A Journey Through Advent: Day 11
Day 11
December 9, 2020
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Hopes and Fears
Luke 1:5-17
Rev. Dr. Greg Smith
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard.”
– Luke 1:13
Advent is a season of hope that can overcome our fears. Our hopes and our fears intermingle, each one coloring our thoughts and feelings. What are your hopes for life in this season? What are your fears in this time of your life?
The hopes and fears of those who are getting on in years are often different than in their younger days.
I hope my grandchildren come to see me this week.
I fear I might catch Covid when I go to the store.
I hope I can continue to live in this house as I get older.
I fear becoming a burden for my children.
The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is filled with both hope and fear. Zechariah and Elizabeth dared to hope they would have a child. Often the hopes and fears of older persons reveal character traits formed over decades. To hope in the face of fear is bold. To hope in a hopeless situation is daring.
Despite the faithful, holy lives of this elderly couple, they had no child. Their bold hopes came up empty. They were barren. No children. No sons to carry the family name. No daughters to bless them with grandchildren. No hope for their future. Who would care for them in their years of frailty? They dared to hope, but as the years passed their hope faded.
Which of your hopes have faded over the years? Is there something you have long hoped would happen? Are your hopes mixed with fears of what might happen?
Our doubts and fears mingle with our hopes and dreams. Our lives are filled with changes that prompt fears, and with possibilities that offer hope. Like Zechariah in the Temple, our hopes and our fears come together in the presence of God.
The old priest’s hope had dimmed with many years of disappointment. He fearfully gave voice to the question screaming in his mind, “How will I know?” He needed assurance to allow his hope to shine through his fear. In the social injustice and division of our time, his question echoes whenever our fears overwhelm our hopes.
In another time of hatred and violence, a Philadelphia pastor named Philips Brooks stood outside and looked at the stars in the night sky, pondering the peace of the birth of Jesus in this world. The pain of the American Civil War was very fresh in his memory.
In the quiet of the moment he thought of the peaceful silence of that stable in Bethlehem, away from those who would fearfully destroy the hope born in that stable; a hope of change and a new beginning in the world. He began to write lines of a hymn:
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…
How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given…
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
In moments when you fearfully ask, “How will I know?” find the hope you need in the silent, wondrous gift of God with us, Emmanuel. The hopes and fears of all your years will come together in the peaceful presence of God.
About a Journey Through Advent
This year is unprecedented in its challenges to our global, national, and local communities, let alone the challenges to our own church community and personal spiritual growth. And yet, the rhythm of the church calendar continues to hold us in a life-giving refrain: hope is alive!
This series of devotional readings, scripture readings, and prayers is designed to give you an opportunity to pause and reflect on the hope, peace, joy, and love that the Advent season brings.
We challenge you to set aside time each day to read, reflect, and pray through these offerings presented by our pastoral staff.
May you find encouragement in the remarkable hope this season provides us!