Advent Hope

1 Corinthians 1:3-9

"Grace and peace to you,
from God our Father and the Lord, Jesus Christ..."

This first week of Advent reminds us, as we anticipate the Christ, to consider hope. How is your 'hope-o-meter' these days?  Are you struggling with the juxtaposition of these times and the anticipation of this season? Perhaps you are hopeful for a new focus and new meaning for the coming days. In these next 4 weeks, as we once again await the promise of Jesus' birth among us, what will active waiting be like for you?

When I consider hope, I'm not at all thinking about a feeling of hope conjured in denial of difficult circumstances. I'm holding hope as an attitude, a practice of active resilience.  For me, hope is a spiritual practice, not unlike many others. I perceive hope as a habit to cultivate and grow. Hope is a way of being that is woven together with other habits into my daily discipleship.

Hope is a habit to cultivate in the words of Scripture and the good news of the Gospel.  In the Psalms, hope is a practice engaged by the Psalmist in the very nature of the writers' lament, petition, prayer, and sought after promise. To hope is not to ignore the practical. To hope is summon courage and strength, to be flexible, to move forward in the face of that which might undermine or threaten living the fullness of life that God intends for each of us.

Our prayer for you all this season, is one of hope. That you will deepen hope in your own life and in the lives of others through whatever means your journey offers and demands. Our prayer is that in living hopefully, you will bring the Christ light into your family, your pod, your community. For as the 20th century theologian and teacher Fred Rogers reminds us, "Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort." It's worth the effort as we deepen our relationship with God and with all those whom God intends.

May this Advent season offer each and all of us an opportunity to discover the deeper truth of who we are as God's beloved children.

In partnership, 

Karen Ziel, Minister of Faith Formation and Leadership

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And From the United Church of Christ- Advent Toolkit

In this first week of Advent, we are holding hope in our hearts for the birth of the Christ Child. We can’t forget the other promises God has made to God’s people- God’s kin-dom on Earth as it is in Heaven. This video is from the 3 Great Loves Initiative of the United Church of Christ, which reminds us to demonstrate God’s greatest loves: Love of Neighbor, Love of Children, and Love of Creation. Let us reflect on Hope and Justice as we pray together.
 

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