BH Bulletin - Wednesday 13 January 2021

Thought for the Day by Alex Forrest
​(Voluntary Staff Worker)

GENESIS 33:1-11 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.
4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.
Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”
6 Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.
8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”
“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.
9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”
10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

2021 feels very much like it should be the year of reparation. Joe Biden, and recently Donald Trump too, have called for a time of healing in the US after the distressing and unsettling events that took place in the Capitol last week. The vaccine process should, God-willing, begin the process of returning life back to normality at some point later this year. Brexit is over!

Over the last few years, animosity and division have felt very much on the rise.
Relations between Jacob and Esau weren’t always the friendliest. They fought in the womb, Jacob had taken Esau’s birth-right and blessing, Esau held a grudge against him to the extent he considered killing him (Gen 27:41). You can very much understand why Esau may be furious with his younger brother. Jacob hasn’t seen his brother for a while. He hears Esau’s coming to meet him with 400. As Esau is running to meet Jacob, his heart must be in his mouth. But in almost the same way as the Father with the Prodigal Son, Esau runs out to meet his brother, embraces him and kisses him and they weep together. What seemed like a brutal act of revenge has turned into a tender, forgiving, family reunion.

It’s always a beautiful thing when we see people who used to be enemies making things up. I vividly remember seeing this picture of Arsene Wenger the former Arsenal manager standing arm in arm with both Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho on the touchline at Old Trafford. All 3 of those men had slung numerous insults at each other, they’d shoved each other on the touchline, they’d even once been involved in a food-fight … and there they were, showing respect and friendship to each other.

Maybe there hasn’t been anyone that you’ve had a particular grudge on over the last few years, or anyone you’ve been plotting revenge on. But maybe there’s someone who you had an outburst against on social media last year when things were getting too much for you. Maybe there’s someone you know who votes completely differently to you and that’s something you find hard to overlook. Maybe there’s a family member who you’ve deliberately lost touch with because of something that happened in the past. How much of a godly act would it be for you to react the way Esau does with Jacob? Esau had good reason to be angry with Jacob, but Esau shows him beautiful forgiveness. How can you show the same to someone who you feel has wronged you?
​Alex

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BH Youth Prayer Meeting

Sunday 17th January | Youth Prayer Meeting | 5pm 
As we were reminded last week by Phil and Ben, it's good to pray for All People, including our young people! Lockdown is really wearing and difficult for lots of our young people; they've had exams cancelled, schools shut and face uncertainty in their futures. So as a church family it would be wonderful to gather together to pray for young people and their families during this third lockdown. 
Join via ChurchSuite.

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Important message from Phil

Please click on the link below for Phil's update on Church Services
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibJq8ufKICs

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