40 Days of Prayer will begin on Ash Wednesday and take us through the season of Lent which is the 40 days (minus Sundays) before Easter.  We invite everyone to join in prayer during the 40 days.   You can also take part in a Bible Study at 11 am in the Gathering Room or at 6 pm on Wednesdays, in the Gathering Room or via Facebook Live.  Our Ash Wednesday Worship service will take the place of the evening Bible study on Wednesday, March 2 and will be in the Sanctuary.   Join us for a season of Spiritual Renewal!
40 Days of Prayer is a church-wide campaign that will unite our congregation in prayer during the season of Lent.  Join together to learn how to pray with more confidence and greater faith than ever before.
Many people are struggling with a difficult situation or circumstance, and they need a breakthrough in their lives. They need to experience the blessing of answered prayer.

This Prayer Experience for Lent will help us

• Learn to pray for breakthroughs
• Grow in attendance
• Experience God’s blessings
• Develop a daily habit of prayer
• Unify as a congregation
• Trust God for everything

9-26-21Sermon Notes
“Labor of Love”
We will celebrate our 175th Anniversary this Sunday!  Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett will be preaching, and we will have a combined service at 10:00, spotlighting not only our great Celebration Praise Team, but also our Traditions choir and musicians.  The children will be singing, we will have a video on the history and timeline of the church, and there is a rumor that John Wesley and Susanna Wesley will make an appearance!  I hope you will join us, either in person (please RSVP online or by calling the church office) or via our livestream.
Bishop Wallace-Padgett will be preaching on the theme of “Labor of Love,” a fitting ending to our Labor theme for September. In John chapter 13, we see that Jesus’ time with the disciples was short.  If he was ever going to tell them anything, it would have to be soon.  He was going to walk a road he would have to walk alone.  He gave them the a command to remember him by…an example of an unselfish labor of love…He loved them sacrificially, with understanding, and with pre-meditated forgiveness.  Here’s the story from John 13: 13-35:
31 When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
See you Sunday!
Pastor Sam

9-19-21 Sermon Notes “Labor Pains”
 
This month’s theme is “labor.” If you were to look in the dictionary for the word “labor,” (I did, because I’m nerdy like that) you would find several different definitions.  It is an noun, of Latin origin, and the first, most common meaning is “physical or mental exertion; work.  It can also mean a “specific task” or “labor unions collectively”… AND it can mean the process of childbirth.  In this case, “labor” can be turned into an adjective.  What kind of pains?  Labor pains…pains associated with bringing someone new into the world.
 
There is another kind of labor pain that the Apostle Paul is describing in his letter to the Galatians.  Here is what he says in Galatians 4: 19

My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you –

 
Paul viewed those who came to follow Christ as a result of his ministry as his “children.” He says this not in a condescending way, but with great love and affection…and pain.  He is telling his Galatian “children” that what is happening to them is like he is in labor all over again.  His goal is to see “Christ formed” in them.  Paul’s goal is to make disciples.  Does that sound familiar?  It should! It is the cornerstone of our mission statement at Gadsden First United Methodist Church!  The process of making disciples is…well…painful.
 
I will say more about this on Sunday, but for now I will leave you with this:  (1) Making disciples is well worth the labor and the pain. (2) The labor doesn’t stop after disciples are made…neither does the pain.
 
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam

9-12-21                        Sermon Notes             “Labor Union”
We just celebrated Labor Day – a day when we pause to remember…work and workers! “Labor” is our theme for September.  “Labor Union” is the title for the message this Sunday.  Don’t worry – I’m not going to try to sign you up for the AEA, or the IBEW, or any such.  Instead, I’m going to ask you to consider what the Apostle Paul asked the church in Ephesus to “labor” at doing.
I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. 7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Eph. 4: 1-7 NRSV)
Focusing on v. 3 – “making every effort (laboring) to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Labor for unity.  “Is that all?” we think sarcastically, rolling our eyes. Unity?  Is that even possible? I met a pastor named Jeff from the state of Washington who was in the Free Methodist denomination.  Not being familiar with that denomination, I joked, “Just how FREE are the Free Methodists?”  He replied, without missing a beat, “We are about as FREE as United Methodists are UNITED!” Touche, Jeff.  
Does laboring for unity mean that our goal is to have everyone agree on everything?  To see eye-to-eye on everything?  That’s not where we are going with this.  We will talk about the sevenfold unity Paul describes in verses 4-6 of Ephesians 4.  We will talk about John Wesley’s famous quote on unity: “In the essentials, unity. In the non-essentials, tolerance.  In all things, charity (or love).”

See you Sunday,
Pastor Sam

The origins of the labor movement lay in the formative years of the American nation, when a free wage-labor market emerged in the artisan trades late in the colonial period. The earliest recorded strike occurred in 1768 when New York journeymen tailors protested a wage reduction. The formation of the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) in Philadelphia in 1794 marks the beginning of sustained trade union organization among American workers.

9-5-21                              Sermon Notes               “Labor Day”
Labor Day is a holiday to celebrate “workers.” Is that really a big deal? We might think of Labor Day as just a long weekend, or as the official end of the summer season (“Don’t wear white after Labor Day, Honey!”), but we all need to remember the fact that “labor” and “laborers” have not always been celebrated.  Nobody celebrated slave labor, which was a big part of our country’s early history, and which robbed the lives and dignity of so many families of African ancestry. Nobody celebrated child labor during the Industrial Revolution in the US. We sometimes forget that in many states, children as young as 5 or 6 labored in mills, factories and mines across our country. 
Labor Day came only after a long and bloody Civil War…only after violent riots by workers, and the organizing efforts of many American laborers.  So, I guess I’m saying that Labor Day IS a big deal! On the other hand…should we be talking about Labor Day in church?  I say, “Yes!” This Sunday, we will look at the story of Jesus healing a man who was born blind.
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. (John 9: 1-7 NRSV)
I will give you three reasons this Sunday why Labor Day should be a big deal for Christians. We will also be celebrating Holy Communion.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Sam

