Opening Prayer Led by Group Facilitator

Psalm 56

Pray the Psalm together aloud, alternating verses between two sides.  When finished, share reflections on the Psalm as a group

1  Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me; all day long foes oppress me;

2  my enemies trample upon me all day long, for many fight against me proudly.

3  When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

4  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust without a fear. What can flesh do to me?

5  All day long they seek to injure my cause; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

6  They band themselves together, they lurk, they watch my steps.

7  As they have waited for my life, so recompense them for their crime; in wrath cast down the peoples, O God!

8  You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle! Are they not in your book?

9  Then my enemies will be turned back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me.

10  In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise,

11  in God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me?

12  My vows to you I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to you.

13  For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

The Deaths of Rachel & Isaac

Genesis 35

1.       What is the significance of Bethel in Jacob’s past?  How does Jacob fulfill his past vows?  What are the exterior symbols of the change in gods?

2.       Upon Jacob’s obedience to God, there is a death in the community.  What relationship did Jacob have to Deborah?  How was her death commemorated?

3.       What elements of Jacob’s encounter with God (vv. 9-15) have already been recorded previously in Genesis?

4.       Rachel’s barrenness was healed with the birth of Joseph.  However, Rachel dies during the birth of Benjamin.  How does Jacob commemorate Rachel’s death?  How does a Patriarch respond to the death of his wife?  How does he honor her after her death?

5.       Rachel gives her son the name “Ben-o’ni” which means “Son of my sorrow”.  Despite Jacob’s love for Rachel, he instead names his son “Benajmin” meaning, “Son of the right hand.”  What is the Patriarchal significance of Jacob intervening in his son’s name?  When might a Patriarch today intervene and go against his wife’s wishes?

6.       How does Genesis describe the end of Isaac’s life?  What kind of transitions are there for a Patriarch when his father dies?

Resolutions

Choose a resolution for this week from the suggestions below or make your own.  Tap on a resolution to email it to yourself:

1.    I will schedule a pilgrimage for my family to travel to a place where I encountered the Lord in my younger days and will use it to communicate to my children the story of God encountering me. 
2.    I will invite my wife to “put away the foreign gods” in our lives by leading her in an examination of conscience and resolving to remove any obstacles we find that keep us from God.
3.    I will take my children to visit the graves of their relatives and relate stories of them.
4.    I will contact my parish to offer a mass for the souls of my deceased relatives.
5.    With my children, I will create a photo album or devote a space on our wall in our home to pictures of our family tree.  I will use it as a time to commemorate our relatives by telling my children stories about our family.
6.    I will discuss with my siblings how the transition will be handled pertaining to the passing of one of our parents. 

Previous Resolutions - Genesis 34

Prayer Partners

Discuss with your prayer partner the success/failure of your previous resolution & offer a vocal prayer for one another.