Hope.  Hope is something that the Church has to offer that cannot be found in many other places.  Sometimes people put their hope in money or in a political
party or in a person. That rarely ends well.  As the Church, we offer hope that does not disappoint.  We point people to Jesus, the true hope of the world.

Perhaps there is no time when hope is more needed than when a loved one dies.  I have officiated at and attended many funerals over the years.  Some were
for members of Trinity, some for people who were not members of Trinity.  We gathered together to give thanks to God for the lives of special people, people who were loved and who loved others. I usually begin a funeral service with words like these, “Welcome in the name of Jesus, the crucified and resurrected savior of the world, the Lord of hope.  We gather together to give thanks to God for ________’s life, to comfort one another, and to receive the comfort that comes from God.”  As a congregation, we pass on to others the love and hope that we have received from God.

These are days when we need hope.  The pandemic seems to be coming to an end, but no one is sure what that means.  Will we still have to worry about COVID infections?  Are we doomed to wearing masks (at least indoors in the cold months)?  Will things get worse again?

I have hope.  I am not engaging in “wishful thinking” – simply wishing that things might get better.  I am hopeful, and that means that I am doing what I can to help make the world a better place. I’m still delivering Meals-on-Wheels once a week.  I’m still preaching the gospel. I’m still engaging with the amazing young people we have at Trinity in Confirmation Class. I’m caring for family members and friends. I have hope.

I trust that you have hope, too. God’s love has been poured into your heart. Sometimes, it may seem like we are alone, but God is with us, loving us and sustaining us.

– Pastor Tim Oslovich