Men at the Well --Thursdays at 7 am

Men at the Well  Small Group
 
New Bible Discussion Topic starts August 19:  "Saints and Sinners-Characters from the Book of Acts"

You are invited to join the weekly ZOOM bible study with the Men at the Well small group.   Everyone is invited to join this discussion group.  It meets each Thursday morning at 7 am.  During the months of August and September, a different member of the small group will lead a discussion. The discussion topics will be centered around different bible characters featured in the Acts of the Apostles.  Each week, minor prophets and ordinary men and women will be featured.  Not all of them were good people.  Some are well known and some are scandalous. Below is the class schedule:
 
Lesson #11 - Thursday, August  19, 2021:  George Varner will be discussing the residents of the city of Berea and the people in Thessalonica mentioned in Acts 17
Lesson #9- Thursday, August 26, 2021:  Eric Wright will share a controversial character from Chapter 18  named Apollos
Lesson #8- Thursday, September 2, 2021:  Jay Hedgspeth will facilitate a discussion of two wicked characters, Ananias and Sapphira, whose greedy deals resulted in their immediate departure in Acts 5.
Lesson #5 -Thursday, September 9, 2021:  Mark Casey will share stories of Barnabas and discuss his acts of generosity and honesty found in Acts 4 and 5
Lesson #6 - Thursday, September 16, 2021: Todd Rains will lead us in a discussion of Stephen, the Martyr and how his loyalty and willingness to sacrifice his own for his belief shaped Christianity
Lesson #7 – Thursday, September 23, 2021:  Mark Condra will discuss how two wealthy merchants, Aquila and Priscilla, helped Paul in Acts 18
Lesson #10 – Thursday, September 30, 2021:  Bob Blount will explore the lifelong attraction between and Paul and Timothy.
 
               Please contact the church office, Todd Rains or Bob Blount for Zoom instructions to the class.  Everyone is invited!  256.543.8200 or fumc@fumcgadsden.org

Sermon Notes 8/15/21- Back to School Bash Sunday
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
New Revised Standard Version
Rules for the New Life
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up,[a] as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.[b] 5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, as Christ loved us[c] and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

This passage is labeled as rules for the new life in the NRSV Translation. This is a great application for all of the students, teachers, parents, and the rest of us as we start a new school year. These are some tough challenges in this passage but if we apply them, what an amazing impact we will have in the community this year. As a community of faith let us strive to be imitators of God like this passage talks about.

We can’t wait to see you Sunday as we pray over our students and teachers. We will also dig deeper into this passage from Ephesians. See you Sunday!

Pastor Andy

8-8-21                Sermon Notes               “Pop Quiz”
One of my favorite poems is Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken.  Remember that one?

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
 
That’s just the first stanza, but you can get the idea of where this poem is going. Whether or not we want to admit it, and whether or not we are even ready for it, CHOICES in life are inevitable.  We can go one way…or we can go the other way…but we can’t do both (and be “one traveler” as Frost puts it). Have you ever had a choice sprung on you…like a Pop Quiz in school?  Jesus gave such a Pop Quiz in Luke 14.
25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. (Luke 14: 25-33  NRSV)
Jesus said these words to a crowd of “maybe” followers.  They liked hearing Jesus’ teachings.  Maybe they had seen Jesus perform a miracle – or heard about one.  So, they were tagging along.  BUT Jesus was headed to Jerusalem.  So they said they wanted to follow Jesus.  Were they really willing to pay the price?
Are we willing to take the “road less traveled” that is discipleship?  That will be our Quiz this Sunday. 
See you in “class,”
Pastor Sam

How to Act in the Lunchroom

8-1-21                 Sermon Notes                  “How to Act in the Lunchroom”
Ready or not, “back-to-school” season is upon us. Whether you are a student or a teacher, a parent, grandparent, or none of the above – please pray for the beginning of this school year.  Especially now, when we are unsure how the latest Covid surge will affect us…prayers are appreciated! 
Back to School is going to be our new sermon theme for August.  We are going to be spending time in the Gospel of Luke. (Join me on Wednesdays for Bible Study if you want to dig even deeper)  This week, we will be in chapter 14…
14 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.
7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”   (Luke 14: 1, 7-14 NRSV)
Did you know that Luke’s gospel has more “meal-time” scenes than all the other gospels?  It’s like Luke is reminding us that life in the kingdom of God is like…a party!  A festive meal!  Not everyone who comes to the meal has pure motives.  The Pharisees are there to spy on Jesus.  Some refuse to come into the party at all, standing outside pouting (the elder brother in the Prodigal Son story). But if we do come to the table together, there are some rules.  The parable Jesus tells in vv. 7-14 might seem more like social advice than an actual parable.  But it is more than advice.  It is a reminder…and a warning…that we don’t need to jostle for position in the eyes of God.  Those who push themselves to the front will end up the caboose. 
I hope you will join us at the Table this Sunday, as we share Holy Communion and be reminded how to act in the “lunchroom.”
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”
- Merriam Webster 
Day Forty – “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” – Joseph’s brothers (Gen. 50: 15)
 
Well? That would certainly be a logical possibility. It would be “normal” for someone to hold a grudge if their brothers had been so jealous of him that they beat him, sold him into slavery, and then told his father that he was dead.  It would be “normal” for that person, if he were in a position to do so, to get some major payback! To forgive the people who did you so wrong, and to love them and still consider them family would be…sort of…weird. But weird is the way we roll in Genesis, right? 
 
Joseph did not do what would have been “normal” in hissituation.  Here is what he did instead: He finally couldn’t stand pretending anymore, so he sent all the Egyptian servants out of the room so he was left alone with his brothers. After he had himself another good cry (“He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard him…Gen. 45: 2), he said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still living?” Joseph’s brothers were dumbstruck…flabbergasted…shell-shocked. They were so scared that they couldn’t even answer him. Joseph called them over to him, and said again, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt!” (Gen. 45: 4) Now for the really weird part…Joseph said, “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.” Whaaaaattt? 
 
