We have all seen television shows where the doctor walks in and says,  “Well, all we can do now is hope.”

It is as if hope is a weak, unstable thing that we cannot fully count on. 

Hope is hard to define yet it is a critical foundation of the Christian faith. The Resurrection of Christ is a central foundation of the Christian faith. In fact, Dr. Leander Keck wrote, “Without the Resurrection there is no Christian faith.” 

But what happens when we feel caught in a storm and threatening skies seem to overwhelm us? During difficult season of our lives we find ourselves reaching for hope. We can feel powerless and stuck, unable to see past our current state of loss and grief. 

Remember these days when we all grasped for hope:

+In the spring of 2020 we hoped for a return to work, school, and church

+In the summer of 2020 we hoped for an end to the isolation and longed for community

+In the fall of 2020 we prayed and hoped for vaccines that would end the global pandemic

+During Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2020, we hoped for change, longing for a way to see our families

+In the winter and early spring of 2021, people in many parts of the country continued to hope for a return to in-person worship with their church families

It was a season of deep loss: loved ones died, become ill, or were isolated from us. Our grief was real, deep, and complex. 

This Sunday we will examine what it means to experience deep hope today.   It is the kind of hope that weathers a storm, stands up to the wind, and holds us firm no matter what comes.

Please read 1 John 2:28 - 3:3 to prepare your heart for Sunday’s sermon.   This is a great week to invite a friend who is discouraged to connect online or to join you for in-person worship.

This Sunday, I look forward to celebrating our God with you, the One who is both our help in the past and our hope for all the days ahead.

Peace,

Pastor Cathy