Last Sunday, during the anniversary service at St. David's United Church, Port Hastings, we read of an act of hope. In Jeremiah 32:1–3a, 6–15, Jeremiah, an imprisoned prophet, proclaims hope for the future. Acting on a vision received from God, Jeremiah purchases land in Jerusalem, a city under siege by the army of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Though violence, political upheaval, fear and uncertainty mark the present days, Jeremiah proclaims, through his financial transaction, his trust in God’s promises that stability, nourishment, and bounty will come to this very land. His actions testify to that hope. Based on faith in God’s promise to redeem the land, Jeremiah engages in an act that seems wildly impractical; an extravagant act of stewardship and hope for the future.
As people celebrating a church 128th anniversary, we were asked the question: "What is one thing you do in hope, such as planting seeds, planning for something, or making an investment for the future?" The children gathered our responses and placed them in "an earthen jar", just as Jeremiah had placed legal documents in an earthen jar to preserve them. Below are all our responses to the statement "One thing I do in hope is..."
Pray for people who are sick to get
well.
Plant a garden and compost. Hope it
grows.
Love.
Help our neighbours or anyone that
needs it. Pray for the ill.
Recycle anything that can be recycled.
Make a phone call.
Pray for world peace.
Plant seeds. Pack a picnic lunch to eat
on the beach. Send a donation to a Third World country.
Plant a garden.
Sing!
Show love to all around me in hope that
they will know the love of God.
Work hard for the kids and hope they
turn out okay.
Pray for peace in the world.
Give to charity.
Have a tumour removed in hope that I
will have a 2014 and 2015.
Give each one I meet a smile and a kind
word. I like to have a laugh too.
Believe.
Be thankful. Appreciate my health, the
freedom and security in which we live, the wonderful people we live
among, the ability to attend church and enjoy this awesome day and
beautiful land.
Live solar, off the grid.
Volunteer time.
Give to Mission and Service.
Prayer.
Teach children about citizenship.
Recycle.
Help people.
Plant flowers.
Recycle. Pray. Share blessings.
Take care of my niece.
Plant seeds.
Live!
Recycle to help the environment.
Hope. Love.
Feed the squirrels.
Knit.
Start a new day every morning.
Compost (with picture of garden and
composter).
Pray. Contribute to charities. Plan for
future events.
Encourage my grandchildren to turn
lights off when not needed.
Compost.
Be environment friendly.
Is hope.
When I get in my vehicle that I have a
safe journey to there and back with God's help and guidance.
Pray.
Love.
Pray.
Teach
my children.
Be
patient.
Plant
a garden each spring.
Pray
for peace daily.
Try to be healthy.
Plant flowers.
Read the Word.
Volunteer.
Love one another.
Pray.
Plant bulbs.
Treat the dandelions.
Give to the Mission and Service Fund
that it will help someone in need.
Pray for those less fortunate and hope
they will have things better in their lives.
Plant fall bulbs. Donate fabric and
craft materials to schools rather than to the landfill.
Pray.
Love my neighbours. Help others.
That I put into action what I hear here
and what I say I believe.
Volunteer, when no one else offers.
Things I hope for:
That everyone sees the joy in each day.
For family and friends.
That we will be healthy.
More people in church.
That the fighting and killings will
end. That hunger will end.
Family. Good health.
For the health of my family.
End poverty.
Universal world peace.
Youth respecting each other. No more
bullying.
World peace. PEACE. Peace and love in
this world. PEACE.
That a cure can be found for cancer.
World peace. Good weather. Jobs.
A nice meal. Home.
I hope for a good crop.