That brings me to another normal-verses-weird situation.  It would certainly be “normal” for someone in Joseph’s situation to be angry with God.  You know, the whole, “Why did you let this happen to me, God?” reaction. Maybe Joseph went through some of that…we don’t know. But in the end, Joseph was able to recognize God’s hand in sending him ahead. Amazingly, Joseph said to his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Was he going to take revenge on his brothers? The opposite. He said, “ ‘So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.’ And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.” (Gen. 50: 20-21)
 
Saint Augustine once said, “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Holding a grudge is like that. And as for revenge…allow me to give another quote.  Confucius said, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” It might sound weird, but forgiveness can save your life!
 
Reflection:  Who in your life is hardest for you to forgive?
 
Action: Read Matthew 18: 21-35  Write down your thoughts

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Nine – “How is your aged father you told me about? Is he still living? Is this your youngest brother, the one you told me about?”  - Joseph (Gen. 43: 27, 29)
I realize that we have more than one question today, but they are all from the same “scene.” Let’s set the scene: Jacob was devastated to learn what had happened to his sons in Egypt, and that Simeon was being held hostage until they brought back their youngest brother. He basically said, “I can’t take one more loss, or it will kill me!” So, they didn’t take Benjamin back to Egypt right away. 
Meanwhile, the famine continued, and they eventually ran out of the grain that they had brought back from Egypt. Jacob said to his sons, “Go back to Egypt and buy us some more grain.” And Judah replied, “The man warned us solemnly, ‘You will not see my face again unless your brother is with you.’ If you will send our brother along with us, we will go down and buy food for you. But if you will not send him, we will not go down…” (Gen. 43: 3-5) After some back-and-forth with his sons, Jacob finally agreed to let them take Benjamin. He had them take double the silver to pay for the grain, along with special gifts for this “harsh” Egyptian governor. 
The brothers arrived in Egypt and Joseph got the first glimpse of his younger brother, Benjamin.  It had been years! Joseph had his steward take the brothers to his own house…which freaked them out a little bit.  They thought they were being taken there because of the whole “silver in the sacks” incident. To hedge their bets a little bit, they told Joseph’s steward about finding the silver in their sacks on the way home, and that they honestly didn’t know how it got there! The steward replied, “Don’t be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks; I received your silver.” (Gen. 43: 23) This just keeps getting weirder and weirder!
The steward then brought Simeon out, and now all 11 brothers were together at Joseph’s house. When Joseph got there, they presented him with the gifts they had brought, and bowed down at his feet. Do you have the scene in your mind now? Here come the questions for today. Joseph asked first about their elderly father. They said, “Your servant our father is still alive and well.” And they bowed again. Then Joseph looked at Benjamin, his own mother’s son. Is this the youngest brother? Joseph then had to run from the room and find a place to weep.
Reflection:  When was the last time you cried?  Were you ever told growing up, “Big boys (girls) don’t cry?”
Action: Read John 11: 35.  Write in your journal your thoughts on why Jesus wept.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Eight – “What is this that God has done to us?” – Joseph’s brothers (Gen. 42: 28)
Yesterday we had Joseph’s brothers accused of being spies, and Reuben was saying, “I told you so,” and they are having a heated discussion in front of Joseph – thinking he can’t understand a word they are saying.  Joseph, of course, understands it all.  And Joseph is overcome with emotions. He has to turn away to weep.  Joseph pulls himself together, turns back to his brothers, and then has Simeon (the second oldest) bound up right there in front of the others. Why did he do that? Well – when he accused them of being “spies,” Joseph said that the only way they could prove their innocence was to go back home and bring their youngest brother to prove they had been telling the truth.  Joseph would keep one of them as a “deposit” until they returned with the youngest brother. 
As I said before, Joseph is messing with his brothers a little bit.  I think he wants them to feel the pain and the full impact of what they have done. He gives orders for the brothers’ bags to be filled with grain (which is why they had come to Egypt in the first place)…but Joseph also has the money they had brought to pay for the grain put back in the smaller sacks that the brothers had brought with provisions for their journey. The big bags were loaded on the donkeys, and off they went.
The brothers stopped for the night to camp.  One of them opened his sack and saw his silver coins were in there.  Can’t you just see the look on his face?! He turned to his brothers and said, “My silver has been returned…Here it is in my sack!” (Gen. 42: 28) Then “their hearts sank and they turned to each other trembling and said,” (our question for today) “What is this that God has done to us?”
Here is what else I imagine is on their minds: (1) This Egyptian governor who has our brother Simeon bound and in prison ALREADY thinks we are spies…now he is going to think we are thieves as well! (2) What is our father going to say to us when we tell him all this?  They finally arrive back home, and they told Jacob everything that had happened – how the Egyptian governor had spoken harshly to them and accused them of being spies…and kept Simeon as hostage until they bring Benjamin back as proof of their story.  Jacob didn’t take it well!  He said, “First Joseph, then Simeon and now Benjamin too? Everything is against me!” (He can be pretty dramatic)
Reflection: What IS God doing to Joseph’s brothers?  Do you think it is “fair?”
Action:  Read Galatians 6: 7. Write in your journal about a time when you reaped what you sowed.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Seven – “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t do anything to wrong the boy?’” – Reuben (Gen. 42: 22)
When we left off yesterday, Joseph had asked his brothers a question that he already knew the answer to: “Where do you come from?” They told him that they had come from the land of Canaan to buy some food. Remember, Joseph recognized them right away, but they had no idea who he was.  So… Joseph messed with them a little bit. “You are spies!” he said.  “You have come to see where our land is unprotected.” (Gen. 42: 9)
“You’ve got it all wrong!” they cried.  “We are just here to buy food!” Then they told Joseph that they were ten of twelve brothers who were from Canaan. They explained that the youngest brother was still with their father, and the twelfth brother was… “no more.” (that’s a nice way to put it) Joseph said,  “Send one of your number to get your brother; the rest of you will be kept in prison, so that your words may be tested to see if you are telling the truth. If you are not, then as surely as Pharaoh lives, you are spies! And he put them all in custody for three days.” (Gen. 42: 16-17)
Three days in jail…that’s long enough for them to think on their sins. At the end of the third day, Joseph called them in and said that one of them must remain in custody and that the others could go home with food for their starving families. Joseph told that they must bring the younger brother back so that they could prove they were not spies.  And the brothers started talking amongst themselves in their native tongue, thinking Joseph (being an Egyptian) couldn’t understand what they were saying. What do you think was going through Joseph’s mind when he heard his brothers saying, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother (Joseph). We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress has come upon us.” (Gen. 42: 21)
That’s when Reuben asked our question for the day: “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t do anything to wrong the boy?’”  Well… Reuben did say, “Let’s not kill him…just throw him into a cistern.” The brothers still “wronged” Joseph by beating him up and throwing him into an empty cistern. But… Reuben was planning on coming back later and rescuing him. He just got there too late.
We see one helpful thing going on here, and one unhelpful thing. The helpful part? Admitting where you messed up and feeling remorse over it is the first step toward repentance. The unhelpful thing? Reuben’s “I told you so,” didn’t help anybody!
Reflection: If admitting wrong and feeling remorse is the first step toward repentance, what’s the next step?
Action: Read Luke 18: 9-14

