Genesis 28:10–19a
Jacob left Beer-sheba and
went toward Haran.
He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had
set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay
down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth,
the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and
descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said,
“I am the Lord, the God of
Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give
to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the
earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north
and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and
in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go,
and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have
done what I have promised you.”
Then Jacob woke from his
sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” And
he was afraid, and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than
the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” So Jacob rose early in the
morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for
a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at
the first.
***
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s ladder
when we look toward the elkhorns at sunset and see the tip of the mountain
highlighted against a shadowed valley.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we walk down Main Street
with its shops and planters and people who take the time to wave and say hello,
and store owners who befriend you.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we float down the Powder River and
walk home through town with tubes on our back.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we send our children to school where teachers know their names for
years prior and remember them for years to come.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we see fields of crops cared for in rows upon rows by families and
families working together for generations.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder.
We are, climbing, Jacob’s
ladder, Children of the Lord.
We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we gather here next to kids upside down on swings, swing erected
through the labor, time, and money of volunteers, We are climbing Jacob’s
ladder when we gather here early, early, serving breakfast with the Lion’s Club
and enjoying a shared meal with our community. We are climbing Jacob’s ladder
sitting here in cool of the morning worshiping with our community, but the
verse does not happen alone, nor is the ladder supported by nothing. So
If you love God, why not serve God?
If you love God, why not serve God?
If you love God, why not serve God, children of the Lord.?
If you love God, why not serve God?
If you love God, why not serve God, children of the Lord.?
