Journey into true worship

They turned over to Jacob all the alien gods they'd been holding on to, along with their lucky-charm earrings. Jacob buried them under the oak tree in Shechem. Genesis 35:4 (MSG)
The place where we lay down our idols can be a place that moves us into a lifetime of worship. Shechem may not have been Beth-El, but it was so symbolic. There Rachel handed over her idols, which symbolized Laban and everything evil and moved toward Beth-El, the place her husband met with God and found his bad self (the Israel God-Wrestler, he was born to be). To Beth-El they would travel, where the man once Jacob (Heel, Cheat) would find a God so willing to take him damaged goods and make Him a man with a mission. Shechem though was so important to his finding his place; for without a Shechem (a place where we lay our idols down), we'll never make it to Beth-El, the place that bleeds with God's presence and authentic, soul-deep worship.