April June 2013 Light series 1: Issac and our faithful God

Transcription

1 April June 2013 Light series 1: Issac and our faithful God What s in a name? Aim: to see how our faithful God works out his promise to Jacob and to discover how we can trust him too. Reading: Genesis 35:1-15 Getting started This outline links with two Light series which cover the latter part of Abraham s life and the life of Jacob. We see God meeting with Abraham, renewing his promise to him and then bringing it to fulfilment with the birth of Isaac. We then look at the story of Jacob tricking his father, running away from his irate brother, serving his uncle Laban, marrying Leah and Rachel and then returning home. These stories speak powerfully of the faithfulness of God as he works through Abraham and his descendants against the background of their human fallibility and failure. This is a theme that will be picked up in this outline. Jacob, having returned and been reconciled to his brother Esau, is told by God to settle in Bethel the place where he had earlier met with God while on the run. God renews his promise and we learn again that he is moving his purposes forward. The chapter revisits a number of earlier incidents and themes this is not a mistake or a pointless repetition, it is a drawing together of the threads and an underlining of the central theme of God s faithfulness to Jacob. You will need People to speak about their names and the meaning. Cards showing their names, if you feel this would be helpful. Someone to represent Jacob/Israel. A visual aid to represent Luz-Bethel. Places we can meet with God PowerPoint download or printed on cards. Cards hidden around the building for Israel, Bethel and El Shaddai, numbered 1 to 3. Piece of card roughly painted to look like a pillar of stones. Sticky notes or small slips of paper and sticky tack. Prayer of confession PowerPoint download. Pebbles and pens if you opt for the alternative ending. Beginning the service With: People to speak about their names and the meaning. Cards showing their names, if you feel this would be helpful. Have a number of people primed to tell the congregation their names and the meaning of their names. Some might want to add a few comments about ways in which their names have been appropriate or not. Aim for some humour. Point out that we do not often think of our names and the meaning that they have but in Bible times names had much more significance and said something about the person. Today we are going to be reading a section of the Bible in which names are important. As we read look out for the names.

2 Bible reading Genesis 35:1-15 This could be read dramatically with parts for a narrator, God and Jacob. Alternatively introduce some interactivity into the reading by stopping whenever there is a name and ask the congregation to fill in the gap. This will be easier if they have Bibles or if the text is displayed on the screen. Bible retelling Rachel s story a monologue for a female voice. Here we are, on the move again. How I long to settle down. It was bad enough having to leave my home. Oh, I could understand it. Jacob never really got on with my father and Dad did treat him pretty badly. And he had always wanted to go home. But, of course, that was never going to work after all the difficulty with Esau and tricking him out of his inheritance and all that. At least they made some attempt to sort it. And while they re not exactly the best of friends at least they are no longer at each other s throats. So here we are, on the move. All of us. Leah and myself and Jacob s other two wives and all the children. To say nothing of the animals and, to be honest, I would rather say nothing about the animals. It s a lot of fuss, I can tell you. So here we are, on the move. Back to Bethel, Jacob tells me. He always talks about Bethel. Had a great experience there when he was running away. Dreamt that he saw a ladder going up to heaven. And God reminded him of the promise to Abraham, and said he hadn t forgotten. Yes, God is going to do good things for everyone in the world through my husband and his descendants. Hard to believe, that but then perhaps I know him too well. Manipulative, lying, devious, lacking in confidence typical man really! But you know what? He s God s man, and God loves him and has been with him all the way. And God has some great plans for him and his children. Bible talk With: Someone to represent Jacob/Israel; a visual aid to represent Luz-Bethel; cards or PowerPoint depicting places where we can meet with God; cards hidden around the building for Israel, Bethel and El Shaddai, numbered 1 to 3. Jacob Israel The name Jacob suggests someone who takes the place of someone else. That is exactly what Jacob did when he tricked his father, Isaac, into giving him the blessing which really belonged to his older brother Esau. So it wasn t a very nice name to have. For years he had to live with the name and the consequences of his action. But God had not given up on him or on the promise which he had made to his grandfather, Abraham. While he was running away from his brother he had a dream of a ladder reaching up to heaven. In the dream God reminded him of the promise and reassured him. God was with him and would do all that he had promised. Later when Jacob was coming back to meet his brother he had another strange experience in which he wrestled with what seemed to be a man but was in fact God. As a result of the struggle, in which Jacob refused to let go, God blessed him and gave him a new name. Many Christians have seen this as a picture of prayer.

