This Wednesday: Evensong @ 7 pm

Greetings!

Our Book of Order (a key part of our Presbyterian community’s constitution) tells us that we’re meant to be a part of Jesus’ ministry of reconciliation. But how does that play out for you in your everyday experience of faith? Does the work of reconciliation come up for you a lot when you think about your walk with God?

This Sunday we’re going to take a look at one of the Bible’s most famous stories about family reconciliation – the story of Jacob and Esau. That story from long ago holds a lot of important insights about the value and struggle of reconciliation.

I hope you’ll join us for worship as we reflect on this together, and as we dream about how to find our own place in God’s ministry of reconciliation.

Faithfully,

Hardy

Please join us immediately following the Sunday service for our Coffee Hour (in-person in Trinity Court or online via Zoom).

bit.ly/SVPCCoffeeHour

Theme for Sunday

“We both have produced, all of us have produced, a system of reality which we cannot in any way whatever control; what we call history is perhaps a way of avoiding responsibility for what has happened, is happening, in time.”

James Baldwin (in conversation with Margaret Meade)

Questions for Reflection

• Have you ever had an experience of feeling betrayed by someone you trusted, like a family member or loved one? What happened? How did you feel?

• Have you ever made an attempt to heal a big division in your family or community? What was that like?

Genesis 33:1-11 (CEB)

Jacob looked up and saw Esau approaching with four hundred men. Jacob divided the children among Leah, Rachel, and the two women servants. He put the servants and their children first, Leah and her children after them, and Rachel and Joseph last. He himself went in front of them and bowed to the ground seven times as he was approaching his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, threw his arms around his neck, kissed him, and they wept. Esau looked up and saw the women and children and said, “Who are these with you?”

Jacob said, “The children that God generously gave your servant.” The women servants and their children came forward and bowed down. Then Leah and her servants also came forward and bowed, and afterward Joseph and Rachel came forward and bowed.

Esau said, “What’s the meaning of this entire group of animals that I met?”

Jacob said, “To ask for my master’s kindness.”

Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what’s yours.”

Jacob said, “No, please, do me the kindness of accepting my gift. Seeing your face is like seeing God’s face, since you’ve accepted me so warmly. Take this present that I’ve brought because God has been generous to me, and I have everything I need.” So Jacob persuaded him, and he took it.