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Six – “Where do you come from?” – Joseph (Gen. 42: 7)
When we first started our Lenten journey (on Day Two), I said there are more reasons to ask a question than just to get information that you don’t know.  On Day Two the question was from God to Adam and Eve. “Where are you?” God knew the answer to that question, but asked it anyway. Was God up to something more than fact-finding? Yes. When Joseph asks his question, was he up to something more than fact-finding? Yes. How do we know that? Well, we read, “As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them.” (Gen. 42: 7) What’s going on here?
First of all, let’s not forget the Providence of God in all this.  When I think of the Providence of God, I think about the relationship between a receiver and a quarterback in football. (Stay with me here) When everything works in synch, there is a connection of trust between the quarterback and the receiver that is a sight to behold. The football is thrown - not to where the receiver IS, but to where the receiver WILL BE. The quarterback knows where the receiver is going to end up, and when the receiver gets there, the football will be there.  He just has to reach out and…receive it. But it was thrown before he got there, you see?  Joseph being in Egypt as the governor of all the land and storing up grain for the famine…that was like God (the Quarterback) “throwing the pass” years ahead of when Joseph’s family (the receivers) would be there.  God provided (which is the root of Providence, after all).
Secondly, let’s remember the emotions Joseph must have been experiencing. It’s been years since he saw his brothers.  The last time he saw them, they had just beat him up and sold him into slavery. They had hated Joseph because he was Jacob’s favorite – and because he told them about a dream he had where they would all “bow down” to him. Oh, by the way…the first thing Joseph’s brothers did when they came into his presence was “bow down with their faces to the ground.” (Gen. 42: 6) Had the years changed their hearts?  But Joseph, what are you feeling? Anger? Love for your brothers? A desire to say, “I told you so?”  A desire for “payback?” Maybe all of the above?
Joseph was holding all the cards at this point.  He recognized his brothers, and they didn’t recognize him. Joseph’s brothers had no food and needed to buy some. Joseph was the one in charge. He would sell them food…after they “ate some crow.”
Reflection: Have you ever had to eat crow (humbly admit your mistakes)?
Action:  If you have hurt someone, tell them you are sorry!

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis

Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”
-Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Five – “Why are you staring blankly at each other?” – Jacob (Gen. 42: 1)

There were critical times in Joseph’s life where we read these words: “The Lord was with Joseph.” One was when the Ishmaelite traders sold him in Egypt to Potiphar.  We read in Genesis 39: 2, “The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.” Does that mean that everything went smoothly for Joseph? No! Remember how Potiphar’s wife came on to Joseph, and then falsely accused him when he turned her down. Joseph got tossed in Pharaoh’s prison.  But again those words… “But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.” (Gen. 39: 20b-21) Again, does that mean that everything went smoothly for Joseph? No! Remember that he had to wait two whole years before Pharaoh’s cup-bearer remembered his promise and spoke his name to Pharaoh.

I wonder what Joseph did for those two years while he was waiting? I can’t say for sure, but I would imagine that he took one day at a time, and tried to be faithful and not let bitterness take root in his heart.  After Joseph finally got remembered, he interpreted Pharaoh’s dream, and the king recognized the wisdom and the Spirit in Joseph and put him “in charge of the whole land of Egypt.” (Gen. 41: 41) The Lord was with Joseph every step of the way.

For the seven years of plenty, Joseph saw to it that five percent of each harvest was stored up for the seven famine years to come.  And true to God’s forecast, the famine did hit hard. Everyone was suffering…including Jacob and Joseph’s brothers and their families. Jacob heard that there was grain to be had in Egypt. When none of his sons volunteered to go to Egypt and buy grain, Jacob finally asked our question for today:  “Why are you staring blankly at each other?” Let’s consider that question.  There IS a time to wait (like Joseph when he was stuck in prison). But there also comes a time when God has opened the door to the answer to our problem, and we don’t need to just sit and stare at each other…in denial. The question Jacob asked his sons was followed by a command.  “Go to Egypt and buy some grain so that we don’t starve to death!”

I’ve mentioned that the Lord was with Joseph, even in prison.  The Lord was also with Jacob and the whole family. God was providing. Just as God had provided for Abraham and Isaac before him, God was now providing for Jacob.

Reflection: Can you look back and see how God provided for you all along the way – even in the hardest times?

