Tag Archives: Hope

In God’s Hands

Lent

March 22, 2023

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
   Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
   so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
  and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities.

A few weeks ago, I talked to my cousin, who lives in California, concerning the fires and floods that are assaulting that state. I had just watched a news report about mudslides that were getting nearer to her home. She assured me their home was on solid ground and inland enough not to be bothered by the mudslides.  Last week the floods were getting worse, and I emailed her. Have not heard back. I hope she and her husband are safe. They may not have electricity or an internet connection. She would say they are in God’s hands.

I thought of her when I read the above Psalm, and although I would like to hear it from her, I, too, trust that they are in God’s hands no matter what happens with the weather and share that hope with all people as we face the challenges of our world today.

Prayer:  Lord, I pray today for all the people caught in weather, war, disaster, and pandemic and pray these words for each and all:
Precious Lord, take my hand,
Lead me on, let me stand,
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn;
Through the storm, through the night,
Lead me on to the light:

Take my hand, precious Lord,
Lead me home*. Amen.

*Take My Hand, Precious Lord, by Thomas A. Dorsey, See at http://www.hymntime.com/tch/htm/p/l/t/m/pltmhand.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Bringing Hope

Living in the Spirit

June 10, 2022

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

I get suffering producing endurance and endurance produces character but, I had to stop and think about character producing hope. Paul, the author of this idea, certainly lived it. He spent time in jail simply for preaching the ways of Jesus Christ. In some instances, he was waiting to see if he would be released, left there to starve or be executed. Until recently, I did not know that prisons in Paul’s time did not always feed their inmates. The prisoners were often at the mercy of friends and family to bring them nourishment. Experiencing that type of commitment does produce hope.  That type of commitment is just a reflection of the love of God provided through the gift of the Holy Spirit who nourishes our souls. We, too, are called to bring hope to a world when things seem so hopeless.

I just watched the testimony of a ten-year-old girl survivor of the Uvalde shooting who showed character and hope when she spread over her body the blood from her dead friend lying on the floor next to her so the shooter would think she too was dead. Hope may have saved her life. We as a people must be the catalyst for the changes needed so that such shootings do not happen. We must let this child’s courage and character teach us to be bringers of hope.

 Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we selfishly replace the safety of our schools so we can keep our deadly toys. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hope

Advent

December 6, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Romans 15:4-13

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God in order that he might confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
‘Therefore I will confess you among the Gentiles,
   and sing praises to your name’;
and again he says,
‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people’;
and again,
‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
   and let all the peoples praise him’;
and again Isaiah says,
‘The root of Jesse shall come,
   the one who rises to rule the Gentiles;
in him the Gentiles shall hope.’
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:7-13

I must confess I see the world around me more the way the ancient prophets described Israel as it tumbled into exile. While this is the week in Advent when we celebrate hope, I find little in which to abound. Even the Christmas ads do not try to hide their greed. One shows a child blackmailing Santa to get a fancy car. Another shows a family’s greatest challenge is finding a way to hide a big gift so it will be a surprise on Christmas day. Its final solution is to stack the wrapped presents ceiling high in front of a picture window.

Our government has become a house divide where quest for power and control at any cost is more important than its mandate of forming a more perfect union. I remember the days when we as a nation at least could all pull together in crises. We cannot even do that anymore.

Faith groups are playing the same tug-of-war with God as we proclaim “our god is better than your god” with no recognition that there is only one God. We do not seem able to recognize the image of God in each of us and all of us. God surely had a reason for creating a diversity of people with a variety of skills and that we were endowed with the ability to work together for the Common Good.

Yet in my despair, I know the root of Jesse has come and hope in and through Jesus Christ does not lie dormant. The Spirit is moving among us keeping the fires of hope alive awaiting the moment when we see our opportunities to answer God’s call to do our part, small or great, toward actualizing God’s rule throughout the world.

Prayer: May the God of hope fill [us] with all joy and peace in believing, so that [we] may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hope

Kingdom Building

June 14, 2019

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

I am intrigued by the fact that I seem to be oblivious to some long-term pain from arthritis much of the time but if I stub my toe or get a minor burn, I stop everything I am doing and pay attention only to the pain. Suffering does indeed produce endurance. Endurance does help define our character, but I think we chose whether our character is defined for better or worse. The decision we make regarding our character drives the type of hope in which we live. The key to whether we turn suffering into productive living is deeply entrenched in our relationship with God and is fulfilled in the gift of the Spirit. Bitterness is a character trait. Desiring that someone get what they deserve is a hope. Allowing the Spirit to drive our development produces character that withstands anything that gets in the way of God’s love and feeds hope for a world ruled by love.

