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"Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans and have prevailed.’"

- Genesis 32:26-28

Within Scripture, it is not uncommon for a person to receive a new name – Abram and Sarai become Abraham and Sarah, and in the New Testament, Saul the persecutor of Christians is renamed as Paul after he commits his life to Christ. These occasions of reidentification are significant, as is this story within the book of Genesis, when the patriarch Jacob is renamed Israel.

Jacob has striven with God, through wrestling with the angel of the Lord. When we think about wrestling, it may invoke a playful experience, like children wrestling and having fun. In other instances, it will be a much more serious and sobering experience of reconsidering what you have known or believed.

For some, this experience of wrestling might have been with Scripture, seeking to understand an ancient and holy text. Recently some of us have been participating in conversations facilitated by Dermot, exploring the complexity and divinity of the biblical texts.

Rev Dr Ross Mackay will also be leading a Bible study on Wednesday nights throughout August. This will be another opportunity to engage with stories such as these in Genesis, learning more about the history of the Bible and the history in the Bible. Growing and reshaping our understanding assists us to flourish in faith.

Others will have wrestled with the church, having been hurt or let down by leaders and communities who ought to have ensured safety. To trust again is an act of faith, to receive the blessing of community which genuinely models God’s love for us. While we won’t always get it right, we demonstrate this love at Wesley through service, hospitality and generosity.

In the story from Genesis, Israel lives with a limp following his experience of wrestling with God. This detail serves as a poignant reminder that our wrestling does not necessarily leave us unscathed, but as God is with us, we will always prevail. God will bless us, anyway, and we can trust in the love of Christ to know that we can seek God’s blessing, always.  

Blessings, Pastor Abbey Sim