Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Tonight is about “Taking Leave”. There are times when we must acknowledge that we are “graduating”, “moving on”, departing from what has been for what will be. By far, more profound than leaving on a trip from which you expect to return.

I always think of Palm Sunday as a day of celebration and joy, a kind of dress rehearsal for Easter. The Sunday before Easter was a story about a parade and lots of enthusiasm and excitement in the air.

The faith of the Canaanite woman is legendary – in fact, I shared one of my favorite reflections with you the first summer I arrived, and we worship in the parking lot. Like the Canaanite woman, we are Lucky Dogs to be loved and blessed by the Lord!

Jacob is already well up in the years when chapter 37 opens. Remember, Jacob had two wives and two servant women, concubines. Leah, the first wife whom Jacob tricked into marrying, was the mother of six boys. Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, was the mother of two boys. The two concubines were mothers of four boys together. The total number of sons of Jacob at this time was 12. Twelve sons. Not bad for somebody who started out with nothing, just hoping to establish a great nation through his descendants.

Jacob wrestled the angel of God, and Jacob won. Is this scene attractive in the same way that when there’s a fight on the playground everyone quickly gathers around to watch? Do you want to see what happens here, and already know that Jacob wins? Do we want to see how we do it and what happens afterward? Are we tempted to shout: why don’t you pick on someone your own size! – at the Angel

We know who Jacob was, that he was rightly named. The name Jacob means cheater each. He has a propensity to cheat, to reach from behind, to not always play fairly. While at home, Jacob took advantage of his older Brother Esau, exploiting his weakness, and gaining Esau’s birthright in exchange for a bowl of stew which Esau later regretted. Then, Jacob was involved in a plot to deceive his father.

The building we now occupy is the second structure for Methodist worship in Harwich, MA. The cornerstone of this church building was laid in 1811 and the building was dedicated January 1st 1812 as the Methodist Episcopal Church of Harwich.