob all those years after having deceived his brother.
Think about the experience of wrestling with God and not letting
go until he got what he wanted out of it, even though he was injured in the
process.
Jacob/Israel left that place limping. He would be serving God from there on out
with a limp. That limp would be a
reminder that he had met God face-to-face and was given a new name. Even with the limp, Jacob/Israel was going to
be able to listen to God, to follow God, and to serve God.
Have you had spiritual struggles?
Emotional struggles? Mental
struggles? Have you wrestled with
God?
How has it felt to wrestle?
Have you wanted to not let go until you get your answer(s)?
I get it. Like Jacob, there
are times when we find ourselves wrestling with God, for whatever reason. Whether we are seeking an answer for a
situation, whether it is a situation that concerns us, whether it is a loved
one in our thoughts. We can all likely
recall at least one wrestling session with God.
Whatever the situation, like Jacob, it changed us in some way.
We recognize that wrestling isn’t safe. Something can get broken. Yet, we also understand that it changes us.
Jacob's
all night wrestling match with God reminds us it isn’t always safe. We might walk away with a limp as a reminder
we are not able to fully rely on our own strength.
We
might also walk away with our true identity because we stayed in the match,
like Jacob, until the end.
Wrestling
with God produces change, a transformation.
It
isn’t the only way for change, transformation, and growth.
But
it IS one way.
If
you have experienced wrestling, know this:
it’s okay. It’s okay to wrestle
with God. It’s okay to struggle.
We
all have our struggles. With God and
with other things.
Remember
that the butterfly has to struggle to get out of the cocoon. While in there, the caterpillar has
transformed in the dark to become a butterfly.
Yet, the transformation isn’t over just yet. The wings must break through the cocoon. Then, the wings must dry before the butterfly can fly.
Throughout
this pandemic time, I have shared that I have felt like I have gone through
several transformations and have been growing and changing. There have been some wrestling sessions.
If
you are wrestling with God, you are not alone.
Reach out to someone. Talk with
someone. Share the struggles, the
changes, the transformation. And, if you
have received a blessing from your wrestling, share that too.
May
we continue to grow as disciples of Christ who share the love and light of
Christ with others.
Amen.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------YouTube Video of Service:
SoundCloud Link of Sermon
Steve Garnaas-Holmes on "Wrestling"
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