Rochester, MN UCC - "You Have Prevailed" - Genesis 32:22-31

When Jacob wrestles with God at the river Jabbok, he is at a major turning point in his life. After years leaving in exile from his family and home, Jacob is about to be reunited with the brother whose birthright he stole and from whose wrath he fled years ago. Jacob is coming face to face with the sins of his past, he’s seeking to make amends with those he wronged, and he’s hoping beyond hope that he might find forgiveness and a new life. It’s at this turning point, the night before he is to be reunited with his brother, that God appears to Jacob. Jacob wrestles with God all through the night, refusing to give in until he receives a blessing. Finally, God relents, blesses him and tells him “You shall be called Israel for you have striven with God and men and have prevailed.” 

 This Sunday we will host the men’s choir from Minnesota Adult Teen Challenge - a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility here in Rochester. These men have bravely begun their journey of recovery. This means that they, like Jacob, are at a turning point in their lives. They are facing the sins of their past, seeking to make amends to those they have wronged, and trusting that they will find forgiveness and new life. That takes immense courage and humility and faith. It means wrestling with God, through lament, confession, repentance, all the way through to the blessing of redemption and new life. 

When we worship together this Sunday, we will not only be celebrating the courage of these brave men and their striving with God. We will also be reflecting upon and continuing our own striving to lead new lives as people redeemed by the forgiveness and love of our God. For the story of sin, repentance, and redemption is not only the stories of those in recovery, it is the story of every Christian life. We too have fallen short and done wrong. We too must find the courage to confess and to seek forgiveness. We too must commit ourselves to living a new life with God each day. So join us this Sunday as we celebrate the bravery of these men in recovery, our common road to redemption, and the goodness of God who blesses all who strive for new life.

Rev. Andrew Greenhaw