Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable. Hebrews 10:23
Last week I received some disappointing news. Ashley, our commUNITY yoga leader, let me know that after months of struggling through the pandemic, she and her husband, Gilbert, were going to have to give up their Yoga Studio. This was sad news on many levels. First, it was sad to see the impact the closing was having on my friends…two people who’ve put so much time, love and energy into their 11 year old business. It was also sad to think about the impact this news would have on the community. Ashley and Gilbert support the local and global community through many service and mission projects and impact the lives of their student community through their constant commitment to whole body wellness. Lastly, I was sad on a personal level. When we are able to gather again, I’m really going to miss classes at the studio.
This is where my heart and head were at as we entered this first week of advent where the focus is on the gift of hope. During our commUNITY yoga meditation, Ashley asked “Where do you see hope?” and in Pastor George’s sermon on Sunday, we were asked “What brings you hope in these times?” and I have a couple of answers to these questions…but most surprisingly to me, is that I can say this disappointing news is one place that I see hope and it is also giving me hope in these times.
I find hope in the attitudes of Ashley and Gilbert who are giving up a dream they’ve been very successful at. They haven’t focused on what they can’t do anymore but instead are looking to what they might still be able to do in new ways. They aren’t viewing this as an ending, but a beginning. The challenges they’ve faced this year have been overwhelming, but they aren’t bitter and they haven’t just thrown up their hands and walked away. Instead, they are continuing to connect with and serve their community and are using their creativity to explore how they might still help others find wholeness and wellness. In the face of some very hard times and decisions, their trust that they were led to this decision, that everything will work out and their desire to continue to make this world a better place every day is inspiring to me.
While this chapter of their lives, and for all of us who practice with them, is coming to a close, it doesn’t feel like the end or as hopeless as it did initially. God’s light of hope reflecting in them has inspired hope in others and has inspired hope in me. In many ways, there are similarities to the hope I find in our church community. We’ve learned during this pandemic that there are many new possibilities open to us even in the face of all that this year has brought us and taken from us. We are continuing to meet challenges in creative ways and we are adapting. We’ve learned, more than ever, that it’s not the building that makes us a church. It’s the relationships, the connection and the community. It’s about loving, serving and taking care of others. It’s about trusting and being the people God calls us to be everyday.
We often say at Messy Church that God is with us in the mess – this year has been messy…we don’t know what the future will hold but we do know that God is with us, always, and together we will move through it.
So, may we be grateful for God’s gift of hope and be inspired to continue doing God’s work in all the ways we can in all the places we can…and in doing so, hopefully we might even inspire hope in others.
Dear God, thank you for the words of the Prophet Isaiah that remind us that you are the source of our hope. We give thanks knowing that you will meet us even in the mess of our world. We find peace knowing that you are working beside us as we face challenges. Help us to share your light with others and live each day as hopeful people. Amen.
Leyla