Action: Read Isaiah 41: 10. Write down your thoughts.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Four – “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” – Pharaoh (Gen. 41: 38)
We left off yesterday with Joseph in Pharaoh’s prison. He got thrown in there after being falsely accused. I know. The cynical side of us might  say, “Everyone in prison says they didn’t do it.” But Joseph really didn’t. Heart searching question for us… “Do we just forget about people who are incarcerated?” I’m afraid we sometimes do. And we are talking about a lot of people just in the US.  According to prisonpolicy.org, about 0.7 % of the US population is incarcerated. That would be just under 1%, or one out of every hundred people. Let’s not forget about them! God doesn’t.
God remembered Joseph while he was in prison, and was WITH him – even in prison. Joseph had sympathy for the other prisoners, even though he could have just felt sorry for himself.  The king’s baker and cup-bearer had dreams that disturbed them.  Joseph was able to interpret their dreams, because God gave him that ability. The cup-bearer’s dream was good news! It meant that he would be back to his old job within three days. “Don’t forget about me when you get back before Pharaoh,” Joseph said. “Oh, I won’t!” the cup-bearer said.  But he did. “He forgot him.” (Gen. 40: 23)
TWO YEARS LATER… Pharaoh had a dream (actually two dreams) that disturbed him greatly. He called for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt, and told them his dreams, asking them to interpret them. They were unable to do it. All the time that this was going on, Pharaoh’s cup-bearer is standing there…um…holding Pharaoh’s cup.  And he remembered his promise to Joseph, two years earlier. He said to Pharaoh, “I know a guy…”
Joseph was cleaned up and given something besides an orange jumpsuit to put on, and brought before Pharaoh.  “Can you interpret my dream?” Pharaoh asked. (Gen. 41: 15) Test of integrity time… Will Joseph portray himself as the all-seeing Oz, who alone can tell the future? No. In fact, Joseph tells Pharaoh, “I cannot do it…but God can.” (Gen. 41: 16) Wow! I think that there is no way Joseph could have done that without the help of the Holy Spirit!
You may remember that the meaning of Pharaoh’s dreams was that there would be seven good years of plenty, followed by seven terrible years of famine.  Joseph suggested storing grain during the good years, to prepare for the bad. (Gen. 41: 34-36). Did it take courage to speak before the Pharaoh? Yes! And Pharaoh said, “Good plan! I hereby put YOU in charge of the whole land of Egypt, Joseph.” (Gen. 41: 41) The Spirit at work…even Pharaoh sees it!
Reflection: Where do you see the Spirit at work in your life?
Action: Read Matt. 25: 31-46

