Sermon - 11-29-20

<p>Someone recently mentioned to me that it seems like our country has changed over the past years from one that wanted to <strong>be</strong> good to one that wants to <strong>feel</strong> good. I tend to agree. And, quite honestly, as we experience this horrific pandemic with thousands of people dying, the deep divisiveness among people, the acute pain and profound woundedness in our culture, I really <strong>do</strong> understand the desire to <strong>feel</strong> good, to long for a feel good sense of <strong>hope</strong> within ourselves. The truth is, we are a brokenhearted people, and the desire to feel hope is normal. I deeply feel that desire within myself.  In fact, I will confess that is why I will sit and watch a Hallmark movie because there is always a happy ending that evokes a <strong>feel-good</strong> sense of hope. Yet, <strong>that feel good sense of hope</strong> is very short lived. Frankly, our culture is very good at offering all kinds of <strong>things</strong> and <strong>stuff</strong> that provide a short-lived, feel good hope. But such hope does not last because it is a <strong>false</strong> hope.  Friends, far too often we try to stem our hurt by running <strong>away</strong> from our pain to selfishly focus on what makes us <strong>feel</strong> good. However, we <strong>cannot</strong> create the <strong>hope and peace</strong> we so desire by focusing on self. Real <strong>hope</strong> only comes by <strong>facing</strong> our pain and <strong>opening</strong> our hearts to God.  And, <strong>real</strong> <strong>hope is what comes with a broken, vulnerable, open heart that is</strong> <strong>willing</strong> <strong>to be mended. </strong></p> <p>In today’s Old Testament reading, Isaiah is speaking to people who have returned to Jerusalem following political exile in Babylon.  They, too, desired hope and they did <strong>not</strong> sense God’s presence to them. We hear the prophet Isaiah <strong>waiting</strong> and calling out for God to break into the peoples’ lives.