3 Have people look for card no 1. Bring it to the front and put it on Jacob. Jacob was now Israel. His new name means the one who struggles with God. This was the name by which he would be known in future and the name which he gave to the people who were the result of God s promise to Abraham. Luz Bethel The place where Jacob first met with God was called Luz, but Jacob gave it a new name. He called it Have someone find and bring up card no 2. This means the house of God. Jacob probably hadn t expected to meet with God here. Where might we meet with God? Show a range of prepared cards with either words or pictures or use pictures on the screen. Ask people in which of these we might meet God and have the congregation vote with a show of hands. The list could include church, school, country, club, work, bed, sitting in front of the TV, playing football and any you want to add; it will help if you can give it a local flavour. Explain that we can meet with God anywhere but that it may be easier in some places than others. If we are taken up with watching Eastenders or listening to our ipod we may miss what God is wanting to say to us The name that doesn t change Have someone find and bring up card no 3, El Shaddai. This is a name that doesn t change. It doesn t change, because God doesn t change. It means something like Almighty God. It reminds us that whatever God promises to do he can do and will do. Nothing is too hard for him, even if it is too hard for us. He will always be with us. Prayer activity With: Piece of card roughly painted to look like a pillar of stones, sticky notes or small slips of paper and sticky tack. Jacob built a pillar to celebrate what God had done for him. We are going to build a prayer pillar to celebrate what God has done in our lives. Give the congregation a few moments to think of something which God has done for them and for which they want to thank him and ask them to write it on the paper. Younger children could draw something, perhaps with help from an adult. Then invite them to bring them up and stick them on the pillar. Depending on time and the size of the congregation you might want to read some or all of them out. If children bring up pictures it might be good to talk to them briefly about the picture and why they have drawn it. Close with a prayer of your own or this one based on Psalm 126:1 3 Lord, you ve done great things for us: We celebrate your goodness; You ve filled our hearts with laughter. We want to sings songs of joy to you Because you ve done great things for us. It would be good to follow this with songs of worship, praise and thanksgiving.

4 Prayers of confession With: PowerPoint of prayer available as a download Leader: God we have gone our own way Leader: We have done things that you did not like Leader: We have not done the things that you have asked us to do Leader: We have been selfish and unkind Leader: We have ignored the needs of others Leader: We long to be different and to live as you want All: Give us strength and help us to change Amen Ending the service Invite people to think of some situation they will face during the week. Close with this blessing: May the faithfulness of the Father be with you in all you face; May the love of the Son go with you wherever you go; May the power of the Spirit be yours in everything you do. Amen Helpful extras Music and song ideas Ascribe greatness to our God the Rock SOF 26 Jubilate everybody SOF 315 Great is thy faithfulness SOF 147 Faithful One SOF 89 I m gonna jump up and down SOF 1887 Give thanks to the Lord our God and King SOF 1241 God s people aren t super brave, superheroes ks 86 Statement of faith We believe in God Whose power made the world, Whose love reaches out to all people, And whose promises are always true. We believe in Jesus Who came as the final proof that God keeps his promises. We believe in the Holy Spirit Who helps us to trust God every day. We believe in the church, Through which God shows his love to the world.

5 Notes and comments Another way of ending the service would be to have a small pebble for each person which they could hold as you pronounce the final blessing and then take away as a reminder of the faithfulness of God. They might want to write something on it as a reminder of what God has done for them or some area of their life in which they want to trust him more. If you choose to do this you will need a supply of pebbles and pens. If pebbles are not appropriate you could use pieces of paper cut into the shape of pebbles.