Dreams Help Us See

Genesis 28:10-19a

A sermon preached by the Rev. Adrienne Koch at Trinity Cathedral on Sunday, July 23, 2023.

Dreams are the rearview mirror in our earthly travels. And I hope that Jacob’s learning from his dream becomes our learning. When Jacob awoke, he exclaimed: Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!” Dreams protect our ability to see, and perhaps they also protect our ability to see God; to see God’s presence in our lives, especially the times we were convinced God wasn’t there.

How far back do your family dreams go? Were they immigrant dreams like Abraham’s? Were they born out of family trauma like Isaac? Or are you the bearer of the self-made story, like Jacob? Are you one who decided to do something differently than what your family has always done? These are the themes of all our dreams; they draw on our traumatic pasts and help us make meaning of our lives.