This Sunday, our congregation will be confirming and welcoming four of our youth as members of Christ’s church. And yes, this also means they are eligible to serve as elders! 

Of course, confirmation does not mean they have become mature, fully formed disciples of Jesus. What it does mean, is that for the last several months they have willingly wrestled with God about the questions they have about faith and belonging to a church that professes Jesus Christ as its Lord and Savior. They have wrestled with the meaning and cost of discipleship, the persistent questions about evil and suffering, and belonging to an imperfect community that is trying to live faithfully. And yet, like Jacob, they have decided to not let go of God and not let go of our church. 

They do not exit confirmation full of answers. In fact, there’s probably more questions to wrestle with than before. But would you be willing to wrestle with God and the world with them? Will you be willing to be changed by God with and for them?

Peace,

Rich

Jacob got up during the night, took his two wives, his two women servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the Jabbok River’s shallow water. He took them and everything that belonged to him, and he helped them cross the river. But Jacob stayed apart by himself, and a man wrestled with him until dawn broke. When the man saw that he couldn’t defeat Jacob, he grabbed Jacob’s thigh and tore a muscle in Jacob’s thigh as he wrestled with him. The man said, “Let me go because the dawn is breaking.”

But Jacob said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me.” He said to Jacob, “What’s your name?” and he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name won’t be Jacob any longer, but Israel, because you struggled with God and with men and won.” Jacob also asked and said, “Tell me your name.” But he said, “Why do you ask for my name?” and he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel, “because I’ve seen God face-to-face, and my life has been saved.” The sun rose as Jacob passed Penuel, limping because of his thigh. Therefore, Israelites don’t eat the tendon attached to the thigh muscle to this day, because he grabbed Jacob’s thigh muscle at the tendon.