Hello Hopefuls!

A couple of weeks ago, we had the wonderful blessing to be led in worship by our youth on Youth Sunday. It was great to hear stories of mission trips and the community that is happening among our young people at Hope! I know we all appreciate the presence of our youth and are honored to be in the body of Christ with them.

Last Sunday we kicked off a short two-week sermon series studying the parable of the Good Samaritan which is found in Luke 10. There is much to learn from this story, as Jesus teaches about what it means to be a neighbor. Through the illustration of the Samaritan’s care for the hurt man, Jesus shows that true neighbors are those who show mercy to others.

The question we wrestle with, then, is this: whose neighbor can I be? How can I show mercy to those around me? Mercy can be understood both as compassion for those who are in distress and also compassion for those who have committed offense. What does showing mercy look like in your life? Have you been the recipient of mercy from someone else?

One of my deepest desires for us at Hope is that we are a good neighbor in our community. I hope people in our neighborhood come to know us as good people who care about them and are invested in this community. I think we are on the right track with this. One of the practical ways I see that we extend mercy to people is through our pantry of Hope operation. Each week we serve people who find themselves in need. I am grateful for that ministry and your support of it.

This Sunday, we will look again at the parable of the Good Samaritan, this time through the theme of justice. I look forward to seeing you this weekend at Hope! Bless you!