Where do we meet God face-to-face?

Sunday 6th August 2023

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.