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Three – “Why are your faces so sad today?” – Joseph (Gen. 40: 7)
When we left off yesterday, Joseph had just been propositioned by Potiphar’s wife. He turned her down – which took both integrity and courage. (The “Me Too” movement reminds us that sexual harassment in the workplace is still around!) Potiphar’s wife was not one to take rejection well. She kept after Joseph. “And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with your or even be with her.” (Gen. 39: 10) What a stressful, uncomfortable work environment!
One fateful day, Joseph was in the house, doing his job, and none of the other household servants were around. Uh, oh.  Potiphar’s wife grabbed Joseph by his cloak. She held on tightly and said, “Let’s get it on!” (OK, that was Marvin Gaye, but you get the idea.) This time, Joseph just had to run away, but she held onto his cloak for dear life, and it was still her hand has Joseph ran away in his boxers.  As I said before, Potiphar’s wife was not one to take rejection well.  She screamed for her household servants.  She said, “Look, this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed! When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house.” (Gen. 39: 13-15) Liar, liar, pants on fire!
Have you ever heard it said, “No good deed goes unpunished?” That was the case for Joseph. He did the RIGHT thing, maintaining his integrity even under tremendous stress.  And what happened? His master took him and threw him Pharaoh’s prison. Man! I don’t know about you, but I would be…what?  Angry? Check. Depressed? Check. Wallowing in self-pity? Check.
But not Joseph.  I’m sure he wasn’t happy to be in the Pharaoh’s prison, but we read that while Joseph was in prison, “the Lord was with him.” In addition to that, the warden was kind to Joseph, impressed with his abilities, and soon put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners. Not long after that, Pharaoh’s baker and his chief cup-bearer somehow offended the king, and so they were thrown into prison. Joseph helped them settle in and showed them the ropes.
One night, the baker and the cup-bearer both had weird, disturbing dreams.  When Joseph saw them the next morning, he noticed how dejected they looked.  And now comes our question for today:  “Why are your faces so sad today?” Here’s the question behind that question: “Why does Joseph care that they are sad?”  He has his own problems.
Reflection: When you have worries, are you still able to sympathize with others?
Action: Notice the people around you. Any sad faces? Ask if you can help.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-Two – “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” – Joseph (Gen. 39:9)
Meanwhile, in Egypt… Joseph was sold by the Midianite merchants to Potiphar, “one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.” (Gen. 37: 36) Before we move on, I just want to comment on how cruel and heartless Joseph’s brothers acted! Not only did they sell their brother into slavery, but they smeared blood on Joseph’s coat and took it home and told Isaac that a wild animal had eaten Joseph. Isaac was inconsolable! Proverbs 11: 17 says, “Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.” I believe Joseph’s brothers were being eaten from the inside out by their cruelty, and would only later realize it.
OK, now back to Egypt… The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered working in the household of Potiphar. Everything he did was successful. The attendant who is “in charge” of Joseph thought so much of him that soon Joseph was put in charge of running the whole household. The Lord blessed him, and the Lord blessed Potiphar. It still must have really hurt that his brothers had sold him into slavery, but Joseph was actually doing pretty well, considering. But there was this woman…
Potiphar’s wife would have seen Joseph a lot, since Joseph was running the household, Joseph was a hunk.  The Scripture puts it this way: “Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.” (Gen. 39: 7) One day, Potiphar’s wife goes to Joseph and says, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” (I can’t believe I’ve actually written that two days in a row) What she literally says is, “Come to bed with me!” (Gen. 39: 7) (Are you trying to seduce me Mrs. Robinson?)
Let’s say for argument’s sake that Potiphar’s wife was beautiful and desirable.  She was in a position to TELL Joseph what to do. Joseph could have said, “Well, you are the boss” and gone ahead and slept with her. But he didn’t.  Why? Because however desirable she was and whatever authority she had over Joseph, she was still his master’s wife…and going to bed with her would have been a sin…against Potiphar, who trusted Joseph with everything…but mostly against God.  Did you notice that our question for today is worded, “How could I do such a wicked thing and sin AGAINST GOD?”
The word in v. 9 translated “sin” is the Hebrew word, “chata,” and it means, “to miss…to go wrong.” If Joseph had slept with Potiphar’s wife, he would have gone wrong…gone in a way that was less than God wanted for him. Joseph might have “missed” a night of pleasure, but he “kept” something more important…his integrity.
Reflection: What does “integrity” mean to you? How do you know when you have “gone wrong?”
Action: Write down a list of your core values…the non-negotiable code you live by.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty-One – “What will you give me to sleep with you?” – Tamar (Gen. 38: 16)
Warning: Some of the weird material found in the Book of Genesis is rated PG-13. Children 13 and under will DEFINITELY need some parental guidance when they read this! (Go ask your mother)
I’ve always appreciated the fact that the Bible does not try to hide it’s weirdness.  Tamar (a relative of Jesus) has a weird back story, for example. Her story begins with Judah (one of Jacob’s sons with Leah) who married a Canaanite woman, and had some sons with her – Er, Onan, and Shelah. Judah got a wife for Er (Tamar), but Er was wicked, so the Lord put him to death. He died before having children with Tamar. The custom in that day was “levirate marriage.” The brother of the deceased man is obliged to marry his brother’s widow.  So, Onan was supposed to marry Tamar and have children with her. Onan refused to do his “duty.” Details are in Gen. 38: 8-9, but just know that what Onan did was considered wicked, and the Lord also put him to death.
That left the youngest, Shelah. Judah told Tamar to go back home to her father’s house and live there until Shelah got old enough to marry her. BUT – Judah never intended for that to happen. He thought Tamar was “jinxed,” and didn’t want to lose Shelah, too. So, Tamar waited, and waited… Shelah grew up… Still Judah refused to do the right thing.
Tamar decided to take the matter into her own hands. She knew that Judah was traveling to Timnah to shear his sheep, so she found a spot on the side of the road, disguised herself as a prostitute, and waited.  Along came Judah, and said, “Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?” (or something propositional), which brings us to our question for today. “How much will you pay me, mister?”
“I don’t have my wallet on me,” said Judah. “Can I give you an IOU?” Tamar said, “Leave me your seal, its cord, and your staff as a deposit.” He agrees. They have their “moment,” and both go their separate ways.  A few months later, Tamar comes up pregnant. Judah is outraged! He is going to have Tamar burned at the stake. Tamar says, “The father of this child is the owner of this seal, cord, and staff. Do you recognize them, Judah?” Oh, snap!
Judah realizes that he is more guilty here than Tamar. He did not do right by her. Did Tamar did the wrong thing for the right reason? Yes. Does God work through less-than-perfect people and circumstances to accomplish his will?  Also yes.
Reflection:  Have you ever done the wrong thing for the right reason?  Has God ever redeemed your “mess?”
Action: Read Jesus’ genealogy in Matt. 1: 1-16. Find the women in there and look up their stories.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Thirty – “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” – Judah (Gen. 37: 26)
Anger and jealously among siblings…does it ever end well? If you remember back when we first started the Lenten journey, on day four our question was from God to Cain: “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful?” Cain resented his brother Abel and was jealous of him.  God told him to get his anger under control, because “sin was crouching at his door.” Unresolved anger and jealousy destroys… Cain killed his brother.  The same thing almost happened to Joseph at the hands of his brothers.
Let’s set the scene. Remember that Joseph’s role in the family was that of “mall cop,” or “hall monitor”…you know, “observe and report.” The older brothers took care of the flocks. Joseph spied on them for their father. On one occasion, the older brothers had taken the flocks to graze near Shechem (the place, not the man), and Jacob said to Joseph, “Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.” (Gen. 37: 14) (observe and report, Officer Blart)
When Joseph was approaching his brothers, they saw him coming in his coat of many colors, and they plotted to kill him. “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.” (Gen. 37: 20) Sin is crouching at their door. Reuben, the oldest brother, had a cooler head. “Let’s stop short of killing him. Let’s just throw him in one of these empty cisterns.” (He was planning on coming back and pulling him out and taking him back home to their father)
They beat Joseph up, stripped off his coat of many colors, and threw him in an empty cistern. After doing this to their younger brother, the older brothers… (A) Felt guilty over what they did? (B) Posted a picture of Joseph in the cistern on their social media? Or (C) Sat down to eat their meal? The answer is (C). They sat down to eat. And along came a caravan of traders, headed toward Egypt. Judah saw an opportunity…hence today’s question. “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?” To put it another way – “We could make some money from this!”
I can hear the echoes of Judas Iscariot. “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” And they counted out 30 silver coins. (Matt. 26: 15) Joseph’s brothers sold him for 20 shekels of silver.  A cynical person might say, “Everything (or everyone) has a price.”
Reflection:  Does everything (everyone) have a price? Where do YOU draw the line?
Action: Read Matt. 16: 24-26. Write down your thoughts.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Twenty-Nine – “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us? – Joseph’s brothers (Gen. 37: 8)
Just in case you didn’t already know, or lost track of the count, Jacob had twelve sons. Leah’s sons included Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel’s sons were Joseph and Benjamin. Bilhah (Rachel’s servant) bore to Jacob Dan and Naphtali, and Zilpah (Leah’s servant) had Gad and Asher. (Gen. 35: 23-26)
Of the twelve sons, Joseph was Jacob’s favorite.  I’m not saying that was right, or healthy…I’m just saying what the Bible says. “Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…” (Gen. 37: 3) Jacob made for Joseph a robe that was “richly ornamented” – a.k.a. the coat of many colors. Just in case his brothers didn’t ALREADY know he was Jacob’s favorite… Can you imagine the tension and jealousy this caused among the other sons?
Joseph’s “job” just added to the tension.  His “job” was to go and check up on his older brothers as they watched over the flocks, and come back report to Jacob how they were doing.  When I was in school, we would say, “Tattle tail, tattle tail, hang your britches on a nail.” Often, Joseph would give his father a “bad report” about his brothers. And the anger simmered...hatred grew.  Golden boy. Goody-two-shoes. Daddy’s pet. Tattle tail. They hated him! I’m not saying it was right, or healthy…I’m just saying what the Bible says. Joseph’s brothers “hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.” (Gen. 37: 4)
If strolling around in his coat of many colors and spying on his brothers weren’t enough, Joseph would add another reason for them to hate him: his dreams. One day Joseph said to his brothers, “You wouldn’t believe the weird dream I had last night! I dreamed we were out in the field binding sheaves of grain, and all of the sudden my sheaf of grain rose up, and your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.  Weird, huh?”
I don’t know if Joseph was clueless as to how he came across to his older brothers. Did he really NOT understand how something like this would sound to them?  Was he really that self-absorbed? Hmmm.  I remember being 17 years old (Joseph’s age at the time). If I’m honest about that time in my life, I was pretty well wrapped up in my own orbit.
Anger boiling over, Joseph’s brothers said, “So, YOU are going to rule over US, Mr. Fancy Coat? When hell freezes over!” Would those words ever come back and bite them?!
Reflection: How does it feel when someone else gets all the positive attention? Have you ever had someone be jealous of the positive attention you received?
Action: Read Rom. 12: 3-5. Write down your thoughts on this passage.

