God working through awful circumstancesPotiphar's wife - more trials for Joseph with still more to come.  Its not easy and never simpleDreams - how do you feel about what dreams say to us?  Does God speak through dreams still today?  When have you had a dream that was significant?  Ask me about the mountain lion sometime... Jesus redefines family here.  "Chosen" family and not just "born-into" fam...  Read More

Technicolor Dreamcoat time!  What's your favorite song from the musical?Family dysfunction again...One of those stories of having to go through the trials before coming out the other sideQustion - Did God put Onan to death or is that simply how the people of his time interpreted his death?  Remember we're dealing with ancient cultures hereAnd more family weirdness... Blaspheming the Spirit - lots ...  Read More

Renaming of Jacob.  "Israel" means "struggled" or "wrestled" with God.  This is something that has stayed with the Jewish people - tradition of midrash, arguing, debating, wrestling with the stories and with God. God reaffirms the covenant once againThings are being set up for the story of the brothers, Joseph, etc.  I love the phrase - that Isaac was "gathered to his people." Jesus is once again ...  Read More

Wrestling story - was it an angel?  Was it God?  Someone/thing else?  There's a literal meaning here and a figurative one. On the figurative side, I love how this story notes that when we encounter God, we are marked and we are changed.  Note the grace of Esau - no reason he had to be grace-filled with Jacob but he is.  A lesson in there for usStory of Dinah - Horrible story.  No way of trying to ...  Read More

Jacob continues his trickery,but somehow God is still at workRachel seems to be a good match for him...Notice though that Laban still makes a covenant with Jacob in spite of it allNow Jacob has to deal with EsauIs Jacob starting to "get it"? What is Jesus meaning here with the sword?  I thought of the message of Bonhoeffer in Life Together - When Christ calls a person he bids them come and die.  I...  Read More

Systems and stories keep repeating themselves, don't they?  How do you experience that reality in your own life?  In society?Jacob - continues to be the trickster and a bit of a scoundrel.  God uses all kinds...Notice how even here there are some early understandings of genetics... A shift comes here - not so much about miracles as it is about teaching and challenging.  First commissioning of the ...  Read More

Family dysfunction in full effectWhy did God choose Jacob?  And my heart breaks for Esau - just feels snakebitNotice - another meeting at a well.  Seems to be a central place?  Why?  Core need - water.  Why couldn't we set up Leah and Esau?  They seem like they would be good together Power again- Just emanating from Jesus the way it is describedPower again - Healing of the blind menMessianic Secre...  Read More

Notice another covenant made - Difference between covenants and contracts?  Here's a good breakdown on what covenant means in the Bible.Note the importance of names of places and names of people.  The names tell stories tooFamily dysfunction shows up againPut yourself in Esau's position in this reading - how are you feeling?  What are you thinking?Why only one blessing?  Ancient tradition held tha...  Read More

Put yourself in Rebekah's position in the story. How are you feeling with what is happening?  What is happening between the lines?  Remember, this is just the "highlights" - not going in depth.  The blessings offered - why don't we offer blessings in this way today?  What a gift it would be do to that for othersNotice that Hagar's well shows up againI love the language that is used when Abraham di...  Read More

Grace given to a mourning man.  When have you experienced a beautiful grace from others?The servant - praying for finding Isaac's wife.  How often do I/you/we pray for the every day things that we need?  How do we interpret everyday moments? Healings, Healings, Healings - notice what is in common in these healing stories and what is different.  Notice who is being healed and how.  Faith - Greek wo...  Read More

Abraham acting out of fear again - when will the dude learn?  Yet God works in spite of Abraham's actions and fearsNames - what is important about your name?  Notice how God promises and acts out care for Ishmael - making of him a great nation as wellWhen we come to this story, read Abraham and Isaac from the perspective of Isaac.  What does that change in you? What fruits do you see in yourself?...  Read More

Things start to get ugly.  Stories of lies, abandonments, trickery. fear, horrific suggestions by Lot with his daughters.  Hard chapters to read Lord's Prayer - notice what is the same and what is different in the prayer that we pray on Sundays.  Notice how the things Jesus is getting at is about internal things. For Jesus it isn't about the externals if the internals are not in alignmentGod and w...  Read More