Genesis 32.22-32

Jacob prepares for confrontation
But during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons across the Jabbok River. After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions. This left Jacob all alone in the camp … (Gen 32.22-24a)

Jacob wrestles God
… and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. (Gen 32.24b)

The encounter leaves Jacob with a limp
When the man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket. [...] The sun rose as he left Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. That is why even today the people of Israel don’t eat meat from near the hip, in memory of what happened that night. (Gen 32.25, 31-32)

Jacob refuses to quit!
Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is dawn." But Jacob panted, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

Jacob receives God’s blessing!
"What is your name?" the man asked. He replied, "Jacob." "Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and men and have won." "What is your name?" Jacob asked him.  "Why do you ask?" the man replied. (Gen 32.27-29)

Name changes in Scripture …
• Abram/Sarai > Abraham/Sarah
• Saul > Paul
• Jesus said, "I no longer call you servants, because a master doesn’t confide in his servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me." (John 15.15)
• Jesus said, "You are Simon, the son of John–but you will be called Cephas." (John 1.42)

Lessons from Jacob

>> Get in the game!
In 1922, Texas A&M played a football game against then top-ranked Centre College. A&M was sufering from a lot of injuries, at the time. Interestingly, the head coach remembered a former player (E. King Gill) who was up in the press box working with reporters for the game. The team called on Gill to suit up and be ready to play if necessary. Texas A&M finally won 22-14. Because Gill stood ready the entire game, it has become a tradition for the entire student body to serve as the "Twelfth Man." They stand during the entire game to show their support. They are always in the stands waiting to be called upon if they are needed. (Read the full story here.)

What about you? Are you standing, ready to play when called upon?

>> Be willing to put it all on the line, to face your fears and to take risks!
Jacob decided to return to his homeland. The decision meant certain confrontation with his brother, Esau, who had earlier intended to kill Jacob. He took a huge risk in returning home!

>> Play hurt, if necessary!
Jacob’s hip was knocked out of joint in the struggle. But he didn’t quit. He continued fighting, even though he was injured, until he received the blessing!

>> Expect to be changed!
Jacob left this struggle with a limp. It is impossible to encounter God (or, more accurately, to be encounted by God) and not be changed in some lasting, real way!

>> Show what you’re made of!
Jacob’s name change acknowledged a change in his character. He went from "Trickster" to "Prince of God."

What I’ve learned about Alexandria/Barree in this process …

• You are willing to let go of past
• Your future is more important than your past
• You are not ready to quit
• You are willing to embrace change in order to fulfill God’s mission

>> Expect God’s blessing!
One more lesson from Jacob: Expect God’s blessing! Jacob was blessed because he didn’t quit!

And, in response to God’s mighty acts in Jacob’s life, he named the place where he wrestled for God’s blessing — Peniel ("face of God")! Today, we have the opportunity to name what God has done among us, what he’s doing in us, and what he will continue to do through us!

O God, thank you for encountering us, and for changing us! I pray that you will continue to encounter us so that we may do more effective and fruitful ministry in this valley. Guide us now as we name what you are doing among us! Amen.

[Note: Following today's sermon, the congregation chose the name of Hope United Methodist Church. May this congregation bring the hope of Jesus Christ to the Juniata Valley and beyond!]

Ephesians 4.29

An overview of the verse:
Bad talk:
Do not use talk that is unwholesome, foul, dirty, abusive. Swearing, vulgar, gossip, talking down to others, tearing others down or belittling, finding fault.

Good talk:
Say nice things: give compliments, be cheerful, tell the truth, put on a positive attitude. Edify: build up.

Ministers grace:
Not just that they benefit another but they are words of grace. We know that grace is a gift. Our words should be gifts, like giving presents away. Florence Littauer talked with children about this concept, one little girl aptly spoke, “our words should be like little silver boxes with bows on top.” And thus when Florence Littauer put this into writing she named her book: “Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragement.”

