Why Do You Have Hope?

By Pastor Rey Diaz

We use the word “hope” all the time, in everyday conversation.  “I hope so”, “I hope not”, “one can only hope…” and “I’ve pinned my hopes on…” Usually hopes come because of something: I call it a story.  There is some reason we have hope.  So we pick which story we will use to bring us hope.  Some pick the economy or the government and hope things will turn around.  As humans we are always looking for a reason to hope.  Without hope, we would all drift into despair.

The Christmas season reminds us what we Christians have put our hope in- we have chosen the Christmas story as the reason for our hope.  When Jesus was born, hope was born.  Jesus was called Immanuel, which means –“God is with us.”  That is why we have hope, because God is with us.  And if God is with us, there is always reason to hope.

We all face challenges in life.  We all face times when there seems to be no hope.  Even in the most dire circumstances, we know that God is with us.  So even in the darkness, we have hope.

I will never forget the hopelessness I felt the first time I walked into the garbage dump of Tegucigalpa.  Yet even in the midst of incomprehensible injustice, God is with us.  The school AFE is proof enough that God is acting behind the scenes. 

Because God sent Jesus, we have hope.  Because we follow Jesus, we have hope.  Because Jesus is God with us, we choose hope. 

You might have doubts.  You might have concerns.  You might have arguments.  There are a million reasons to doubt.  But if you want hope, true hope- life altering hope.  Hope for your future.  Hope for your kids.  Hope for your marriage.  Hope for your finances.  Hope.  Choose Jesus.  

“‘Look! The virgin will conceive a child!

    She will give birth to a son,

and they will call him Immanuel,

   which means ‘God is with us.’”

- Matthew 1:23  

Fill Your Life with Christmas Spirit – This Year!

By Pastor Tim White

One of the things that I love about this time of year is that many people are trying to get into the Christmas Spirit.  They are putting out lights, putting up the tree, doing extra good deeds, going out of the way to be with family and friends.  And best of all trying extra hard to do some surprising good deed that would honor Jesus Christ.

 I love how Christians and Jews try to be respectful of each other’s holidays this time of the year.  I like how we try to be considerate of those who might be atheists by reaching out to them in friendship.  And as a pastor I know that this is an especially hard time of year for those who are suffering through grief at the loss of a loved one.  It makes the Holidays tough because you miss people you really love. 

However, all in all, many people are trying hard to get into Christmas spirit.  And this world needs as much Christmas spirit as it can get.  Remember Christmas spirit is the spirit of Christ – it is what we Christians call the Holy Spirit.  The old bitter spirits of anger, self pity, selfishness, rage, are chased away when we confess our sins to our savior and ask God for the Holy Spirit to take control of our lives.  

Yes, we will need to think differently or rotten spirits can drift back into our lives.  And we need to keep our lives clean as vessels of God himself working in and through us.  But we sing with new fervor:  Joy to the world the Lord has come!

 I pray that you will be able to fill your life this year with the pervasive hope that comes from Christmas.

 

"Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod.  About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, Where is the newborn king of the Jews?  We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him."

  - Matthew 2:1-2

Sharing Christmas Hope

By Pastor Tim White

Congratulations to everyone who took part in the Santa Claus Conspiracy!  About 2,000 people were visited in hospitals, group homes, special peoples cruise, and convalescent homes.  And this was just an average year for the caring Christ followers at Washington Cathedral!  Special thanks to Diane Lutterloh, who with her team coordinated it all.  Also, a thank you to the Rhonda Jones and the Majesty Arts' special performance which helped raise teddy bears to give.  Everyone is saying that this year’s musical was a new high for our church family!  That is wonderful to hear!  Jackie told me that it was a fun church family get-together with an amazing spirit of Christmas joy. 

I know we will be hearing the hundreds of stories about the Santas and their helpers as they spread hope throughout many dreary environments.  The kids who participate get so excited being a part of this experience and it is amazing what this one afternoon can do for a family.  My daughter, Becca, called from back East to say how much she was going to miss it, because ever since she could remember she and the McCary family were my elves for the Santa Conspiracy.

