God’s Acre On the Go: Blessing of Engagement

In this message based on Genesis 32:22–33, Chapin reflects on Jacob’s long night of wrestling at the River Jabbok—a struggle that transformed him from a fugitive into a man of faith. Jacob’s limp became his blessing, a mark of someone who chose engagement over escape.

Drawing from his recent journey to the West Bank with Frank Lyon and Eric Dupee, Chapin connects Jacob’s encounter with God to our own calling to stay engaged in a divided world. In an age obsessed with safety and separation, Blessing of Engagement invites us to rediscover the holiness of holding on—to God, to each other, and to the hard but sacred work of reconciliation.

As we stand between Election Day and Veterans Day, this sermon calls us to live with courage, empathy, and faith—to wrestle for the sake of blessing, and to trust that even when we limp, God walks beside us.