Week Two – When We Are Running Out of Hope, God Is At Work
Affirmation of Faith
What do you fear?
We have seen the valley.
We have seen a sky without stars.
We have seen the longest night,
and still we believe.
We believe in a with-us God.
We believe in the hope of tomorrow.
We believe that good news is louder than fear.
We believe this good news is for all people.
So even when our knees shake,
even when our voice trembles,
even when fear is all around us,
we will hold onto that good news.
We will reach for each other.
We will look for God in our midst.
We will sing songs of joy.
We will proclaim:
Unto us, love is born.
We have seen the longest night,
and we have seen unimaginable love.
So still, we believe.
Amen.
Scripture – just click on the link below
Matthew 1: 1-11 and Isaiah 43:19-21 as in NRIV
Commentary on Matthew 1:1-11 and Isaiah 43:19-21
by Rev. Dr. Boyung Lee
By the time we meet John the Baptist in
Matthew 11, he is no longer the bold prophet
in the wilderness, crying out,
“Prepare the way of the Lord” (Luke 3:4b).
He is a prisoner—held under Herod’s authority,
cut off from the movement he helped ignite.
The firebrand voice has been silenced.
And in its place, we find a question, carried
through his disciples to Jesus:
“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to
wait for another?” (Matthew 11:3)…
Jesus points not to grand victory,
but to quiet signs of transformation.
He doesn’t hand John certainty–
but invites him to perceive God at work.
“I am about to do a new thing; now it springs
forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a)…
Advent does not require us to manufacture hope.
It invites us to bring our emptied hope to Jesus,
to ask the hard questions,
and to listen again for signs of God’s nearness.
When we’re running out of hope,
it may be the perfect time to ask:
What do you see?
What do you hear?
And to trust that somewhere, even now,
something new is springing forth.
Music Offering: God’s promise is to listen and always be there as is expressed in the Hymn of Promise. Listen and/or sing along.
Benediction
In a fearful world,
may you look for God’s spirit.
May you reach for each other’s hands.
May you choose courage whenever you can.
And in all things, may you remember
that good news is louder than fear.
In the name of the one who calls,
the one who sends,
and the one who journeys with—
go in peace and
be not afraid.
Amen.
Material for this page is from Sanctified Art