I guess we get used to being stunned by the glory of Christmas as we try and encourage those often forgotten but are still so loved by Jesus.  Last year, I went to University Hospital because Bob Pease, the Santa who had been coming for years before, had a cold, and you just can’t go on this mission if you have a cold.  When I arrived at the hospital, the volunteer asked me – “Where is the real Santa Claus?”  I said, “Wait a minute, I am the real Santa Claus.”  She said, “No, I mean Bob Pease.  He comes here every year.”  I said, “I am the original Santa Claus.  I am the leader of hundreds of Santas and their elves, so I am the real Santa Claus.”  She said, “Not at this hospital, here it is Bob Pease.”  “Well,” I responded, “he is sick and you are going to have to put up with me.” 

During our tour of the hospital, the director told me she remembered me. She said me that twenty years ago she was in a life threatening illness at Swedish hospital and I had come to visit her. I said, “See – I am the real Santa Claus!” She said, “No, you’re not. Bob Pease is.” I could not win. However, we all had a great time! With Chuck and Mary Loeser as my elves, we shared smiles, laughs, and Christmas joy.

What is it that makes every elf, every Santa, every helper just shine with the glory of the Lord and bring so much Christmas joy each year at Christmas time? It is Jesus, the hope of the world. Christ in you is the hope of glory. And when you experience that –you can’t miss it.

"Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them,

and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them.  They were terrified."

Luke 2:9

Hope for the World

By Pastor Tim White

I am crazy about Christmas Spirit.  Every year, for the last 28 years, I have dressed up as Santa and gone to the hospital to deliver much needed joy to the patients.  My kids grew up thinking I was a nut, and kept telling me I was not the real Santa.  But I just love Christmas.  I sing Christmas Carols all year long, this year my daughter even called me from Princeton and asked me to sing her some Christmas Carols. Yes, I am a Christmas nut- the kind that is for many people their worst, most annoying nightmare (like Buddy the Elf from the movie Elf). However, the Christmas season only gives me joy when I remember that Jesus Christ is the hope for the world.

That is such an old fashioned statement that some might think it is culturally insensitive.  I am not trying to put down any other religion or philosophy by making that statement.  Too many times Jesus has been misunderstood in history as try to stomp the life out of every other group to make his point.  But that is not the Jesus we know.  He said, “Whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:50).  In this passage Jesus seems to reverse himself.  Because earlier he had said that “Whoever is not for you is against you”.  Meaning we need to be fully committed to our faith.  But here is he is talking about people who are helping but not in the name of Jesus.  So Jesus is saying, ‘Don’t worry about them, we need their help to address the great hurts of this world.’ 

In my view, we have yet to fully appreciate what it means that Jesus is the hope of the world.  We need government, but Jesus is the hope the world not the government.  We need politics (I think) but politics are not the hope of the world.  We need philanthropy and I am totally committed to giving Christ honor by doing what we can to help people in his name.  But still Jesus is the hope of the world.  We need our families – I would die for mine.  But Jesus in a family is the hope of the world.

Yes, we need a pervasive hope which enters every marketplace, every competition, and every frustrating challenge.  This year we are exploring what it means if we get it- Jesus is the hope of the world.

When I was a young preacher, I wanted to have my own ‘Just as I am song’ that people would dedicate their lives to Christ during its performance.  So a friend of mine wrote this song:

Christ is the answer no other will do – he will make you new.

Whenever I am troubled and lost in deep despair.

I run along with all my troubles and I go to God in prayer.

 Christ is the answer, sinner don’t wait, Christ is the answer don’t be late,

Christ is the answer, no other will do – he will make you new.

I love that song – I love Jesus. So how can help but not get excited about his Birthday and remembering that he is the hope for the world.

 

"And his name will be the hope
of all the world."

Matthew 12:21

What are you hoping for this Christmas season? What hopes would you have if you knew that God was going to work a miracle in your life this Christmas?