| My bread and butter |

I'm beginning to notice a trend in my own train of thought. You see, it seems no matter where I begin in Scripture, when it comes to preaching I eventually end up at a message of hope. Perhaps it is because my own narrative is formed out of hope and framed by hope. Of all the vices, hopelessness has played a minimal role in my life. Thus, when I read a text, and when I prepare a sermon, I eventually end up at hope. The hope of the gospel, the hope of the resurrection, the hope of a new day, of a new moment, of a new heart, of new creation itself, hope is such a key idea in the stories of our lives and in the metanarrative of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Even when I start pondering how I eventually end up at hope, I start preaching. Sigh.

So I wonder; is there more to life, more to preaching, more to inspiring a congregation to peace, to love, or to a sense of urgency for this dark and broken culture? I'm not sure there is. To me, hope is the backbone for all of these things. As soon as the disciples of Jesus ceased hoping, they fell back into the mundane; they became powerless and empty. After seeing the resurrected King, they were reinvigorated and refueled to go out and minister.

So consider that this Christmas season. What is your hope? And if you find yourself struggling to put your finger on it, take a look at Hebrews 6:9-20, with a specific look at Hebrews 6:19.

Cheers.