“Is it edifying?”
This teaching and book arose out of a family practice in the Littauer family. When raising their family they liked to memorize verses that were practical to everyday life – verses that they could teach their children and that would effect their behavior and interaction with one another. This verse encouraged the family to speak positive rather than negative words to one another. Their words to build up, to do a favor for the recipient. At times they would ask one another, “Is it edifying?” If someone said something sarcastic or negative, they asked, “Is it edifying?” Even a parent was allowed to be questioned by the child, “Is it edifying?” So common was the practice that one day their overheard their son explaining it to a friend who was over to visit: “If she asks you ‘Is it edifying?’ that means you’ve said something bad. The best way to get out of trouble is to say you’re sorry and watch what comes out of your mouth from then on.”

Ephesian Church
Apparently the Ephesian Church was having some problems saying bad things to one another. And the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the church:
Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear.

In the church, we should watch our words. In our homes, we should watch our words. In the workplace or school, we should watch our words. Wherever we are as Christians, we should watch our words. As Christians, we should communicate differently.

For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. -Matthew 12.34

Florence Littauer speaks of many kinds of boxes: toy boxes, gift boxes, secret boxes, mailboxes, flower boxes, school boxes, stolen boxes special boxes, boxes of peace, safe-deposit boxes and boxes of broken dreams.

Gift Boxes/Stolen Boxes
Encouraging words are remembered more than material gifts. Those of us are  older can quickly look back over our lives and identify probably both those who gave us gift boxes of encouragement and also those who spoke words of discouragement and hurt to us. There is such power in our words, those words live on in us. Words have the power to both make a person and destroy a person, especially our children and youth, when they are at impressionable ages.

Career
As young people choose careers, they may choose a career according to where they have been encouraged or discouraged. Some of us have grown up with boxes of broken dreams because what we didn’t do what we really wanted to do with our lives because that path was always discouraged for some reason or other.

Church
The week before last, Sarah Ayers accompanied me to Valley View to play the piano for the Chapel service. In talking she mentioned conversations she and Lindsey have had with other college students and how many of them are turned of to the church because basically because they did not receive encouraging words, they did not receive gift boxes. But their boxes were stolen away. What they had to contribute was not accepted. They were not made to feel a part, a significant part of the Church. In Sarah’s reflection she very much voiced an opposite experience for Lindsey and herself, of how the church has supported and encouraged them. May we continue to make our children and youth welcome and embrace them as the church.

I, personally, remember both the person who sat in the back of the church and would not even look at me when I sang a solo. (And you will remember my telling you how shy I was as a young person - that was like putting a bullet in me.) And I remember the person who took me aside after service one day, and spoke an encouraging word.

We can give boxes, we can steal boxes. Our children can come home from school on top of the world because they received a school box, an encouraging word from a teacher, and we can either uphold that box or we can smash boxes that box.

Receiving Boxes
Some of us are better at receiving boxes than others. Some of us will give silver boxes away and it will seem that the person rejects that silver box. There can be many reasons for this.
~Some people who have not received silver boxes along life’s way, do not know how to receive silver boxes. It may take repeated attempts on your part until they will actually receive the box.
~Some people may have consistently received negative words, even abusive words all their life (or physical/sexual abuse) and to tell them something positive about themselves, they don’t believe it. They reject your good words because they cannot see the good in themselves.
~Sometimes people have just learned some bad news or they aren’t feeling well.
~Sometimes it may be their personality (Personality Plus)
~as Christians, they believe it is not right to accept a compliment.

At one point Littauer asks, “Have you kissed a frog today?” You know the fairy tale where the frog when kissed turns into a handsome prince. Our words have the power to do just such a thing. Sometimes our words open up a possibility for people to live into. Littauer tells as story of a daughter and mother-in-law. This young woman always had trouble choosing a mother’s day card because her mother-in-law was not that picture perfect woman. But she began sending her cards that told of the mother-in-law she wished she would be and her mother-in-law soon began exhibiting those traits.

Conclusion
As God encourages us we are called to encourage one another. As we come to know God’s unconditional love, we are called to share that love with others.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. -Psalm 19.14