Hope less = Hopeless

It has been one of my biggest shocks as a new minister.  A development I was not at all prepared for.  I have always believed that Christianity was almost synonymous with Hope.  Can you be a Christian and have no hope?  Well, our church's appear to be abounding with people who believe just that.  The longer I am in ministry the more I realize that people hope less than they should.  I'm beginning to see that this is one of the major faults of our church today, for when we hope less, then our faith becomes hopeless...where is the point? Where is the vision? Where is the expectation?  When there is less hope, there is less vision, less expectation and in my opinion, less Christ following.

I am continually frustrated by those who hear a new idea and immediately respond, "it will never work" or "they will not come" or "we've never done it that way before" or "our people will not like that."  I've heard it my entire ministry and quite honestly, I'm losing my patience with it.  Where is our hope that God is still present and active in our church?  Where is our hope that people really are looking for God and ways to experience God's presence?  Where is our hope that in our worship, God will transform us and in turn transform our world?  When did we decide to hope less?  Have we truly been that disappointed in past failures that we no longer feel like putting forth the effort of reaching out on God's behalf?

Psalm 71 comes to mind, "Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth...But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long..."  If we truly are a people of hope then should this Psalm not speak to us?  With each new idea, each potential ministry, every opportunity of evangelism, should we not jump at the chance to "tell of your righteous act and your deed of salvation all day long."?  Why then do we say, "ah, it will never work!" 

Folk's, God's Word has ALWAYS worked when someone was bold enough to proclaim it and audacious enough to hope in the glorious results possible.  Let us open our minds and hearts again and dare to hope more in the opportunities of ministry.  

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.   Romans 15:13