Wrestling With God-- sermon for 8-2-20

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 (9^th 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.”

https://www.thetorah.com/article/jacob-is-renamed-israel-twice-why-does-the-name-jacob-remain

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.

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YouTube Video of Service:

SoundCloud Link of Sermon

Steve Garnaas-Holmes on "Wrestling"

Reflections from Christ the King, Reign of Christ Sunday (part I)

Yesterday was Christ the King / Reign of Christ Sunday.  I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak at my home church (Burks UMC in Hixson, TN), 3 times--two Traditional services and one Contemporary service.  It was a great experience for me and a relief to be on this side of it.  Why a relief?  Because I made it.  It was one of those risky, scary steps of faith and obedience that I took.  I'm thinking there were others taking risky steps of faith in allowing me to do it as well. ☺  I'm grateful for the Mentored Ministry class I'm taking this semester that encouraged such an opportunity and even more grateful that my mentor was willing to allow me to pursue it.

It was the largest congregation I had ever been in front of for preaching.  I have been in front of this congregation before in the Traditional service to read Scripture, the Affirmation, help with the offering and pray.  But, those are all short-term activities.  Preaching lasts a little longer.   Was I nervous?  Yes.  Nervous from the day my mentor and I discussed it.  Nervous like up on the trapeze platform again or on the edge of the rock formation about to rappel off.  This was risky!  But, I took the first step or leap.  And, I'm glad I did. 

As I've shared before, I never planned to be a teacher.  Professors in college recommended me for a Teaching Assistantship at SUNY Stony Brook.  The very first day that I was in the classroom, it felt right; it fit.  I grew into becoming a better teacher over the course of the 24 years.  I made lots of mistakes along the way, but it was me and I was in the right place.

I have spoken at other churches.  My very first time was at Christ Church in Port Jefferson Station on Long Island.  It was my last Sunday there, as it turned out.  The pastor had long before planned to be on vacation and had asked me as a Lay Speaker to do pulpit supply.  At the time we didn't know that I would be moving back south.  "Are You Available?" was the title of my first sermon.  Since then, I have spoken maybe two handfuls of times (including yesterday's 3 times).  Each time, it has felt good and right.  But, there was something yesterday, during that 3rd time, during the Contemporary service, that clicked and felt very right.  Just like teaching felt. 

That is exciting and scary as all get out to me.  On one hand, I want to explore that and see where it leads.  On the other hand, I want to bury that sucker deep down because it scares the heeby jeebies out of me.  (Heeby jeebies is a colloquialism-- apologies to the many foreign readers.  I am not sure of a better expression here.)

I received some insightful and encouraging feedback both yesterday and today.  I have lots of room to grow in this area, in both my preparation and delivery.  Just as I had lots of room to grow in my teaching from the time I first stepped into the classroom.

I'm not claiming to know where I'm headed yet.  I'm not even claiming that I clearly see a new piece to the puzzle.  All I'm saying is that this is something that I enjoy and I might very well be cut out for it.  I'm leaving it in Someone else's hands still.

My parents came up from Dalton, GA to hear me.  That was a very cool and pleasant surprise.  My mom heard me back in 1989 when I spoke on Long Island.  My dad had never heard me speak.  It meant the world to me that they would drive up the road to support me and hear whatever it was that I might have to say. 

Besides my parents coming, there were a few other things that happened yesterday morning prior to me preaching.  Of those, the biggest two are indebted to a sister in Christ who was preparing for this day and praying for all of those in the service and the congregation.  One was seeing the prayer card she had written out for the day and seeing the crown of thorns in the middle.  She reacted when I walked in the door with a crown of thorns as well.  That was a God thing for me.  The second was seeing the quote for the day in the Green prayer book called A Guide to Prayer for All Those Who Seek God.  It's the one Guide book I didn't have yet, so I hadn't read what it said for Sunday.  The Blue and Red had some good quotes, but my breath was taken away as I read what was in the Green book.  This prayer guide is edited by Rueben Job.  Here is what she shared with me:

"We began the seasons of the church year with anticipation, and we end the seasons of the church year declaring a certainty. In Advent we waited for the needed and longed-for definitive and ultimate self-disclosure of God in the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. On Reign of Christ Sunday we celebrate the fulfillment of the biblical revelation of God in Christ.

     Once again the church has listened to, reflected upon, rehearsed in worship, and tried to live in daily experience the redemption story. We come away from this last Sunday of the church year soaked to the core in the revelation of God in Christ. For us, as for those first disciples, there can be no turning back. Here in the light of Christ's triumphant presence we find our voice and declare once again, Jesus Christ is Lord of all and shall reign as Lord in my life. So committed, we are ready to face every eventuality of life because we now know the One in whom our life is found, redeemed, and kept secure.  Our radical trust is in the One who is completely trustworthy (2 Tim. 1:72). Life in Christ is good and complete." (A Guide to Prayer for All Those Who Seek God, Rueben Job, page 406.)

This grabbed my attention because of what the sermon held within it, and the title: "Does God Rain?".

Wow!  Another God-thing.

Not only am I grateful to my mentor for this opportunity, but for all of those who prayed for me, near and far, and for those who stayed awake during the sermon. ☺ [That's what my daughter prayed for when she went off to Kidzone.... she lifted me up in prayer... that no one would fall asleep during the sermon.  That was probably a good thing too as I wasn't as lively and interactive in that first service.]  I'm thankful for all the kind comments and expressions of how folks were moved to action or what stood out to them or that they were able to clearly understand me.  One comment was something to the effect that they support me in my calling.  That one scared me!!  It caused me to back up a little bit and remind them that I wasn't fully sure of what that calling is/was.... so they edited it to say that they supported me no matter where or how God is calling me.  Whew!!  You see, I still resist Christ the King... it is scary to say "yes", to follow and obey.  Even if it's only for a 3 month position while someone goes out of town, right?!?!  (hehe ☺)  [Actually, I shouldn't put that in here because if the right person reads this, I'll be held accountable and reminded that at least she submitted and said "yes".]

I've said "yes" to alot of things over the past year.  I've told God "okay" as God has brought things into my path and asked me whether or not I would accept these gifts of inheritance that were offered to me.  I have shared in past blogs the things I've said "yes" to, even after my "arguing" and "wrestling" with God.  I don't know where any of those things will lead.  All I know is that I have a choice whether to accept them or not.  The outcome is not up to me.  It is up to God.  At each crossroad, I have had to decide whether or not I would accept and live into what I felt was being asked of me or reject it.

And, truthfully, the reason I get scared today?  I'm there again.  Can't I get a break around here?  Whew!  This growing stuff is stretching me a little thin here.  I need one of those "Stretch Armstrong" dolls... if anyone knows what I'm talking about..... but, writing about that is just putting off the inevitable.

The answer is:  Yes, Lord, yes.  Whew.  I said it.  Now that I've accepted it, maybe God will let me rest a little.... maybe?!?!?  Just in case it's not clear, I'm saying yes into living in to my preacher me, whatever that means and whatever that is to be.

What is God asking you to answer?  How is God stretching you?  Are you willing to answer "yes"?

Keep on pressing on... this journey is an awesome adventure!

~Debra ☺

P.S. I will post the sermon in the next day or two.