hope

I think that the words of the Israelites to Moses could constitute my worst nightmare in ministry. As a self-described "emerging Christian" I have dealt myself a life of bringing people to new places - in worship, in theology, in Christian practice, in life - and I know that some of those new places will prove themselves lifeless - without food, water, sustenance. And so to hear the Israelites ask cry out to Moses, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?" well it makes me itchy. Someday, somebody will ask me a similar question, "Why did you bring us out of our BCP worship to kill us and our children with whatever this crap is?"

This line of thought is not helped by the generations of worry steeped within me. I come from a long line of "what-if?" people. "Why then am I a priest, and an "emerging" one at that?" you may ask. Because I'm an idiot... but that's another issue.

While I know that I could worry myself into secular employment I also have Romans 5.1-11 to keep me comfortable. Especially that line "we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us."

Hope does not disappoint us! Thanks be to God! We all take risks in life in the name of hope. I hope to one day move our church and our world past petty left v. right arguments and into the Kingdom of God. I know that I will never get there. But nonetheless, my hope will not disappoint me because I am certain that even a half step in that direction will be for the good. So worry or not, I keep on that path; assured by the Spirit that hope will not disappoint.

As the stages of life continue on; there will be failure, suffering, the need for endurance, and tests of character, but in the end there will be hope. I am thankful for that today.