Hello Glen Morris,

Blessings to you all.

Jayden here and I want to invite you into thinking about this passage from Genesis 32, Verses 26-28, from the Inclusive translation of the Bible:

26  Then Jacob’s contender said, “Let me go, for day is breaking.” Jacob answered, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” 27 “What is your name?” the other asked. “Jacob,” he answered. 28  The other said, “Your name will no longer be called ‘Jacob,’ or ‘Heel-Grabber,’ but ‘Israel’—’Overcomer of God’ —because you have wrestled with both God and mortals, and you have prevailed.”

Just what does it mean to be wrestling with God?

The Bible provides many examples of this grappling relationship with the Almighty. Rarely do I see in these stories a sort of passive obedience to what God says. Instead I see, like all human beings, a struggle to not equate another’s showing of vulnerability as an indication of our power and superiority over them. For us to find relationship in the mutual decision to be vulnerable and the incredible risk that takes.

I find that our relationship with God's Word is similar. Our first discovery for many people is the understanding that the Bible as we know it is not a direct memo from God. Though God's message and the Holy Spirit is very present in the text, the original words were first filtered through a human being who wrote with God's inspiration and then was translated, multiple times before we get the English copies we have now.

God is still present in these words! Our challenge then is to discover God in these writings; and that takes faith, a willingness to search through the biases of translations and our own perspectives and an openness to the Holy Spirit.

Part of my time with you will be spent running a Bible study where we will look at passages through several translations and find where God is speaking to us.

For this fall, these meetings will be set on Thursdays and I hope you will be able to join me as we become closer to God by becoming closer to God's will.

More details are to follow but I am looking forward to taking this journey with you.

 

Jayden