Readings:
Genesis 29:15-28
Romans 8:26-39
 
Our sermon today takes the reading from Genesis 29 – Jacob’s meeting with and marriages to Rachel and Leah – and considers that in the light of the verse from Romans: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)
 
The recording of the sermon can be accessed here: https://youtu.be/oBonHRZWNMQ
 

Hear again the promises of God,
made long ago to our ancestor Jacob,
and still true for us today:
I am the Lord your God,
the God of Abraham and Isaac.
Know that I am with you,
and will keep you wherever you go.
I will not leave you
until I have done everything that I have promised.
Let us go in the assurance that our faithful God goes with u

Readings:
Genesis 28: 10-22
Galatians 3: 14-22

Today we are looking at the reading from Genesis 28, when Jacob, as he flees for his life from an agitated and murderous brother, dreams of a ladder extending from earth to heaven, with angels moving up and down. Note that there is two-way traffic, God to us and us to God. The gate to heaven is open. This is a big promise!
 
The full sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/4Wc3NoLhXG8​

O God of Jacob,
You speak in the light of day and in the dark of night
when our sleeping is filled with dreams of heaven and earth.
May Jacob’s dream remind us to be open and watchful,
ready to discover Your presence in our midst. Amen.

Genesis 25:19-34:
Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, conceives and gives birth to Esau and Jacob.
Matthew 13:1-9 & 18-23:
Jesus tells the parable of the sower and the seed.
 
 The readings set for this Sunday, when we celebrate Matariki, are quite appropriate. The Genesis story tells of the birth of Esau and Jacob, one a hunter gatherer and the other a shepherd. Two rival ways of life.
 
The recorded sermon can be watched here: https://youtu.be/vUv8c9HL1dU

James 3:1-12 - James cautions on how we can use our tongue unwisely.
In The Message Eugene Peterson writes:
5-6 It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
7-10 This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
​
You watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/_gh19RqNogo

Gracious God, you meet us in the most unexpected of places; in the moments when your presence seems to have disappeared; in the eyes of a stranger; in the experiences that make us feel the most uncomfortable; in abundance that is found amidst perceived desolation.
We come to worship, giving thanks for the gift of encounter. Through your Spirit’s movement in our lives and in this time together, may our hearts be torn open to your call in our lives, so that we may be stirred to go out and transform your world

Readings:
Genesis 22: 1-14
Romans 6: 8-14
 
Call to Worship based on Psalm 13
There are times O Lord when we feel disconnected
Disconnected from your presence
As if we only see the back of your head
Not the full gaze of your loving eyes
There are times when our faith is sorely tested,
   When we have lived with a stomach full of pain.
When we are out of relationship
Disconnected from the people around us.
Take a good look at us, God,
    We want to look you and life in the eye,
To know your love when we fall
That we may throw ourselves headlong into your arms
to know your rescuing love
And to sing at the top of our lungs,
    to celebrate your faithfulness to us!
 
 
In the reading from Genesis, the deep human angst and need being addressed is guilt and the resulting sense of disconnection from God.
 
Watch the recorded sermon here: https://youtu.be/F2Q1CGeg3OI