Readings 
Romans 12:1-8 
Matthew 16:13-20
 
Whenever two or three gather in his name, Jesus is among them.
We gather now to renew our strength and confidence
for our engagement with the world.
May we be surprised by new insights at every fresh encounter,
as the disciples were at Caesarea Philippi.
And may we know Jesus as Messiah,
Son of the living God.
Amen.
 
The sermon for today has been recorded, and you can watch it here:
​https://youtu.be/hjuY4XNAsEY

Genesis 45:1-15: Joseph, who had been sold by his brothers to slavery in Egypt, makes himself known to them when they visit on behalf of their father.
Matthew 15: 21-28: Jesus is confronted by the faith of a Canaanite woman and marvels at the faith of this woman who is an outsider.
 
In todays’ reading from Genesis, we see God at work in a dysfunctional situation bringing good out of bad and life out of death. Joseph shows forgiveness towards his brothers and offers his family refuge from the famine. The victim becomes the Saviour, very much as Jesus did on the Cross of Calvary.
 
View the recording of the sermon here: https://youtu.be/sYjz6og21gI

Readings:
Genesis 37
Romans 8: 26-30
 
This Genesis 37 introduction to the story of Joseph tells us of a dreamer, those who seek to kill off our dreams, and a God who keeps the dream alive, albeit at times only by a thread.
The context of this narrative is impending disaster – a totally debilitating famine in the land of Canaan. So often in human history potential disaster looms on our horizon! In these current days it is climate change, A.I., and the war in Ukraine – a trifecta of looming doom! So this Genesis story, this ancient narrative, is relevant to us today; what does God speak into these times of existential anxiety?
Watch the recording of the sermon here: https://youtu.be/0UuvuN77ELk

Readings:
Genesis 32:22-31: One night, by the river Jabbok, Jacob wrestles with a mysterious visitor.
Matthew 14:13-21: In the wilderness, Jesus miraculously feeds a great multitude, providing bread for them, thus ministering to their needs.
 
Do you, like me, sometimes wake in the middle of the night and reflect on the concerns of your life? I wonder whether these small hours of the night are a time when God wakes us up from sleep for an ‘encounter’ with God?
The night is a time of vulnerability where every shadow hints at a threat to life, a time when we are most susceptible to being wounded, a time when all that haunts our minds and hearts seems to get the best of us.
Our Old Testament reading for today – the story of Jacob wrestling with the unknown stranger by the River Jabbok occurs in the middle of the night.
 
You can watch the recording of the sermon here: https://youtu.be/gUJP_QtG038​

Whatever your struggles, however much you wrestle with questions, big and small, come to worship and receive a glimpse of something more, a taste of greater love.
God is here amongst us as we gather, ready to meet us with whatever we need to restore our hope and encourage our faithfulness.