Genesis 32:22-30 - September 24, 2023

This week’s lesson from Genesis 32 is one of the most famous events of Jacob’s life. While the story has many interpretations and can mean many different things - struggle, persistence, being named… the thing that stood out to me is the “in-between time” - which kind of includes all the other things, too. But before we explore that a little more, I think we need to put this story into a bit of context. 

Last week, we heard all about Abraham and Sarah - the covenant for land, a nation, and being a blessing. That covenant took its first step forward with the birth of Isaac. Isaac grew up, and he and his wife, Rebekah, had twin sons: Esau and Jacob. Esau was the elder twin, while Jacob was the younger.

And Jacob had a bit of a duplicitous reputation. His name in Hebrew is a play on the word for “heel” - “heel grabber” or “supplanter” - because of the way his hand gripped Esau’s heel at birth. Also, he was a bit of a trickster, a little bit of a bad guy. 

Jacob's most famous act of trickery occurs when he deceives his elderly father, Isaac, into giving him Esau's birthright blessing. Jacob disguises himself as Esau, taking advantage of his father's blindness, and receives the blessing intended for his older brother. So, as we can see, Jacob is often up to no good. 

Which brings us to our story for today. It's nighttime, and Jacob finds himself all alone by the Jabbok River. And you know what? Jacob's feeling pretty anxious. Why, you ask? Well, his older brother, Esau, is on his way for a long-overdue reunion. It's been a whopping 20 years since they last saw each other. And let's not forget that last little encounter I mentioned earlier. When that happened, Esau wanted to kill Jacob. And here's the thing – Esau's not traveling solo; he's got a whole entourage of 400 friends with him. So, we can probably understand why Jacob is nervous. This doesn’t sound like the makings of a happy reunion.

But suddenly, out of the pitch dark, a man locked arms with Jacob and they began to wrestle. Hours passed, and neither of them would give up. Then, just as dawn peeked over the horizon, something extraordinary happened. The mysterious figure struck Jacob's hip, throwing it out of joint. Jacob was in pain, but he didn't let go.
The man said, “What’s your name?”
He answered, “Jacob.”
The man said, “No longer. Your name is no longer Jacob. From now on, you'll be called Israel, which means 'one who wrestles with God.'"
With the dawn breaking, the battle was over. Jacob, now Israel, was left with a limp, a mark of the night's adventure. But he also had a blessing from God, a new name, and a new identity.

Struggle. Persistence. Being named. An in-between time.

This mysterious wrestling match seems to show us that the relationship between humans and God, and between communities and God,  can be a struggle. The relationships are marked by conflict as well as blessings - blessings that help in seeing one’s identity in a new way. 

And blessings are great. We like the good stuff. But we don’t always like the whole process to get there. You know, that period when we’re feeling anxious and nervous, right before or during the struggle. It’s that phase before we even realize the blessing, before we fully embrace the identity God gives, before we continue along on our journey… that’s the in-between time. 

In a high, theological type of way, we as Christians are in an in-between time. Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the devil, and even now, there is brokenness and pain and death all around us. It’s “already” and “not yet.” 

For a more individual yet still theological concept, we are both Saint and Sinner at the same time. Law and Gospel both name our realities. We are broken, we are fearful, we do sin. And yet, we hear the good and gracious news about God’s response to our condition because of Christ, no matter what. 

We live in an in-between stage. We live in the midst of struggle. 

And that is true in theologically broad ways and theologically individual ways, but it is also true for us as a faith community. We are in an in-between time, and sometimes that can be a struggle.

We are a growing congregation that still holds on to a little church mentality. Transitioning from a small to a medium-sized congregation, or from a pastoral to a program-based structure, comes with its share of challenges. One of the challenges is no longer knowing everyone as well as we once did. We have various worship times and an influx of new faces. There are even people you recognize, but now you’ve seen them too many times, and it’s too late to introduce yourself because that’s embarrassing. We find ourselves in a transitional, in-between time, wrestling between the old and the new, and we struggle with this evolving church experience.

We are growing in our range of activities and ways to serve, but the volunteer pool isn't growing as quickly as the opportunities. Some ministries are full, no doubt, especially when it comes to fellowship. WELCA Circles and Men’s Breakfasts have lots of people around the tables. But there are needs beyond sitting at a table or attending a meeting. There are always property concerns that are in need of fixing, and knowledgeable volunteers can help tremendously. Beyond that, lately I’ve had lots of conversations about how to keep many ministries going with the people who currently serve - everything from Sunday school to assisting ministers to even starting new things like a circle of welcome for the New Americans Program. We find ourselves in a transitional, in-between time, wrestling between the old and the new, and we struggle.

Our capital campaign was a success this past spring, but we are waiting for improvements to happen. And the most exciting but also the biggest question mark is building renovations. We sit alone with our nervousness and anxiety, we wrestle with what will it look like, can we pay for it, what’s the timeline… It is the in-between time. We often don’t like the process of getting there. It’s that struggle - that in-between time… before we even realize the blessing, before we fully embrace the identity God gives, before we continue along on our journey.  

Now, I’m not pointing fingers as much as I’m saying that we’ll figure this out together. We’re in this together. We will struggle together, wrestle together, and in the end, be blessed by God together. In fact, these types of issues and “growing pains” in a congregation are exactly the learning topic for while I’m on sabbatical next summer. It’s a way we can proactively address and resolve questions and struggles in a healthy and intentional way. It won’t be easy; it’ll still be a struggle, but hopefully, we can at least be prepared for the wrestling match that is to come. 

These types of struggles can be nerve-wracking, nostalgia-inducing, and fear-producing. We might even say, “If we’re going to have to do that, well, let’s just stay on this side of the Jabbok. Let’s just keep things how they are.”

But out of the struggle comes blessing.
Out of wrestling comes a new identity.
Through the process, we grow into who God is calling us to be, who God names us to be, into the life only God can give. 

In our story, this time of transition for Jacob isn’t merely a “change.” It is a profound and sacred experience that brings him a new name, a new life, a new journey with God. 

And certainly, we all experience times when we feel like we are wrestling with God. And you know what? Good for you. Because in the struggle, we know God is there, we know God will bless us, and we know God will put us on the path to new life, a life that leads to greater awareness of God’s presence and grace. 

So, let’s not be afraid to wrestle, to struggle. In fact, God calls us to wrestle and to prevail - to prevail with God, but most importantly, to prevail because we grow into who God is calling us to be, who God names us to be, into the life only God can give.