12/06/2019
The words of the Advent wreath...Peace, Hope, Joy and Love. Isn’t that what all of us want in our lives? If we had those, could we feel like we had it all? I thought that I would spend my midweek blog for the next 4 weeks of December reflecting each week on one aspect.
This second week of Advent, let’s light the candle of hope.
I ask myself...what do I hope for? I certainly can respond that I hope for peace, hope, joy and love in my life. I can also tell you that my kids roll their eyes when they hear my response! Then I ask myself...what do I need to hope in to receive what I hope for… (that may be a bit wordy so read it slowly).
I know without a doubt that to receive what I hope for, I must put my hope in Jesus. Anything else I would hope to receive would only be temporary or as they often say in Scripture, they would be “false gods”. Living in a country and a community where we have so “much”, we can so easily be tempted or distracted to believe that all of the other “stuff” can fill us. But it doesn’t.
What happens when the toy or gadget we hoped for so badly breaks? What happens when the new car we got with a red ribbon on top gets hit by another car? We had hoped for something that is temporary. It is not a real source of real hope. That hope will only last for a season at best.
Hope this season for HOPE, that is real and everlasting...evergreen! When you receive peace, hope, joy and love you cannot help but share all of that with others. We then become filled and changed and our world will change too.
May your life be filled with hope this Advent season and always, Pastor Patti
Archived Posts
A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words
There are several powerful and evocative artworks that depict the scene from Mark 9:14–29, where Jesus heals a boy possessed by an unclean spirit... Some of the following have internet links, the others are worth googling. Enjoy!
The Gift of Ourselves As A Gift of Love
The more the giving of myself costs me something, the greater the power of the gift. You know I love quotes, so after a little research, let me share a few of my favorites on this very subject:
The Loss of a Great Christian Leader
The death today of Pope Francis was particularly poignant, falling as it did on the day after Easter. As Protestant Christians we have a once removed interest in the leader of the Roman Catholic church. Yet the pope is the authoritative leader of 1.4 billion women and men around the world. It is worth our time to pause and consider what kind of man and what kind of legacy Pope Francis left behind.
Everything You Wanted To Know About Judas Iscariot
(Drawn from online sources)
Jesus Hears A Who
Few people know that Horton Hears A Who comes from the 25th Chapter of Matthew.
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.