When I was a child, I loved this time of year when we wait for Christmas. We always had an advent calendar set up in a sunny spot. Each day we opened a little door or window to show a picture that added to the anticipation. We had a large paper Christmas tree on the wall on which we would hang all the Christmas cards that came in the mail. We would page through the Sears catalog and circle the toys that we hoped Santa would bring us. I would dream about presents and good things to eat. My parents had a tradition of setting up the tree on Christmas Eve after we were asleep (a tradition that did not last long.) In the morning we would tear open the presents. The anticipation of what might be was always greater than what was. There was always something I had hoped for that I didn’t get, or the toy I got wasn’t as good as it looked in the catalog. I look back and reflect that the hope was more powerful than the outcome.
Today we begin a season of hope. It sounds like a cliché to talk about hope. We are surrounded by advertisements that try to capture our imagination. The media tries to describe our hope for us. The perfect gift or the perfect meal, or the perfect family gathering will give us all the satisfaction we will need this season. Trouble is, we can’t afford what they are selling. The stress and exhaustion we feel is partly caused by our perpetual quest to acquire things that are out of our reach. We might even suspect that those things will only give us a passing contentment until the next thing comes along.
Hope does not believe something that isn’t true. When we hope, it does not mean that we are wearing rose-colored glasses. Our hope is based in truth. Hope is also more than optimism. We are not just believing the best in all things or making the best of a bad situation. Hope is choosing the future for which we will prepare. We choose this future based on what we believe and on what we know.
We are living in difficult times, when it might sound impractical to hope. It might sound more reasonable to prepare for bad times. It might be prudent to stock up our resources and weather the storms we see around us. Our God and our traditions all urge us to prepare for something else. We believe that there is more than what we hold in our hands and see with our eyes. We believe that there are more resources at hand than what we have saved in the bank.
We are choosing the kind of future in which we believe. Do we hope for a future that is up to us alone? Do we believe that all that is possible is what we can make or fix or buy with our own skill and resources? Or do we believe in a future that depends on God? Do we believe that God can make us and mold us and fix us and forgive us?
When we think about some future day of judgment, we are apt to have fear and regret. We know we will see the truth. We know that all our illusions and failings will be shown for what they are. We will be reminded of how foolish and cowardly we have been. We also know that God forgives us. We also know that God heals us and restores us. I urge you to return again to our lessons this morning. They may sound dire and dangerous at first. They are also reassuring; knowing that God will sweep away every bad thing that keeps us from being our best selves – and God will restore every good thing that draws us to the life we have been made for.
We know the truth. God has already forgiven and loved us. God has already worked powerfully in our lives (remember how often Isaiah, the psalmist, and Paul reflect on how God has worked in the lives of those who trust in God.) We have been given insight by the Holy Spirit to guide us in our journey. We have seen glimpses of the Holy in our worship, and in the world God has given us. God has been our companion in times of sickness and discouragement in the past. God has given us everything we need to bring us to this place on this day. Since all of this is true, we have the confidence to live in hope. We can choose to prepare for the future God has promised us. We can trust that the God who has been with us in the past will continue to transform us to live through our present challenges.
It is a relief to give up the illusion that working harder and better and faster will get us anything – except tired and frustrated. Instead, because of our hope, our work is to put ourselves in a place where God can work in us. We need to set aside our plan for the future and seek God’s plan. We need to set aside our fear of what may go wrong and pay more attention to the good that God would have us do. Our hope is not in the gathering of things we think will make us happy. Our hope is in the promises of God to forgive us, to guide us and to restore us.
In our day we are beset by worries. We live in economic difficulties. Our world is changing and the programs of the past don’t reach the needs of people today. We are faced with higher costs and fewer resources. The short-term future does not look easy. Our hope is not based in passing standards of success. Our hope is based in our God. We are preparing for a future of eternal life, not a season of ease and contentment. We are looking forward to a time of complete restoration, not a leak-proof building or a restored organ. We will do our best with what we have and at the same time we will live as beloved children of God. We are hoping for the coming of our savior. We know that God will transform us and continue to bring us into the work of inviting the world to God.
Today we begin a season of hope. It sounds like a cliché to talk about hope. We are surrounded by advertisements that try to capture our imagination. The media tries to describe our hope for us. The perfect gift or the perfect meal, or the perfect family gathering will give us all the satisfaction we will need this season. Trouble is, we can’t afford what they are selling. The stress and exhaustion we feel is partly caused by our perpetual quest to acquire things that are out of our reach. We might even suspect that those things will only give us a passing contentment until the next thing comes along.
Hope does not believe something that isn’t true. When we hope, it does not mean that we are wearing rose-colored glasses. Our hope is based in truth. Hope is also more than optimism. We are not just believing the best in all things or making the best of a bad situation. Hope is choosing the future for which we will prepare. We choose this future based on what we believe and on what we know.
We are living in difficult times, when it might sound impractical to hope. It might sound more reasonable to prepare for bad times. It might be prudent to stock up our resources and weather the storms we see around us. Our God and our traditions all urge us to prepare for something else. We believe that there is more than what we hold in our hands and see with our eyes. We believe that there are more resources at hand than what we have saved in the bank.
We are choosing the kind of future in which we believe. Do we hope for a future that is up to us alone? Do we believe that all that is possible is what we can make or fix or buy with our own skill and resources? Or do we believe in a future that depends on God? Do we believe that God can make us and mold us and fix us and forgive us?
When we think about some future day of judgment, we are apt to have fear and regret. We know we will see the truth. We know that all our illusions and failings will be shown for what they are. We will be reminded of how foolish and cowardly we have been. We also know that God forgives us. We also know that God heals us and restores us. I urge you to return again to our lessons this morning. They may sound dire and dangerous at first. They are also reassuring; knowing that God will sweep away every bad thing that keeps us from being our best selves – and God will restore every good thing that draws us to the life we have been made for.
We know the truth. God has already forgiven and loved us. God has already worked powerfully in our lives (remember how often Isaiah, the psalmist, and Paul reflect on how God has worked in the lives of those who trust in God.) We have been given insight by the Holy Spirit to guide us in our journey. We have seen glimpses of the Holy in our worship, and in the world God has given us. God has been our companion in times of sickness and discouragement in the past. God has given us everything we need to bring us to this place on this day. Since all of this is true, we have the confidence to live in hope. We can choose to prepare for the future God has promised us. We can trust that the God who has been with us in the past will continue to transform us to live through our present challenges.
It is a relief to give up the illusion that working harder and better and faster will get us anything – except tired and frustrated. Instead, because of our hope, our work is to put ourselves in a place where God can work in us. We need to set aside our plan for the future and seek God’s plan. We need to set aside our fear of what may go wrong and pay more attention to the good that God would have us do. Our hope is not in the gathering of things we think will make us happy. Our hope is in the promises of God to forgive us, to guide us and to restore us.
In our day we are beset by worries. We live in economic difficulties. Our world is changing and the programs of the past don’t reach the needs of people today. We are faced with higher costs and fewer resources. The short-term future does not look easy. Our hope is not based in passing standards of success. Our hope is based in our God. We are preparing for a future of eternal life, not a season of ease and contentment. We are looking forward to a time of complete restoration, not a leak-proof building or a restored organ. We will do our best with what we have and at the same time we will live as beloved children of God. We are hoping for the coming of our savior. We know that God will transform us and continue to bring us into the work of inviting the world to God.
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