Unpacking Hope
Hope isn't always shiny and bright. It doesn't fit neatly in a stocking or under a Christmas tree. Hope can't exist without lack. As the apostle Paul says, "Who hopes for what they have?"
Hope is gritty and resilient. Hope is quiet and strong. These words, prayers, and poems try to hold the tension of the looming night and the promise of the light. Read poems about a hope that lights softly, like a bird. Watch Zechariah wrestle with the vulnerability of hope. Listen to songs of promise in a minor key.
As you advent softly, consider. What if hope was not a discipline to enact, but a grace to receive? What if you simply name the night, open your hands, and wait?
The Light is coming.
Zechariah & the Tension of Hope
Click on the gallery below for a contemplative reading from Luke 1:8-20 (MSG)
Songs of Hope
Click on the songs below for songs of hope. Expect deep notes, minor keys, and palpable longing.
Poems of Hope
Poems by Emily Dickinson and Rachel Welcher.
"Hope" Is A Thing With Feathers
by Emily Dickinson
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
"Hope"
By Rachel Welcher
The birds know its spring
before I do.
They dance in the grey mist
and chatter about
some fresh, blackberry future
that I cannot see.
Art & Photography for Hope
Click on the gallery below to dive into images - ancient & modern - of Zechariah, hope, light, and darkness.
Prayers of Hope
Ancient prayers. Breath prayers. Scripture prayers. Lean on these or create your own.
O Wisdom, Lord and Ruler, Root of Jesse, Key of David, Rising Sun, King of the Nations, Emmanuel, Come, Lord Jesus.
Inhale: May the light of your hope Exhale: Drive out the darkness
The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of your brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of your wisdom. All our desire is known to you, So perfect what you have begun, and what your Spirit has awakened us to ask. We seek your face, turn your face unto us and show us your glory. Only then will our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect.
“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.” -"The Uses of Sorrow"
Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour, where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict. Show me the course I should take. Renew in me the gift of discernment, so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go. And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course, even when the sea is rough and the waves are high, knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name we shall find comfort and peace.
Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O good Jesus, hear me. Within Thy wounds, hide me. Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. From the malicious enemy, defend me. In the hour of my death, call me, and bid me come unto Thee, that with Thy Saints I may praise Thee, forever and ever. Amen.
"Help me to journey beyond the familiar and into the unknown. Give me the faith to leave old ways and break fresh ground with You. Christ of the mysteries, I trust You to be stronger than each storm within me. I will trust in the darkness and know that my times, even now, are in Your hand. Tune my spirit to the music of heaven, and somehow, make my obedience count for You."
Journal Prompts
Use them all, or only a few, or none at all.
Notice which ones draw you. Notice which ones repel you. Create your own. Draw. Discuss. Play.
May these prompts serve as a springboard.
01.
Longings.
Where in your life would you like to see hope kindled?
02.
Resistance.
Does anything in you resist hope? Consider the push-back.
03.
Vulnerability.
Is there anything you would like to receive from Jesus before risking hope?
04.
History.
When have your hopes been fulfilled? Dashed? Remember. What was it like?
05.
Love.
What might it be like for God to hold hope for you? Consider His face, and His delight in you.