frankly speaking: HOPE

Dear All of Us,

Old and retired as I am,

I still hear confessions.

Lots of them

and

none of them in

The Box

(Confessional)

They happen on the phone,

by email, text, letter.

There's still the standard missteps:

drank too much, lost my temper,

cooked the books, porn, lied,

had an affair or wanted to.

What's new and frightening

is that worry and fear

are morphing into

despair about the future,

or of even having one.

There is the now too common

litany of desperation:

- the displacement of truth

- the deterioration of democracy

- a self-regarded righteous few

wronging the rights of the many

- personal and social structures

built on sands of selfishness

and slipping into a sea of distortion

- a planet in peril

- soul sick politicos thriving

on the chaos, lies and

injustices they create

- neutered religion

- nuclear devastation

a button push away

EMPIRE CONTROLING AND

CORRODING SO SADLY MUCH

One way and too many more,

too many are bound and gagged by

hopelessness.

It cuts the legs out from under

our spiritual lives,

leaves us stymied on stuck.

As the commercial of yore asked:

"What's a mother to do?"

so these tough days,

days sadly such as

January 6tH.

we all ask

"What are we to do?"

For starters we need to size up

what's actually happening

here and worldwide.

What we have constructed

isn't holding up.

Example:

The United States was founded

on wonderful ideals

-independence, equality,

democracy, justice

and horrendous practices

-genocide, slavery,

racism

None have been fully faced.

And now we are faced with the

consequence and

resultant collapse.

As is, it's doubtful the enterprise

can carry the weight of

honest, healthy community.

All through history it's been

the sad same story.

Every flawed dynasty,

empire, and nation

failed and fell.

That's a painful fate

that may soon be ours.

Empire yet again stews

in its own juices of

deceit and depravity.

And we full face

that it seems hopeless.

But we don't have to be.

"My kingdom

is not of this world."

Jesus

to Empire's

Pontius Pilate

John 18:36

Empire starts and stops

in its worldly wiles.

Ultimately it never wins.

Ultimately it always loses.

The Kingdom of God, though,

is now and without end

in its sheer Reality and Godness.

It's going nowhere except

forever good.

It isn't: "Wait until you die

and then go to heaven."

It is right here, right now living

whatever the state of grace,

or the state of dis-grace,

in our culture and condition.

Jesus says and shows

what life in

The Kingdom of God

is and it is in stark contrast

to life in Empire.

It's full of hope,

beautifully, simply and clearly

shared in the

Seven Kingdom Parables.

Seed and Soil

Wheat and Weeds

Mustard Seed

Yeast in the Dough

Hidden Treasure

Pearl of Great Price

Fishing Net

Matthew 13

Right here, Right now,

Let's take lots of

Soul Slow

Hear, See, Feel, Be Filled

with the

HOPE

permeating these parables,

promised and powerful

Kingdom Living

How is what Jesus shares here

being played out or not

in our right now

Let's listen.

Let's see.

Let's contextualize.

Let's meditate.

Let's apply.

Let's accept anew

Kingdom Hope

Right now we're in

a tough place

getting tougher

as Empire crumples

all around us.

Given the travesty of

January 6th.

and its such,

(I'm writing this before

the upcoming

January 6th, 2022),

we may face more

violence,

financial collapse,

social strife,

all sorts of insecurity

and shortage,

loss of comfort and convenience.

One in three Americans approves

using violence to determine

government their way.

Trying to pump air into Empire

as it goes flat will make us

even more horribly hopeless.

We can, though, live hopefully in

The Kingdom of God

even in the midst of Empire.

Accepting and living in

The Kingdom of God

is often hard and it is also

fantastically hopeful.

The early Christians,

persecuted by

the Roman Empire,

the Christians suffering

under Communism,

model for us how

hard and hopeful

it can be.

They put their trust in God

and God put hope in them

as they took up residence in

The Kingdom of God

right in the midst of Empire.

"Do not be afraid, little flock,

for your Father has chosen gladly

to give you the kingdom."

Jesus

Luke 12;32

Empire in its death throes

is forcing us

to declare our

Primary Residence

Where are we at home?

What houses hope?

Hope isn't chancy or desperate

whistling in the dark.

Hope is holding to certainty

and being held by it.

" For I know the plans

I have for you,

declares the Lord,

plans for welfare

and not for evil,

to give you

a future and a hope."

Jeremiah 29:11

With you

Held in hope

Holding to hope

I confess it

John Frank

******

It's been a few years since

we have been graced

with an offering from

Caly McCarthy.

Caly, graduated from Dickenson,

is now on staff at the at

The Smithsonian here in

Washington.

She is active in the vibrant

Cleveland Park Congregational UCC

also here in DC.

On the first Sunday of the year

Caly designed the worship service

and shared a worthy sermon on

the first chapter of John's Gospel.

It deals with hope,

light in the midst of dark.

Please consider her wonderful offering.

It's an excellent complement

to our considerations here this week.

https://youtu.be/ju3filx75A?t=4

frankly speaking

spirituality for the street

johnfrankshares.blogspot.com

******

If you wish,

here are prompts

for

PRAY AND PONDER

We ask The Spirit to lead.

We select a scripture passage

shared below.

We gentle our mind.

We still our soul.

We sit with the scripture.

We listen all the way inside.

We apply it to our here and now.

We ask: "What do I do with this?

We thank and we ask help.

"Rejoice in hope,

be patient in tribulation,

be constant in prayer."

Romans 12;12

"For we do not have

a lasting city,

but are seeking the city

which is to come."

Hebrews13:14

"And now, O Lord,

for what do I wait?

My hope is in you."

Psalm 39:7

"May the God of hope

fill you with all

joy and peace

in believing,

so that by the power

of the Holy Spirit

you may abound in hope."

Romans 15:13

"For our citizenship

is in heaven,

from which

we also eagerly wait

for a Savior,

the Lord Jesus Christ."

Philippians 3:20

"Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear

or be in dread of them,

for it is the Lord your God

who goes with you.

He will not leave you

or forsake you."

Deuteronomy 31:6

"He will wipe away every tear

from their eyes,

and death shall be no more,

neither shall there be

mourning, nor crying,

nor pain anymore,

for the former things

have passed away."

Revelation 21:4

"We have this as

a sure and steadfast

anchor of the soul,

a hope that enters

into the inner place

behind the curtain."

Hebrews 6:19

"So then you are no longer

strangers and aliens,

but you are fellow citizens

with the saints,

and are of God's household."

Ephesians 2: 19

******

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We are blessed to have you joining in.

Please be at home here.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2022

HOPE