Sunday, Dec 3, 2023
“Holiday Hope”
Today is the first Sunday of Advent, the season of preparation for Christmas in the Church. Christian Churches across the world will celebrate this season in lots of different ways, including the lighting of candles, special prayers, and Scripture readings, and singing songs that help folks get into the mood of Christmas.
Many churches will begin the first week of Advent with the theme, “Hope.” Hope seems to be a natural beginning, mainly because it’s the most easy one to explain. Just about everyone understands Hope in some manner. Some of us Hope for a good Holiday Season. Others of us Hope for good health. Some might Hope that they receive a certain gift this year while others might have Hope that their favorite team wins the ballgame.
Where do we place Hope? Is the Hope that we experience something related to the calendar, like the Holiday Season? Do we Hope that the packages arrive on time or do we Hope that a certain friend or loved one will be able to be with us for the Holidays?
Hope arrives this Christmas in many forms. I’m guessing that much of our Hope in this moment stems from circumstances or events that have recently occurred. Some of our Hope arrives from blessings already received and other Hope emerges from challenges that we’ve experienced.
Whatever and wherever we place our Hope, the Christian Church has chosen this theme to help us point to a Hope that is always alive and within reach. This is the Hope that stems from the LORD, whose infinite love for the world prompted GOD’s intervention through a Savior, Jesus Christ. The Church’s purpose is not to scare us into believing or guilt us into accepting Jesus Christ. Instead, the Church simply intends to serve as a road sign that points us to a Hope that is constantly present, neverending, and always available.
This week, take some time to consider God’s gift of Hope. It is a blessing that God intends for each of us, you included.
And, by the way, this gift of Hope is just as important to those around us. Even if we have a good handle on it this year, it’s likely that someone around us is really, really struggling with it. God didn’t put them in your life by accident. Neither did God put you in their life by chance. The gift of Hope is a blessing and it’s contagious. Go give it to someone.
“I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the Lord; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11, CEB)