Thrill of Hope Part 1
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”
-O Holy Night, Adolphe Adam
The holiday season is one so often marked by hustle and bustle as celebratory parties are thrown and attended, gifts are preciously picked out, purchased, and wrapped, and decorations are strewn about to remind us we are supposed to be feeling “merry” in all this busyness. I don’t know about you, but as much as I adore the merriment and memories made in the holiday season, I also find myself stressed and stretched thin throughout these weeks each year that are supposed to remind us of what matters most.
Pausing to remember the reason for the hope we have can be a difficult challenge with so many priorities vying for our attention and affection as the end of the calendar year draws nearer. But, in order to experience fullness of joy and expectation of hope in the time of year that’s supposed to be most full of joy and hope, we have to return to the Source of our hope.
Hope: \ˈhōp (noun and verb)
noun: a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen
noun: a feeling of trust
verb: to cherish a desire with anticipation
In preparation for this series of blogs coinciding with our Christmas series at Bold City Church, “A Thrill of Hope,” I wanted to learn more about how we use this word “hope” in our culture. What I found in the definition spelled out above spoke volumes to me. You see, hope is not only a feeling of trust, but to transition the word “hope” to its verb form and actually put our hope in action is to fully trust in the One whose name is in all the Christmas songs we sing. Christ Jesus - the Lamb of God, our Great Redeemer, Emmanuel (God with us), King of Kings, and oh yeah...the Prince of Peace.
Hope in action is actually to cherish the promise of Christ Jesus as Savior and to allow the Holy Spirit to bring peace to our fractured and broken souls. We serve a King who left His throne to redeem us, set us free in the here and now, and gave us everlasting life where before there was only death. That’s pretty thrilling, wouldn’t you say? And yet, we don’t seem to cherish much and we appear...less than thrilled as we carry on counting down the days until our next opportunity to rest.
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Matthew 11:28-30 MSG
The “thrill of hope for a weary world” is that Jesus Christ came to save us and set us free from the tyranny of a busy schedule distracting us from the One who is worthy of our time and attention. He simply beckons us to come and find rest in His inimitable and holy Presence.
So instead of asking Jesus to find His way into the cracks of our schedule this season and come along at our pace, what if we tried letting Him lead as we follow? Following a leader means letting them set the pace.
“Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.”
Colossians 3:2 MSG
In other words, do your holiday shopping and remember that you’re blessed to be a blessing as you search for the perfect gift for a loved one. Attend those holiday parties and do so with the true reason for our celebrating in mind. Stop and listen...truly listen...to a Christmas song about Jesus this year. Turn your Christmas Classics playlist on Spotify into a worship set in the car!
Even more importantly, as we remember our King Jesus, let’s remember others just as He did. May we embrace this season of generosity and be obedient to place others before ourselves. How about we set down our busy schedules and stare straight into the eyes of the God who comforts our souls, steadies our minds, and leads us in all truth this season? Let’s make the memories count this time around by including the One who gave us breath in our lungs and family to hold dear.
Most of all, may we get our spirits up and set our to-do lists down because Christ the King is our thrill of hope!
Christmas in the Bold City presents: A Thrill of Hope
Thursday, December 23 | 7pm | First Coast High School