Sprouting Hope

            As I have been reading Time and Newsweek and The New York Times this past week, I have noticed a trend as writers seek to describe the decade that is quickly winding down. Their words are searing-- struggle, despair, corruption, meltdown, greed, economic narcissism, irresponsibility, terrorism--as they exegete "the decade from hell," as the cover of the December 7 Time names it. They surmise that the next decade will be better because it could not possibly be worse!  This seems much more like fatalism than hope, in my judgment.

The lectionary texts for the first Sunday of Advent do not speak of the child coming in great humility, using words wrapped in the holy glow of angelic music. Rather, these texts speak of the coming of God in great power at the last day to fulfill all the covenant promises. Often preachers skip over them, hurrying to Bethlehem's more manageable vista. We would rather speak of a new beginning than the summing up of the age with all the spectres of judgment. Yet, these texts of second Advent are brimming with hope, also.

Two images, the “righteous branch” of Jeremiah 33:15 and the blossoming fig tree of Luke 21:29-30, illustrate God’s faithfulness in contexts that might be deemed hopeless. It seems that the righteousness of God can only be clearly seen when human straits are thoroughly desperate. When we no longer rely solely on our cleverness, our optimism, our industry, then there is room for hope to sprout. Hope is not something we generate on our own; it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the means by which we combat cynicism and fatalism in a world seduced by materialism; too many of us pay more attention to the market and how our retirements are doing than to our impoverished neighbors.

St. Augustine offers a perceptive insight: Hope has two beautiful daughters

--anger to see things the way they are

--courage to change them to the way they should be.

During this Advent, I am asking God to sprout hope in my life that I might balance anger and courage for constructive purposes. While the exigencies of this past decade have been challenging, we as people of faith trust more in God than in an unstable economy, military might, or diplomatic initiatives. Let us live in hope.  Molly T. Marshall

 

 

 

Giving Thanks

            One of the lectionary texts for the week of Thanksgiving comes from Psalm 126: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.”  Giving thanks is at the heart of our faith. Indeed, one of the two sacraments of the church that Baptists observe, the Eucharist, comes from the Greek word which means “I give thanks.” Gratitude is an index of spiritual health. If we cannot find reasons for thanksgiving, we are quenching the Holy Spirit who always seeks to well up in us a grateful heart.

            I want to express a public thanksgiving for the following:

·         The historic Baptist witness to liberty of conscience and separation of church and state—and for those forebears that sacrificed for these freedoms;

·         A loving church family, Prairie Baptist, that bears our household along through prayer and tangible expressions of care;

·         A gifted and diligent Central faculty and staff with whom I am privileged to work daily;

·         Earnest students who create community and seek to be formed together after the ways of Christ;

·         The rich diversity of our alums, serving faithfully across the nation;

·         Donors who invest in Central’s mission “with glad and generous hearts”;

·         The joy of theological education as we prepare women and men to lead congregational life and offer transformative ministries in the world;

·         A growing sense of global Christianity through our relationship with Myanmar Institute of Theology;

·         The beginning of construction on our campus!

On a very personal note, I give thanks that my Aunt Jerry (96) will get to witness the wedding of her only grandson over the Christmas holiday season. How great our joy!

Over these next few days, remember the words of the prophet Joel: “You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you” (2:26). I wish for each of you a season of giving thanks. It is good for the heart.

Molly T. Marshall

            For more information about Central, our faculty, students, and community life, please visit www.cbts.edu