Collect for Trinity 7
Graft in our hearts the love of your name, increase in us true religion,
nourish us with all goodness, and of your great mercy keep us in the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 8: 18-25
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; 23and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Reflection
I wonder what it is about certain cliches that makes them sound like pearls of philosophical wisdom and become figures of speech, quoted by media reports and then copied in discussions about a team’s performance (or lack of it) in sporting competitions. Example: ‘It’s the hope that kills you’. What a load of tripe.
Even at the level of amateur pundits, that couldn’t be wider of the mark. In reality, hope is all that keeps you alive – the absence of hope means you’re already dead.
That doesn’t mean that it‘s possible to hope without evidence. We define hope as ‘to want something to happen or to be true, and have a good reason to think that it might’.
‘good reason to think that it might’. The Bulgarian writer Maria Popova put this succinctly “Critical thinking without hope is cynicism, but hope without critical thinking is naivety.”
In other words, don’t cynically dismiss the concept of hope as being irrational, but make sure you have a good and justifiable reason to trust it. And we do. Even though, as St. Paul says, we cannot ‘see’ that reason – but in patience and faith, we believe in a Jesus in whom our hope is certain.
Someone made a list of the sufferings of this present time: a sinning, sighing, sobbing world filled with cancer, murder, violence, anger, relational ruptures, dementia, grief, physical, mental and genetic disorders. Sadly, this is the reality we live in. Without hope, we cannot survive. But in Christ alone, our Saviour, redeemer and friend, our hope is found.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 19th May 2024
By the power of the same Spirit strengthen us to witness to your truth and to draw everyone to the fire of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Praying Together 12th May 2024
But in Christ, a much more reliable ‘Truth’ can be found. Truth in the ‘Logos’ – the Word. The Word made flesh.
Praying Together 5th May 2024
Collect for Easter 6 God our redeemer, you have delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your Son: Grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his continual presence in us he may raise us to eternal joy; through...
Praying Together 28th April 2024
‘If you love God, then you love your brothers and sisters’. You cannot have one without the other. If you do not love your brother and your sister, you cannot claim that you love God. No exclusions.
Praying Together 21st April 2024
There is only one leader who invites us to follow of whom we can be sure – the one who is prepared to lay down His life.
Praying Together 14th April 2024
It is easy, with hindsight, to criticise the disciples for their incredulity. But we have to ask ourselves what we would do in their place.
Praying Together 7th April 2024
We are challenged to decide what we need to ‘see’ to believe – and then to seek it in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Praying Together 31st March 2024 Easter Day
“I have seen the Lord”. It is difficult to imagine her emotions. She has seen the Lord! She doesn’t yet understand fully – but her eyes have seen Him. Her life is changed for ever, and she doesn’t care who knows it.
Praying Together 24th March 2024
But Jesus is aware of what He will have to endure in order to fulfil His mission of salvation – and He sets the necessary elements in motion.
Praying Together 17th March 2024
The Anglican Church of Ireland has produced an excellent example of the way in which St Patrick’s life embodies the Five marks of Mission – a real cause for celebration and a model for us to follow (And by the way, St. Patrick’s flag colour is blue, not green.)
Praying Together 10th March 2024
It’s a day of being aware of, and thankful for, the caring and loving relationships that exist within family and friends.
Praying Together 3rd March 2024
And what of our anger? Is it based on injury to self? Injury to others? Or injury to love, to forgive, to serve? Can we defend it at the foot of the Kingly throne?