Grappling with God. Coming to Grips with Yourself

REFLECTION QUOTES

“Each of us is a singular narrative, which is constructed, continually, unconsciously, by, through, and in us—through our perceptions, our feelings, our thoughts, our actions; and, not least, our discourse, our spoken narrations.”

~Oliver Sacks (1933- 2015), famed neurologist

“The reason why the theme of repentance is neglected…[is because it means] reshaping your life in quite a radical way. And people, just because they find it too costly of a prospect, …try to devise a way of being ‘Christian’ which doesn’t involve anything… radical….”

“There is tremendous relief in knowing His love to me is utterly realistic, based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me….”

~J.I. Packer, British-born theologian

“Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.”

~André Malraux (1901-1976), French novelist and Minister of Cultural Affairs

“We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in their place.”

“The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance—it is the illusion of knowledge.”

~Daniel J. Boorstin (1914-2004), professor at University of Chicago and the twelfth Librarian of the United States Congress (1975-1987)

“‘Is God trying to get my attention by making my life harder or something?’ I said. Blowing out smoke between questions, said out loud but mainly meant for God to hear and relent. ‘I mean, does God want me that much?’ As grace would have it, He did.”

~Jackie Hill-Perry, poet and writer

“We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.”

~John R.W. Stott (1921-2011), noted English clergyman and theologian

SERMON PASSAGE

Genesis 32:9-12, 22-32 (ESV)

9 And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. 11 Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. 12 But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”



22 The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” 31 The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip on the sinew of the thigh.