Dear Brothers and Sisters
in Christ,
As I write this letter I am awaiting news on a friend whose life may be changing radically today. For you see for the last 3 years we have been waiting… longing for… anticipating news of a cure for her type of cancer. My friend is a forty-something year old single woman who has been on a brave journey with the uninvited companion of cancer. We are waiting for news… longing for news that our biggest fear is not a reality…but fearing the worse… It has been a day of waiting…longing…
As I write today, I have friends longing for justice and peace in their communities. Friends on both sides of a standoff… the protests in North Minneapolis… both groups longing for peace and both groups longing for justice… it has been days of waiting… of longing…
As I write today, I am aware of married couples longing to get married. I am aware of married couples longing for restoration in their relationships. I am aware of grieving family members longing for the intensity of their grief to reduce… I am aware of the homeless longing for homes…. I am aware unemployed and underemployed long for jobs…. I am aware of refugees longing for homes… a world longing for peace…
We wait… we long… but we do not wait in despair, we as beloved Children of God wait with hope. As we approach the season of advent this year I am drawn to the biblical verses of Hebrews 11-12:1. You may be familiar with the verse:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely,[a] and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of[b] the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 is a favorite verse of many but there are two little words that are repeated throughout Hebrews 11 that I invite you to ponder with me this advent season… “by faith”. Throughout human existence God’s people have lived by faith… waiting and longing… we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses throughout history both early church and recent.
As we are in this season of advent together… we join together singing familiar hymns - O Come O Come Emmanuel. We wait with hope of the coming of the Messiah… so let us live in this season of advent together in the midst of our waiting and longing we are called to live by faith… and hope in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Living by faith with you!
Pastor Krista
