Week of December 11, 2011 – How? Offering Hope (Hope Sunday of Advent)
Theme/Title: Hope: What the world seeks now
Scripture: Psalm 62: 5-8; Psalm 130: 1-8; Romans 5: 1-5 & Luke 24: 44-48
Media:
“Doing the Right Thing” Liberty Mutual ad on YouTube
Scripture: Psalm 62: 5-8; Psalm 130: 1-8; Romans 5: 1-5 & Luke 24: 44-48
Media:
“Doing the Right Thing” Liberty Mutual ad on YouTube
Reflection:
I believe that a lot of what ails our culture, world and its people can be boiled down to one thing, hope. More accurately it is the feeling of hopelessness that seems to permeate life for a lot of people on this planet. I can only speculate about other cultures but I know for a fact that here in these United States we suffering greatly from a sense of despondency, of hopelessness. The economy, the ongoing wars, the debt crisis, unemployment, loss of retirement funds, loss of employee benefits, the lack of compromise and solutions to our problems that is coming from our political leaders, etc gives rise to the belief that from here on out life will be just a bit tougher; that the future will not be as optimistic and bright as it has seemed for past generations.
Part of the hopelessness people experience is due to what is known as “a hole in the soul.” Religious people talk about this as the place of God in a person’s life and if you don’t have a real and vital relationship with God then there is a hole in you that aches to be filled. AA programs talk about a “Higher Power,” self-help gurus preach about finding inner peace, life coaches advocate discovering your strengths and developing self-confidence. They all are speaking about filling this hole in the soul and what they hint at is what we know – get God and hope comes. Many try to fill this hole with drugs or food or sex or shopping. Some are overcome by it and sink into depression. Some feel so out of sorts that they lash out, abusing others or hurting themselves. While there are other causes for some of these reactions hopelessness plays its part.
At this time of Advent – of awaiting the coming of God into our lives and world – it seems appropriate that the church, the place of hope, speak and act in ways that help the “hole-y” ones find the Holy One. We are the ones on this planet that know where hope comes from and the value of filling the hole in your soul with meaningful relationships based upon faith in the one God whose grace and love are for everyone and sufficient to provide all people hope. We sing about Jesus being the hope of the world. We pray to the God of all hope. We look forward to a world better than the present one, we hope for the kingdom of God. Hope defines us and motivates us. It is who we are and what we are about – bringing hope, light, love, grace, help into the places that are hopeless, dark, hateful, diseased and suffering. If there is no other issue the church is uniquely positioned to address hope is the one.
And where do we find hope, we find it in a community of faith that believes in grace and love, which lives hope and believes hope. Hopefulness comes from meaningful and deep relationships with faithful people and with God. The hole in our souls is filled to overflowing and it is part of our vocation to pour that hope upon the world.
Part of the hopelessness people experience is due to what is known as “a hole in the soul.” Religious people talk about this as the place of God in a person’s life and if you don’t have a real and vital relationship with God then there is a hole in you that aches to be filled. AA programs talk about a “Higher Power,” self-help gurus preach about finding inner peace, life coaches advocate discovering your strengths and developing self-confidence. They all are speaking about filling this hole in the soul and what they hint at is what we know – get God and hope comes. Many try to fill this hole with drugs or food or sex or shopping. Some are overcome by it and sink into depression. Some feel so out of sorts that they lash out, abusing others or hurting themselves. While there are other causes for some of these reactions hopelessness plays its part.
At this time of Advent – of awaiting the coming of God into our lives and world – it seems appropriate that the church, the place of hope, speak and act in ways that help the “hole-y” ones find the Holy One. We are the ones on this planet that know where hope comes from and the value of filling the hole in your soul with meaningful relationships based upon faith in the one God whose grace and love are for everyone and sufficient to provide all people hope. We sing about Jesus being the hope of the world. We pray to the God of all hope. We look forward to a world better than the present one, we hope for the kingdom of God. Hope defines us and motivates us. It is who we are and what we are about – bringing hope, light, love, grace, help into the places that are hopeless, dark, hateful, diseased and suffering. If there is no other issue the church is uniquely positioned to address hope is the one.
And where do we find hope, we find it in a community of faith that believes in grace and love, which lives hope and believes hope. Hopefulness comes from meaningful and deep relationships with faithful people and with God. The hole in our souls is filled to overflowing and it is part of our vocation to pour that hope upon the world.
Meditation: Remember a time when you felt hopeless and how you found hope. Reflect on a time when you brought hope to someone else. Meditate on a time when you felt God in your life and the hope that came from that encounter. Ponder the world and the places and situations that are hot beds of hopelessness and ways to being hope to them.
Prayer: Pray for hope for the world. Ask God to let you and the church be beacons of hope for the world. Pray for those who are hopeless that they might find hope. Ask God to shower down upon this earth hope and healing.
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