|
2007 Devotional Guide
for ELCA Congregation Councils and Committees
 
The Resurrection — Living in Hope
April 2007
by Margaret Payne
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. —1 Peter 1:3
Some of the saddest words in
the Bible are: “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel,”
spoken by travelers on the road to Emmaus. They were with Jesus, but did not
know it because he had not yet revealed himself to them in the bread. They
despaired because the man who had raised so many hopes with his miracles and
holy teachings had been killed. Their hope had died with Jesus on the cross.
Sometimes the work of leadership in the church feels hopeless. Finances are
a struggle, not enough people sign up for the soup kitchen, visitors are not
warmly welcomed, and a few members of the congregation never run out of
reasons to bicker over one thing or another. We had hoped that leadership in
the church would be an uplifting experience of joy and unity. We had hoped
things would be easier. But that kind of hope dies when our sinner sides
show up for church as often as our saintly sides.
Fortunately, by God’s grace, we have a deeper hope that sustains us in
disappointment and failure. Through the water of Baptism we are permanently
connected to a hope that lives no matter what the world does to try to kill
it. The deepest truth of our life together is the certainty that God has
already won the victory over death and hopelessness. Living and working in
that hope equips us to do the work of the church.
Leaders are called to build a bridge from the hopelessness of death,
mistrust, and judgment to the living hopefulness of joy, mercy, and peace.
That bridge is built from the bricks that God gives us to structure the life
of faith: regular worship, Bible study, daily prayer, acts of love for the
neighbor, holy listening to one another, and a selfless hospitality that
welcomes every person as a gift from God.
We cannot build that bridge alone. God gives us the tools, guides our hands,
and fills our hearts as we work. God has given us a living hope that has the
power to transform the world with love and gather all people to Jesus
Christ. By God’s grace we are saved from despair and freed to lead in
hopefulness.
Prayer
God of amazing grace, you have called us to
live in a hope that the world sees as foolish. Grant
us the strength to share your hope with those whose
lives are bleak with hopelessness. Make us
ambassadors of the new life that is a witness to the
victory of the resurrection. Amen.
For Reflection or
Discussion
What is our hope for the ministry of this
congregation?
< Back to Devotional Guide Table
of Contents |
