Patience and Hope

July 17 Sermon Notes

Father Chris opened this past Sunday's sermon by explaining that typically, the Collect for each Sunday represents a good summary of the lessons from the Bible planned for the day.   While this Sunday's Collect expresses a true and beautiful sentiment, Fr. Chris reflected that the primary theme that all the lessons shared is the importance of patience and hope for what God has in store for us.

In Genesis 28:10-19, we have the story of Jacob's ladder which reveals a connection between heaven and earth. Even with God's promise to always be with us, life is full of disappointment, pain and tragedy...it requires patience and hope. The Psalmist describes a restlessness regarding what we want to be and our dependence on God to lead us and our hope for the everlasting. Similarly, the lesson from Paul's epistle to the Romans ends with the theme of hope and patience:

"For in hope we have been saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

Finally, the Gospel reading from Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 is a parable imploring us to live lives of faith with patience. All of the lessons show us that we have to be at peace with things in life that we don't fully understand.

Father Chris then suggested that we consider where we feel the need to be most patient and write our own collect for today's lessons...a collect is comprised of two parts: 1) a prayer praising God; and 2) a supplication for patience in the area where we most need it. He closed with a quote from Teresa of Avila:

"Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices."


submitted by M White