Peace. Hope. Joy. Love.
I hope it doesn’t rain on my parade.
I hope to see you soon.
I hope God has plans for me.
“Hope” in the English language has fairly shallow roots. It may have pleasant connotations of optimism, express an inner longing, or be rooted in the Person and acts of God!
Our Advent hope (as you might anticipate) is the third choice. When we light the Advent second candle of hope, we’ll be worshiping the God of hope. After we commune with Him we’ll be receiving the Real Presence of Hope in with and under the bread and the wine as the Body and Blood of Christ.
God’s inspiration from His Word is designed to send us hope-full back into our questions, confusions, sufferings and troubles of this world. However, rather than trying to find silver linings, we’ll have the precious Gifts of God finding us, working from deep in our soul …. to give us, (you guessed it), hope of Biblical proportions!
“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” – Romans 15:4
I hope to see you in worship!
Pastor Karl