Bitterness is a driver in our society today. For many people, too many people, their lives are not reflecting their hope, or they have lost all hope. I once heard someone say that the difference in being poor and being in poverty is those in poverty have lost all hope. In the USA 13.4% of the population live in poverty. In Oklahoma the percentage is 15.8% or 1 out of 6 people*.

Jesus knew what he was doing when he commanded us to feed and clothe the poor. He knew that living in survival mode eats up every moment of every day leaving no room for hope.

Prayer: Lord, help us be a source of hope for the impoverish as we work to change the systems that imprison them in hopelessness. Amen.

*https://okpolicy.org/new-census-data-shows-that-oklahoma-fell-further-behind-the-u-s-on-poverty-and-uninsured-rate-for-second-consecutive-year/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

The Unexplainable

Living in the Spirit
November 23, 2018

Scripture Reading: Revelation 1:4b-8

Look! He is coming with the clouds;
   every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him;
   and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail.
So it is to be. Amen. 

 ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. –Revelation 1:7-8

The book of Revelation masterfully uses imagery to get its point across. Some think that was out of necessity because of the persecution of Christians. While that is possible, I tend to think that human attempts at describing God must rely on imagery because we are trying to explain the unexplainable. We experience the absolute nature of God through faith that the writer of Hebrews describes as Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (11:1)

Acts 1:9-11 describes Jesus as ascending to heaven on a cloud following his resurrection. It would seem to follow that he would return the same way. Jesus’ role in Kingdom building began with his resurrection and will come to full fruition with his return, which is the premise and the purpose of the book of Revelation as stated at its beginning.

I tend to be what I call a pragmatic optimist. Once I am tasked with a job, I am compelled to complete it. Now that does not mean we should slam into brick walls making no progress when advances can be made in other tasks toward the same goal. Yet, we may never know what a difference we make toward a goal that is attained after our work is done. Indeed, for two thousand plus years, Christ followers have kept their commitment in that sure and certain hope that our work serves God’s purpose.

History tells that at times we have veered off course on occasion and thus we must repent and find the narrow way to the Kingdom of love once again. There are also many barriers set before us trying to block our progress, which only drives us closer to God as the one who can overcome the world.

Prayer: Lord, guide us as we journey through hope in establishing your world ruled by love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hope

Living in the Spirit
August 8, 2018

Scripture Reading: Psalm 130

 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

 O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities. –Psalm 130:5-8

I once heard a speaker say that hope is the difference in being poor and living in poverty. He was discussion financial poverty, but I almost think this idea is just as true if not truer regarding the poverty of our souls. What does poverty of the soul look like? Fred Craddock preached a sermon I heard many years ago and taught me the French word ennui. According to Merriam-Webster’s the word means a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction:  languor or emptiness of spirit*.  Know how that feels? It is just not worth the effort to get out of bed and face the world that seems to be spinning out of control.  I sense a lot of followers of Christ are feeling a bit of ennui as we listen to the evening news. It is at times like these that we need to remember we serve a risen Savior whose in the world today** and therein lies our source of hope.

My father used to say that his mother embodied the idea of praying without ceasing that Paul puts forth in 1 Thessalonian 5:17. My parents prayed on their knees kneeling by the side of their beds each evening. As a child, I envisioned my grandmother in that constant state all the time. I now realize that was not what my Dad or Paul meant. I think of it now as being in constant communion with God. We often pray publically like I was taught to write letters in school. It was all very formal and started with a dear someone and ending with a proper closing. Prayer without ceasing, I think, is more like the thread on a recurring email. Me: Interested in lunch today. Friend: No, I have a late morning appointment. How about Friday. Me: Sounds good. Meet at the Deli? Friend: 11:30 am? Me: OK. This is a conversation between people who are well acquainted. Our goal is to become so well acquainted with our Savior such prayers are woven through our daily routines. For me, driving in a car is a great time to update my life with God.  Watching the news provides much material for communion with God. Reading scripture and quietly contemplating it each morning nurtures my soul. I spend some time doing restorative yoga and other exercises that also seems to get me ready for a full day. Find and practice your hope-building disciplines.

If these spiritual disciplines do not restore your hope, Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love. When hope seems gone and ennui begins to fill its space try loving someone else. Help a homeless person, visit a prisoner, tutor a child. Give someone else hope and I promise your hope and faith will be restored.

Prayer: God of Hope, restore our souls so we may bring hope to the whole world. Amen.

*http://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/ennui

** First line of the hymn I Serve a Risen Savior see at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/503

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Obedience of Faith

Advent
December 22, 2017

Scripture Reading: Romans 16:25-27
Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever! Amen.

And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ He said to them, ‘Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, “Move from here to there”, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.’’—Matthew 17:18-20

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. –Hebrews 11:1

What does Paul mean by the obedience of faith in the Romans scripture above? Other meanings of the Greek word, hupakoé, translated obedience here are submissiveness and compliance. We are not only called to have faith but are called to live our faith every moment of every day.

