Wednesday, June 19, 2024

Wisdom Wednesday: Joseph and the Dream

Grace and peace to you, I’m Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church in Lynchburg Virginia. Today is Wednesday, June 19, 2024 For the Sunday worship services this summer at Peakland, we are considering the Bible stories featured on these banners. We started in the beginning with the creation stories of Genesis and then considered Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Last Sunday we looked at the story of Noah and the rainbow, and this upcoming Sunday, we’ll look at Joseph, beloved son of Jacob and Rachel, Jospeh’s story runs for the final 14 chapter of Genesis. We’re not going to read all of those chapters this Sunday but will focus on the beginning, the genesis, of Joseph’s story. Many folks know Joseph’s story from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And the characters sing about Joseph’s coat of many colors. It was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and ocher and peach, etc., etc. About that coat, the King James Version of the Bible is the first one to describe the coast as having many colors. Later versions of the Bible indicate it was coat with long sleeves. Multi-colored or long sleeved, what’s being conveyed is that it was a luxury item. Joseph and his brothers were shepherds, and Joseph’s multicolored, long-sleeved coat was not a field coat. The fancy coat set him apart from his brothers. Joseph’s dreams also set him apart from his family. As a 17-year-old Joseph dreams that he and his brothers are binding bundles of grain, and his brothers’ bundles bow down to Joseph’s bundle. Joseph is nearly the youngest son of Jacob, so for Joseph to say that his brothers will bow down to him, even in a dream, that doesn’t fly. With his obnoxious dream and fancy-pants coat, Joseph enrages his brothers enough that they conspire to kill the dreamer. A passing band of traders gives them the opportunity instead to sell him and fake his death. Joseph ends up in Egypt and begins interpreting dreams. He learns to use his abilities for good, helping the Egyptians prepare for a seven-year famine. During the famine Joseph reunites with his family and reconciles with them and provides a new home for his family. On Sunday in worship, we’ll consider the role of dreams and visions in our own lives. What do we dream for ourselves, and for our church, and for the world around us. We’ll consider whether our dreams and visions are rooted in Jesus’ dreams for us, or like Joseph’s first dreams, are our dreams more about aggrandizing ourselves at the expense of others. Throughout the rest of the summer, we’ll keep looking at these beloved bible stories, David and Goliath, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, Jonah and the Whale, Jesus and his birth, the story of the loaves and fish, Zacchaeus in the tree, and the day of the resurrection. But I’m going to take a hiatus from these Wednesday Videos for the summer. I hope to restart them in the fall. I am grateful to Linwood for working with me to help create these wonderful videos each week for the two years that I’ve been pastor of Peakland. Linwood’s passion and technical and musical skill have been a blessing to me and to all of us who’ve been watching. Peakland will celebrate Linwood’s 14 years ministry here at Peakland on Sunday, June 30 with a 10:00 a.m. musical worship service and then a reception, where we there will be many kind words, gifts, and good food. As Linwood concludes his time at Peakland, I am grateful to God for all that he has given to us and to the greater Lynchburg community. Life at Peakland will be different without Linwood, but we will continue with Spirit-filled worship and great fellowship as Peakland continues reaching out, serving all and extending God’s table. If you’d like to know more about our church, check us out on our website PeaklandUMC.org and reach out to me at PeaklandPastor@gmail.com Thanks be to God.