January 21, 2018
Genesis 28:16-22
When Jacob
anointed that stone with oil, it was not the beginning of his story. He did not
do that at the beginning of his journey with God. He had yet to meet Rachel and
spend seven years working for her father Laban. Jacob had yet to be tricked by
Laban or to trick Laban in kind. He had yet to reunite with his brother, Esau,
and make amends. There was still so much of Jacob’s story, and the story of his
family yet to be written. There was still so much of his journey yet to unfold.
No, this moment
happened somewhere in the middle. It’s not at the beginning, and it was
certainly not at the end. Jacob created a pillar from the stone he rested his
head on, he anointed it with oil after his dream about a ladder. It was a
ladder that reached from earth to heaven, and Jacob watched as angels ascended
and descended. As Jacob watched, the Lord stood beside him, and made him a
promise. God made a covenant with Jacob, just as God had made a covenant with
Abraham.
God promised to
give Jacob and his offspring the land where he stood. God promised that Jacob’s
offspring would be like the “dust of the earth,” spreading and swirling to the
east and west, and to the north and south. Just as God promised Abraham, so too
God promised Jacob – through him and his offspring all the families of the
earth would be blessed.
Then God made one
more promise,
“Know that I am
with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this
land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”
That was the
moment when Jacob awoke. That was the moment, somewhere in the middle of his
journey, that he saw through his dream that he was resting in a thin place; a
place where for just a moment the veil between the divine and the mortal had
been pushed aside. It was a thin place. It was a place where God was.
“Surely the Lord
is in this place – and I did not know it!”
Jacob
knew that God was in that place, and he marked that spot by anointing the rock
he had used as a pillow. He marked that sacred space, somewhere in the middle
of his journey.
Thank
you all, congregation members and our guests alike, for being here today as we
too mark this moment in time, as we dedicate this sacred space. It occurred to
me that as a congregation, we are also in the middle of our journey. United
Presbyterian, a unique merger of Central Presbyterian and First Presbyterian, has
been in existence for two decades. Both congregations worshipped and served the
community of Shawnee for many
decades before that.
Certainly,
United Presbyterian Church is not at the beginning of its ministry. And with so
many small churches closing their doors, we give thanks that we are not at the
end either. Like Jacob, we are somewhere in the middle. We have a rich history,
and we hope and pray for an abundant future. Like Jacob, we don’t know all that
lies ahead. We don’t know what obstacles we may face or how we may be called to
minister. But like Jacob, we know that this is a moment to be marked. This is a
moment to be lifted up. We are called to be in this moment now. We are called
to be in this place. Over the last few years our congregation has learned that
it is not the building that makes the church. We have learned to see not only with
our eyes, but to see also with our hearts, that the walls of a place do not
make it sacred; it is the spirit of the people within.
We
are not a new church, but we believe that God is working on us and working in
us, working through us, making of us a new creation, and we give thanks that we
are still called to serve from this place.
How grateful we
are for all of you. How thankful we
are for every person in this place. Take a moment and look around you. Look at
the people who are gathered here. Look at each face and give thanks for their
presence, their love, their encouragement.
Close your eyes
and feel the power of the Spirit moving and working in our midst, making of all
of us a new creation, and give thanks.
Let yourself be
enveloped in the joy of this moment; for it is a joyful moment. Feel its
vibrancy surround and enfold you and give thanks.
Give thanks and rejoice.
Rejoice with us. Rejoice at the power of God to do wonderful things. Rejoice
that God can make all things new. Rejoice that God is always with us, no matter
what may come. Rejoice and lift up your voice in praise and your hearts in awe.
For surely the
Lord is in this place!
Surely the Lord is
in this place!
Surely the Lord is
in this place! Alleluia! Amen.
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