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Twenty-Eight – “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?” (Gen. 34: 31)
We left off yesterday with Jacob wrestling with God, getting a new name (Israel), and then going off to face his brother.  That turns out better than Jacob had feared. Rather than meeting him with a sword, Esau met him with an embrace and a kiss and tears of joy. (Gen. 33: 4)  Wow! Seems that God is at work in ways that we cannot see!
As we move on to Genesis 34, it will be helpful to glance back at the “baby contest” between Rachel and Leah. Remember that?  Well, somewhere, almost lost in the jumble of sons, there is a baby daughter named Dinah. (Gen. 30: 21) Dinah heads out from home one day to hang out with some girlfriends, and this guy, Shechem, raped Dinah. Scripture tells us that Shechem’s “heart was drawn to Dinah….and he loved the girl and spoke tenderly to her…and Shechem said to his father Hamor (ruler of the land), ‘Get me this girl as my wife.’” (Gen. 34: 3) Let’s just pause here and be clear: Rape is still rape, even if the person who commits it is the king’s son. 
Hamor, Shechem’s dad, went to Jacob and said, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.” (Gen. 34: 8) He also makes the offer to have all their Hivite daughters marry his sons and acquire property and live among them. There are a couple of problems with that.  (1) God did not want the Israelites intermarrying with them and adopting their idolatrous ways. (2) Shechem raped Dinah.
Dinah’s brothers overheard the “proposal” that Hamor offered Jacob, and unbeknownst to Jacob, they went and spoke deceitfully to Shechem.  They said something like, “Hey, we would really like to intermarry with y’all, but we can’t do it because you men have not been circumcised.” (Gen. 34: 13-17). Shechem and all the men discussed it, and decided that circumcision was a small price to pay in order to have the Israelites settle among them.  So, every male in the city agreed to be circumcised.
While they were still in pain from the…uh…”procedure,” Dinah’s brothers attacked and killed all the men of the city. They not only took back their sister, Dinah, but they plundered all the houses and took all the women and children. When Jacob found out, he said, “What have you done? Now all the Canaanites will come against us!” And they said… “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”
Reflection:  Have you ever wanted to take revenge? How did that work out? In Exodus 21: 24, we read, “Eye for eye, tooth for tooth…” Can you see how that would have been preferable to Dinah’s brothers’ reaction?
Action: Read the following Scriptures:  Matt. 5: 38-39; Rom. 12: 17-21

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Twenty-Seven – “What is your name?” – God (or an angel) (Gen. 32: 27)
Jacob finally came to terms with his father-in-law, Laban. They made a covenant, setting up stones into a pillar. Laban said, “this heap is a witness between you and me today…may the Lord watch between you and me when we are away from each other.” The place was called in the Hebrew, “Mizpah” which means “watchtower.” I’ve actually seen jewelry made from this saying, with one half of a medallion on a necklace being worn by one person, and the other half being worn by their significant other.  Awww…how sweet! Too bad it totally misses the point that Laban and Jacob were promising not to cross this watchtower to harm each other.
So, Jacob and his wives and children and servants and livestock are not on the move back to Canaan land. Everything is great, right?  Except that Jacob still is going to have to face his brother, Esau.  When Jacob left home, Esau was hell bent on killing Jacob!
Jacob had scouts that were traveling out in front of their group, and a messenger came back and told Jacob, “Your brother, Esau, is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” (Gen. 32: 6) Yikes! What was Jacob going to do?  He did several things:

• He divided his family and flocks and servants into two groups, thinking if one group got attacked, the other could maybe escape.
• He PRAYED! He humbled himself and prayed…asked God to save him…reminded God of God’s covenant promise he had made to Jacob. (Gen. 32: 9-12)
• He sent three waves of gifts ahead (goats, lambs, cows, donkeys, etc…), thinking that each round of gifts would soften up Esau’s heart toward him.
• Then he went off by himself,  and spent the night…just turning to God.  He actually wrestled with God.

