The Emptying of Me: Hope is never bottled up

Unlocking the door, turning on the lights, and walking into this quiet is never the sound of silence, but of His presence. It was good to be back in the house of the Lord.

Here surrounded by these sacred walls I have come to learn even more, I need communion with Him, in His House--and I also need that gathering with my church family--my Brothers and Sisters-in-Christ.

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "holy, real worship (and) Holy worship will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving." (Morning and Evening Devotional).

And that holy, grateful, and heartfelt worship will lead us to the only way--straight to Hope.

Moses experienced this Hope at the burning bush. So much so, God told him to take off his shoes for he was standing on Holy Ground. The Shepherds, they saw this Hope in a newborn lying in a manger. And the Woman at the Well, Hope was waiting on her.

Moses, he obeyed God and took off his shoes and he kept on obeying. After the Shepherds saw Hope, they went away, rejoicing telling others what they had witnessed. And the Woman at the Well, she dropped her water vessel to the ground and ran to tell others, 'come and meet a man.'

Moses, the Shepherds, the Woman at the Well--each of their stories different--years apart--but the one thing constant in their stories--they all encountered the same Hope.

Sitting here on this pew--waiting for the hour of worship to begin and I can see in my heart's mind where each sit--families, widows, the faithful. And many, their places empty--shut-ins who can no longer come, and several, gone--now occupying heaven.

The door opens and my church family begins to take their seats--like coming home--gathering at the dinner table. And in the pews, there is Hope in each of us because we all have our own Hope story. Restored. Healed. Redeemed. Forgiven. Saved.

Everything shouts Hope here. The conversation, smiles, the altar, our stories, the lifting of prayers--a humble pastor feeding his flock with the Word, and two beautiful Sisters-in-Christ, one strumming her fingers across the small black and white planks ringing out harmony--while the other stands and when she opens her mouth to sing--the song birds are jealous.

Moses, the Shepherds, the Woman at the Well--not one of them bottled up their Hope and went back home. They broke their vessels, crushed them into chards and told others about this Hope.

Over the past two years we have been bottled up it seems. Church doors closed due to the virus--bad weather.....repairs. There have been many Sundays when the church doors couldn't be opened, but through technology we have had the blessing of attending a virtual service. And I praise God for this--but there's something about this pouring out--this gushing of Hope, of our stories when the doors of God's house are open. Full of His family--sitting near--stain glass windows shining with the glimmer of the winter sun and the sound of a baby's cry.

The phone rings. Saturday. And on the other end is our church's prayer line--announcement line. 'There will be no church services tomorrow. One of the water pipes froze and burst and we have no water until repairs can be made. Please listen online to our services at 11am. God bless.'

And Sunday comes and I tell my 8-year old grandson, I'm sad we can't go to church today, to Sunday School. He replied, 'Me too, Granna. But we can go next Sunday.' And we sit close, he and I with the Bible open to Hebrews chapter 13, the Heroes of Faith. And with his little child finger that will soon be a young boy's, he follows every word while our Pastor's voice and face appears in front on us on the screen. My grandson, he says quietly many times, 'uh-huh'--his way of saying Amen. And he looks up at me and he says, 'I love church.'

And Hope pours from a child's tender heart right into my watery eyes. The pouring of Hope is here on this Sabbath morning.

And our Hope, He keeps pouring out--arms wide open, as far as the East is from the West--bidding us to empty ourselves of fear, of self, and to tell others of this Hope--the Hope He freely gives.

Looking for that blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13