We may say in the current world’s chaos that we know God will take care of us, or perhaps note he will win out in the end, but Christ asks us what are we doing about changing the world into a Kingdom ruled by love, ruled by God, right now? Even tiny steps toward wholeness, oneness, and justice make a big difference, if not for others perhaps for ourselves.

This was my church’s week to serve dinner on Monday at a church geared for people living on the street. My family is coming to my house to celebrate Christmas on Saturday. My work as part of the team preparing and serving this meal was solely an act of obedience. We had committed in the summer to serve this week and knew we would all be very busy. We served the easiest but best meal we could prepare.

During the worship, service participants are encouraged to witness something of hope happening in their lives. No one responded for a few minutes finally one man said he was celebrating his eighth year of sobriety that day. A short time later a woman reported after being released from jail a few weeks earlier she found herself homeless with no income. She now has an apartment and a part-time job with the help of the staff of the church and other local services. Finally, one young woman indicated that her drug tests were clean for the past three months and thus she was going to be allowed to see her seven-year-old daughter who was removed from her care some years ago. My hope and faith were renewed as I joined with the Whole congregation in praising God for these miracles of faith.

Prayer: Lord, make us instruments of your peace and love and hope and faith. Amen.

*http://biblehub.com/greek/5218.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Equipped

Advent
November 30, 2017

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

  I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Being whole in Christ is being fully equipped for whatever God is calling us to do. I visited my nephew’s farm recently where his wife and I wandered through the wooded area behind their home while she took pictures. The ground, beautifully carpeted with autumn leaves, lay in thick flat appearing piles. She cautioned me to be careful as the presence of the leaves masked the uneven ground beneath. I told her my physical therapist advised me to practice walking on uneven ground, which I could not do before my recent knee replacement surgery. My metal knee provides far more support than the replaced knee. Although it is still wise to be careful, I am now equipped to deal with uneven ground. God’s grace provides the equipment we need to deal with whatever issues we meet in our journey of faith.

“My Hope is Built on Nothing Less”
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for equipping all your children to be whole as we are wholly yours. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

We Have a Savior

Living in the Spirit
June 27, 2017

Scripture Reading: Genesis 22:1-14

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’ –Genesis 22:9-14

‘The Lord will provide.’ The Lord did provide the earth and all that is in it, our very lives, and knowledge and talents to use the resources wisely if we so choose. Some believed over the centuries that after creation God stepped back to observe how we humans handle such gifts. Abraham, I think, felt a partnership with God and  from the beginning, sought and received God’s guidance through all of his life as did Moses, David, and the prophets. Jesus introduced a more particular understanding of God with us. Jesus’ followers seek to fulfill the vision of a Kingdom, the world, ruled by love, as a calling to be a part of his purpose.

‘The Lord will provide.’ Abraham speaks in the future tense. Was this event the point at which Abraham realized that the Lord’s provision is eternal? I must say in times like these when the world teems with fear and hate and divisiveness; we need a touch of such faith. We need the provision of hope when our personal and communal resources feel stretched to the breaking point. We need a Savior. Thank God, almighty, we have one.

Prayer: We thank you God for the gift of Jesus Christ who dwelt among us and dwells with us today and forever. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Hope

Living in the Spirit
June 20, 2017

Scripture Reading: Genesis 21:8-21

When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.

 God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt. –Genesis 21:15-21

I heard a speaker once say that the difference between being poor and living in poverty is hope. Hope is what God planted in Hagar’s heart. Hope is the gift we are called to share with the hopeless. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs* states that humans must have their physical needs (food, clothing, and shelter) and safety just to survive. To thrive, we must know love and belonging, which are foundational to good self-esteem and finally self-actualization. Hope is a driving force in helping people sustain an upward climb through these levels of development.

The Save the Children organization recently released a worldwide study of the status of children and a separate piece on children in each state in the USA. They are both heartbreaking reports but provide important information we need to know. Oklahoma ranks 46th among states in tracked negative outcomes impacting the futures of children. Oklahoma’s bad rankings result primarily from its high teen birth rate and high infant mortality rate. They were the major problems in Oklahoma when I first became a social worker in 1969. We have made progress but far less than other states.

There are a lot of Ismael’s in the world today in need of necessities and safety and just as importantly in need of hope. We as followers of Christ are called to be distributors of hope. The many children in refugee camps around the world remind us of Ismael as do the children in classrooms in Oklahoma sent home on Fridays with a backpack of food because the school lunch program is believed to be the children’s primary source of nutrition.

Prayer: Lord, enable our ability to distribute hope as well as developing systems designed to help all become self-sufficient. Amen.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs
**http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.B143/Official_USA_Site.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the new Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.