In the past few weeks there have been times that I have struggled with embracing hope. As a disciple, I still find hope in the teachings of Christ. That hasn’t wavered. As a person of faith, I still find hope embedded in the relationship that I have with my Holy Creator and the assurance that God’s vision of Hope is for all people. As a citizen of the United States though, I have struggled to find hope within our humanity lately.

This past Sunday I was scheduled to preach at my home congregation in Eugene, Oregon, within the Community of Christ denomination on what was the Advent Sunday of Hope. As I was preparing for what words I could share in the midst of my own struggle. Words that would stay true to who I am and what I am experiencing while still being true to our scripture text and the purpose of advent season. It was then that I started to remember and also research stories of hope. That preparation then served as the foundation for the cultural application portion of my sermon this past week. Continue reading →