Wrestling with God...

The same night he arose and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and everything else that he had. And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.” The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the people of Israel do not eat the sinew of the thigh that is on the hip socket, because he touched the socket of Jacob's hip on the sinew of the thigh. (Genesis 32:22-32 ESV)

I'm over-booked...

I attended a lecture this morning given by the LCMS Rural & Small Town Mission director. It was very interesting! He helped me see through many of the stereotypes associated with rural congregations. He gave two statistics that I thought were surprising: 1) about half of the just over 6,000 congregations in America are rural/small town, and 2) about 40% of rural small town congregations don't have a permanently called pastor.

And he mentioned a survey which revealed the re-definition of the phrase "practicing Christian," ("those who attend a religious service at least once a month, who say their faith is very important in their lives and self-identify as a Christian") which I found here. The entire survey is telling-- if you have a minute or two, look it over.

Friday during the chapel service, my current Old Testament professor happened to preach on a pericope from Genesis that we have been discussing in class-- the one in which Jacob wrestles with God (see verse at top). He did a fantastic job! (He told us in class that his sermon was going to be on the final.) This is one of those Bible accounts about which every seasoned exegete and armchair theologian has an opinion, but this professor (who is one of my favorites, in or out of class) sold me during chapel. The answer to the question has two sources, the first is found in Hosea 12:3-4 (my underlining):

In the womb he took his brother by the heel,
and in his manhood he strove with God.
He strove with the angel and prevailed;
he wept and sought his favor.
He met God at Bethel,
and there God spoke with us—

And the second is the meaning of the name Israel, which could mean (this prof is also a Hebrew teacher) either "one who strives with God" or "God strives." Jacob wrestled with the pre-incarnate Son. One of the more fascinating aspects of studying Lutheran theology is the Christology of the Old Testament, looking for Christ from the start of Genesis through the end of Malachi (the last Old Testament book).

Well, it's the weekend. We're about to head off to my advisor's house for dinner, then tomorrow after church we're meeting an old Navy friend (who was one of our witnesses at our civil marriage "ceremony" at the Air Force Judge Advocate's office in Japan 31 years ago on the 27th) about an hour from here. Thankfully my course load is manageable tomorrow and I'm not a part of the worship services line-up. And the Cowboys have a bye...which reminds me...

The president of the seminary saw the Dallas Cowboys shirt I was wearing yesterday in chapel and gave me a hard time (in fun) as we were exiting. In the crowd of other seminarians within earshot I told him that I liked him until he dis-ed my shirt and the 'Boys-- he shot back that he liked me to until he saw my shirt. I had to chuckle afterward because I'm certain all of those guys looking in on this exchange must have wondered what was going on! A caveat-- he and I get along very well (he's another professor on campus I've come to really like; I'll have him for Church History in the summer). I suppose that in my own way I'm creating my own seminary legacy...

Onward to Week 8 (of 10)! (Pretty soon I'll have to buy more books, but I don't know where I'm going to put them. See pic of my work area...)

С Богом, ya'll!