Dear Friends and Members of RLC,
We have begun the Advent season; Advent is the four weeks preceding Christmas. The color for all of our worship hangings (paraments) during this season is blue; blue is designated as the color for hope.
I mention this because it seems like a good reminder for many of us. This is the season of hope. Are you feeling hopeful this year? Or are you feeling discouraged and weighed down by memories, events or relationships that seem too heavy to bear?
Either way, it is worth asking why it is that the church sets aside a season and encourages us to hope. It’s not because Christmas automatically puts us in a good mood—actually, many people find this the most depressing time of year. It’s not because we’re going to get so many great presents—some of us may, many will not.
Rather, the church reminds us to hope no matter what because Jesus is with us now and always. And this world is headed in the direction that God wants it to go because it is God’s beloved world and God gets the last word!
Do our memories of loss and heartache hurt? Yes, but we don’t have to bear them alone: Jesus is with us. Have events happened that are beyond our control that have changed our lives or the lives of our loved ones? Perhaps, but we don’t have to face them alone: Jesus is with us. Are we in the midst of relationships that we can’t even imagine restored? If so, remember we are not alone: Jesus is with us.
How will it all turn out? In the short run—who knows? But in the end, there will be healing and love and light, for that is what God has promised.
In the meantime, stay open to the possibility of surprise. Who would have thought that God would come to the earth as a helpless infant? Who would have thought that the pathway to salvation for the world would have gone through a cross? Who would think that the savior of the nations would come to us over and over again through bread and wine? Or a word? Or a hug?
A lot of the time, it’s not easy to hope. Try to do it anyway; be brave, be daring, trust the One who has called you into being and knows you by name. He is with us.
“Look, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
Peace and hope,
Pastor Mary
We have begun the Advent season; Advent is the four weeks preceding Christmas. The color for all of our worship hangings (paraments) during this season is blue; blue is designated as the color for hope.
I mention this because it seems like a good reminder for many of us. This is the season of hope. Are you feeling hopeful this year? Or are you feeling discouraged and weighed down by memories, events or relationships that seem too heavy to bear?
Either way, it is worth asking why it is that the church sets aside a season and encourages us to hope. It’s not because Christmas automatically puts us in a good mood—actually, many people find this the most depressing time of year. It’s not because we’re going to get so many great presents—some of us may, many will not.
Rather, the church reminds us to hope no matter what because Jesus is with us now and always. And this world is headed in the direction that God wants it to go because it is God’s beloved world and God gets the last word!
Do our memories of loss and heartache hurt? Yes, but we don’t have to bear them alone: Jesus is with us. Have events happened that are beyond our control that have changed our lives or the lives of our loved ones? Perhaps, but we don’t have to face them alone: Jesus is with us. Are we in the midst of relationships that we can’t even imagine restored? If so, remember we are not alone: Jesus is with us.
How will it all turn out? In the short run—who knows? But in the end, there will be healing and love and light, for that is what God has promised.
In the meantime, stay open to the possibility of surprise. Who would have thought that God would come to the earth as a helpless infant? Who would have thought that the pathway to salvation for the world would have gone through a cross? Who would think that the savior of the nations would come to us over and over again through bread and wine? Or a word? Or a hug?
A lot of the time, it’s not easy to hope. Try to do it anyway; be brave, be daring, trust the One who has called you into being and knows you by name. He is with us.
“Look, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, “God is with us.” Matthew 1:23
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
Peace and hope,
Pastor Mary
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