We’ve been talking about hope. I recently received an email from a friend in our church with a link to this video. Put simply, it is a video of hope. While the story is about Haiti in the specific, I believe we can take the hope that this imparts in our hearts and apply it to every country, state/province, city, and church.
click here to view Haiti – “A Call to Fasting & Prayer”
We’re on a journey through the Hebrew words from the Old Testament that we translate into English as “hope.” So far we’ve talked about hope as expectation. Part two is focused on yĆ¢chal hope.
This past Sunday night I took our church through a study of the Hebrew words that we translate as “hope.” Hope is in short supply in our world, even in our churches. There is a lot to learn from how the writers of Scripture understood the concept of hope. I’ll share a different thought in each post this week.
Today I was reading through 2 Timothy. Several verses refreshed deep feelings and thougths within, while others caught me off guard. Each time you read the Bible, depending on your current situation or need, different elements will be brought to light. I was touched today by a couple of ignored lines and phrases. One of those is my topic today.
While reading materials, blog posts and Tweets today, I ran across a familiar word several times. When we talk about the message we have of God’s love, Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection, and the Spirit’s work in our lives, we tend to use the term “gospel.” But are we really doing justice to the term as we use it today? Or are we throwing the Gospel out into the world where it collides with unrealistic expectations and preconceived notions?
Isn’t it amazing how, regardless of the location, you rarely find empty seats in an Olympic venue? Here we are, a few days into the 2010 Games, and I can’t help but think of some implications the place we make for the Olympic Games versus some of the other elements of life.
Maybe it’s because football season is over, but do you take notice of the efforts spectators make to cheer on the representatives of their own countries? Thankfully we don’t see much of the shirtless, painted face variety that NFL stadiums attract. We do, however, see country colors, flags, and “official” Olympic gear. We hear chantings, screams of joy, and cow bells. We cheer on our favorite individuals and teams, and at times, we cheer on the other guys, too.
Because of “stuff” going on, I am reminded of a scene from a number of years ago. It holds a special place in my heart. It reminds us that sometimes the cheering of the “crowd” can motivate, encourage and breathe life into those in our church who often go unsung.
Chris MacKinnon 