Invitation and Preparation
O God, make speed to save us
O Lord, make haste to help us
(Silence)
Let us pray:
Blessed are you, sovereign Lord, God of our ancestors: to you be praise and glory for ever. You called the patriarchs to live by the light of faith and to journey in the hope of your promised fulfillment. May we be obedient to your call and be ready and watchful to receive your Christ, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path; for you are our light and our salvation. Amen.
Listen and Receive
And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your kindred, that I may do you good,’ I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps. Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
Genesis 32:9-12
May the Word of God rest gently on our hearts, that when our hearts break the Word of God may flow in.
(Silence)
Reflect and Respond
Jacob, Isaac’s son, Abraham’s grandson, has spent 14 years estranged from his brother, Esau. Jacob took Esau’s birthright and blessing by trickery. He has made a name and a family for himself in a distant land, but now he wishes to return. He can not fathom forgiveness or reconciliation with his brother, and yet he trusts God to guide his feet.
Broken relationships, particularly among family, can seem irreparable. We can get stuck in our own guilt or in our own anger. We can let fear immobilize us. Yet the God of our salvation calls us to pray and walk in the way of reconciliation.
I wonder, are there relationships within your family or close friends that seem irreparable? How might God be inviting you to pray and walk in the way of reconciliation?
Blessed and Sent
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
In this season of light, may your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
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