Gratitude and Hope

Written by Kathleen Balling, Music Assistant

This week is Thanksgiving. A time to be thankful for all of God’s gifts, whatever they are: health, family, faith, friends, or the beauty of the earth. It can be a challenge to feel thankful amid the upswing of COVID-19 infection in our community.

The word 'gratitude' is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness (depending on the context). In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. People feel and express gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past, present or future. Right now, I think it is important to do all of these, but especially the future. You can express gratitude for the future by maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude.

Which brings me to the word “Hope”….

If you ask my family, Hope is one of my favorite words and feelings. On our farm, my tractor is a Farmall H. I call it the Hope tractor. I am a glass half full person (most of the time!).

I am hopeful about the season of Advent, which starts this Sunday. It is the promise of the coming of the Christ Child. In a normal year, the Cathedral Choir would be in final preparation for the annual Messiah performance. Handel’s Messiah tells the whole story of Christ: Part one foretelling the birth of Christ, Part two the Passion of Christ and Part three the Resurrection of Christ. Though we present it as a concert, to numerous people, this is a worship-filled service. It moves, nourishes, and inspires hope when they hear the soloists and Cathedral Choir, accompanied by orchestra, sing the words of this masterwork. All the words are taken from the Bible- the ultimate masterwork! You will still get to hear our Cathedral Choirs sing Messiah. We will present an encore online performance on Friday, December 4, at 7:30pm. We hope you will join us. We are grateful for all our families in the music ministry, as they continue to adapt and change to what “choir” looks like in this season.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving and Hopeful Advent.

 

Hope in the Season

 It's after Halloween.....you know what that means....CHRISTMAS!  (just kidding) But in all seriousness, if you've been to any store recently you've noticed it.  Aisles and Aisles of Christmas decorations, candy, trees, and gifts.  If you know me at all, you know that I love Christmas!  I would decorate my house on November 1st if my husband would let me.  I love all things red and green, silver and blue, gold and white.  I love the gatherings and the gifts and the joy.  Which is why this year already feels so different.

What will the last two months of 2020 bring us?  There's no denying its been a strange, difficult, lonely, weird year for most of us.  And with no end to this pandemic in sight, it seems the Christmas season will be just as strange.  It will be quieter, less busy, less hustle and bustle, less shopping, less 'all the things that make the season bright'.  Except Christmas isn't cancelled because of the pandemic.

I know all this talk of Christmas seems premature when its only a few days into November but I think its timely to consider.  Family and friends probably won't gather for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, for office parties and gift exchanges. There may not be visits to Santa at the mall. There may not be Christmas Eve Mass. Christmas may look different.

Jesus entered this world when life was strange.  People all over the Empire were traveling for the census. Hotels were full.  Journeys were tough.  And yet, the Savior of the world chose then to come.  A glimmer of Hope is a crazy hectic time.  The long-awaited son of God was born into a messy time.  Not unlike now.  I don't think its any coincidence that God chose then to send Jesus.  It is often in the midst of crazy that our greatest joys are found.  Remember that as we enter this crazy, hectic time. 

But friends, Christmas isn't cancelled.  We will adapt, change and grow. Instead of Christmas cards, send letters.  Reach out to those you would normally see in person by phone or video chat.  Make a donation to a local charity instead of buying gifts that will sit unopened. Make it a point to spread joy in small ways however you can. Because, even without gatherings and gifts and in person church services, Hope is still alive.  Don't forget to share that with those around you! 

God In The Desert

Abram and Sarai leave Ur - Godly Play

Most of us, before getting too old have experiences that we could call “desert times.” We can’t get too far in life without them. They are never things that we go seeking but they happen. Like Abram and Sarai, when they left the city of Ur, we may wonder if God will be with us in times such as this. The Great Family in which Abram and Sarai were a part, were called to leave the place they had come to find solace. I imagine they had comfortable routines. They knew where to shop, worship, and had good times with friends. Why did they have to leave this secure place? In faith, they put one foot in front of the other and set out into the desert – a place where no one goes unless they have to. Sound familiar at all to you? This past March, you and I had no choice other than to step out into the desert of the pandemic. Will God be with us we may have wondered. After a few months – we may cry, “will this ever be over?” It was a very long journey for the Great Family. They thought it would never end. They began to be surprised by God however in places that they would never have dreamed of. They built altars in various locations so they would never forget that God was there. They continued to say their prayers and God would come close to them and they would come close to God. They began to hear promises from God that were too impossible to believe (have a child in old age!) God had told Abram that he would bless him and Sarai and that they would be a blessing to many. They kept going without seeing how this could happen. Because of their faithfulness, God changed their names to Abraham and Sarah. Through this incredibly difficult time they had changed. They had come closer into being the people of God. How are you being changed as you move through these desert times? I know that I have had experiences that would not have happened had I not been thrown into this time. I miss people, I get tired of the mask and distancing but I keep on. As one who has not been to technically inclined, I am finding deeper relationships through zoom. After close to 8 months – it feels like we really are together. My prayer life has deepened. I have found it easy to give up distractions. I don’t need stuff anymore. We left our “normal” ways of being community mid-March. How are you doing? How are you being changed to come closer to who God created you to be? I wonder what our new names will be when we come out after faithfully walking in this pandemic desert together? I wonder how we are being blessed and how we will be a blessing to many?