Now, there is some question as to whether Jacob wrestled with God or an angel.  I don’t want to split hairs over that. I think the important thing here is that Jacob wrestled, and he wrestled all night.  He stubbornly refused to let go until he had his blessing. Even after his hip was wrenched out of socket, Jacob wouldn’t let go. God (or the angel) said, “What is your name?”  “My name is Jacob?” came the reply.  Jacob, the heel grabber…Jacob the deceiver.  Then God said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.” (Gen. 32: 28)
Why did God (or the angel) ask Jacob for his name?  Because God wanted to change Jacob’s name.  God did the same to Abraham, to Sarah…and Peter.  The struggle changes a person.
Reflection:  Have you ever wrestled with God?  With yourself?
Action: Do some research into your name.  What does your name mean?

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Twenty-Six – “Why did you run off secretly and deceive me?” – Laban (Gen. 31: 27)
Seriously, Laban?  Are you going to go there? An old saying comes to my mind when I think of the relationship between Jacob and his father-in-law/uncle, Laban: “the pot calling the kettle black.” We know that Jacob was a deceiver from the get-go, but really this seems to be a family trait. It was Laban who deceived Jacob with the wedding night switcheroo. Then Jacob had to work seven more years to get the wife he wanted in the first place – Rachel.  That’s 14 years of labor on the family farm.
Rachel and Leah (and their servants, Bilhah and Zilpah) started having a bunch of children – Laban’s grandchildren…more sons to work on the family farm.  Everything was going well.  The flocks were increasing. Jacob went to Laban and said, “It’s time for me to be moving on. You know how much work I’ve done for you. Let me take my wives and children and just head out.”  Laban said, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.” (Gen. 30: 28) Ummm… Raise your hand if you are suspicious of that offer!
Jacob asks for a reasonable payment for all that he has done.  He asks to go through the flocks and take all the speckled or dark-colored lambs or goats.  They will be his wages.  That was logical, if you think about it.  How would someone know if a certain lamb or goat belonged to Jacob or Laban?  Easy.  Spotted or dark – Jacob. Not spotted or dark – Laban. Laban agreed to the deal.  But… That same day, Laban took all the spotted and dark goats and lambs and had his sons round them up and take them off. (Gen. 30: 35-36)
Jacob – not to be out bamboozled – took branches and peeled stripes in them, and placed the peeled branches in the watering troughs. The flocks that mated in front of the doctored watering troughs had young that were speckled or spotted.  Jacob set those aside for himself.  Every time the strongest and healthiest of the flocks came up to the trough, Jacob would put in the branches.  Whenever the weak or sickly flocks came up to the trough, Jacob would pull the branches out.  Results?  A strong, healthy flock of dark or speckled sheep and goats for Jacob…and for Laban? Not so much.
Trouble was brewing.  Laban’s sons were noticing the discrepancy in flocks, and so was Laban. Their attitude toward Jacob was souring, and Jacob was smart enough to see that.  So, Jacob waited until Laban had gone away to shear the sheep, and he rounded up his wives and children and flocks and set off for Canaan land. When Laban realized what had happened, he rounded up the posse and chased Jacob down.  And Laban asked, “Why did you deceive me?”
Reflection:  Why is it easier to see someone else’s faults?
Action:  Read Matthew 7: 1-5

Weird is the New Normal:  A Lenten Walk Through 40 Questions in Genesis
 
Weird – “of strange or extraordinary character.”
Normal – “conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern”

• Merriam Webster

Day Twenty-Five – “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take away my son’s mandrakes too?”  - Leah (Gen. 30: 15)
Rachel and Jacob are having an argument. With much drama, Rachel has just demanded that Jacob give her children, or she’s just going to DIE. “What? Do you think I’m God?” Jacob replied.  What happens next? Rachel gave her servant Bilhah to Jacob as a surrogate mother. (Sounds familiar) Bilhah got pregnant and had a son, and they named him Dan. Dan means, “He has vindicated.”
Bilhah had another son, and Rachel said, “I have had a struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So the baby’s name was Naphtali, which means “my struggle.” Is this weird enough for you yet? Meanwhile, Leah has stopped having children, and she feels like she is “losing” to her sister Rachel, so she gives Jacob her servant Zilpah, and Zilpah has a son with Jacob, and Leah names him Gad, which means “good fortune.” Zilpah bears another son with Jacob, and Leah names him Asher, which means “happy.” By now you should need a scorecard, because this feels more and more like a weird game.  It gets even weirder.
One day Reuben (Leah and Jacob’s firstborn) is out in the fields and finds some mandrake plants.  Mandrakes? Mandrakes were forked roots that resembled the lower part of the human body. It was believed (superstitiously) that if a woman ate the exotic root, that she would be able to get pregnant.  Reuben, being a good son, brought the mandrakes to his mom, Leah.  Rachel saw it, and she said to her sister, “Give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”  Then Leah asks our question for today. Here we get a glimpse not only into the sibling rivalry, but into the mind of Leah.  In her mind, Rachel came and stole her husband.  So, what’s the solution? Remember…weird is the new normal.
Rachel says, “Very well, Jacob can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.” (Gen. 30: 15b) Rachel is “pimping out” Jacob for some exotic herbs! And Jacob goes along with it!  And Leah gets pregnant and has her fifth son, naming him Issachar, which means “reward.” And the “competition” goes on… But why does everything have to be a competition?
At my ordination service in 1990, Dr. James Laney preached a sermon entitled, “Don’t Keep Score; Keep the Faith.” He told all us young preachers that we could easily get caught up in “keeping score” with each other.  “He/she got appointed to the church I wanted.” Dr. Laney reminded us: “Keep the faith…just keep the faith.” I’ve always tried to remember that.
Reflection: Have you ever felt like you were in an unhealthy competition with someone?
Action: Write in your journal about what it means to “keep the faith.”