It is difficult to find joy when we’re experiencing pain. Yet God offers us joy even in the most difficult circumstances. Through her example, Mary shows us how we can claim joy in tough times.
Hope can seem to be in short supply some days, and that can especially be true at the holidays.
Yet hope is more than a feeling or a wish. Hope is an expectation, trust, and desire for a good outcome.
And, as we learn from Mary’s story, hope is knowing God will show us what to do when we need to do it.
In our more honest moments, we recognize that Christmas can be a time of fear and anxiety. What will happen when I sit next to the empty chair where my loved one used to sit? Do we have enough money to buy all the presents for my family, friends? Can I keep it together the whole time we are visiting family? These are real. And, there is hope. In a scary world, home is a place where we can be safe.
The evidence of the world’s brokenness is everywhere we look, and sometimes, it seems inescapable. In the midst of brokenness, God comes to us and invites us to come home.
When we see the other side as the enemy, everyone loses. When we learn instead to recognize that everyone has something to give, we can begin to grow toward a more perfect union, with liberty and justice for all.
The early church was compelling not because of what they believed, but how they behaved. In a chaotic culture of division, the first Christians were a peaceful presence who welcomed all, loved authentically, and let their light shine. Let’s do that again.
While disagreement is inevitable, division is a choice. When we choose to carry one another’s burdens instead of demonizing one another, what divides us fades, and we realize that we can disagree politically while loving unconditionally.
The church’s greatest enemy is not a political party. It’s division. Instead of choosing one side over the other, we stand with Jesus in the messy middle because we can form a more perfect union by working together.
What happens to us when we die? Pastor Mark explores that question as we conclude this series with last line of the Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.”
As humans, we all mess up—in our families, at work, and in our relationship with God. When we do, we need forgiveness. Forgiving isn't easy, but without it, we can't have real or meaningful relationships. Thankfully, Jesus shows us the way.
