Sermon 11/26/17 Mark 1:1-8 Hope: A Thrill of Hope Are you a pessimist or an optimist? Is the glass of life half empty, or half full? My mom and I have gone back and forth about this a bit over the years. She’s wildly optimistic about most things, and sometimes I would say her optimism, her hopefulness borders on the irrational. If the weather forecast says there’s a 70% chance of a snowstorm coming, my mom will focus very seriously on that 30% chance that it is going to be a nice day after all. I, meanwhile, will begin adjusting my travel plans and making a backup plan for the day. My mom says I’m a pessimist, but I would argue that I’m simply a realist , trying to prepare for the thing that is most likely to happen, whether I like that thing or not. My mom, however, says she doesn’t want to be disappointed twice, both by thinking something bad is going to happen, and then by having the bad thing actually happen. She’d rather be hopeful, and enjoy her state of
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Hope this is helpful.
BTW, I do this from the "floor" of the sanctuary, walking among the people as we share and praying from the floor in front of the altar table. I do this to suggest that I am simply one person in the congregation and that I have no "higher" level or ability in my prayers than anyone sitting in the congregation. My folks seem to appreciate this approach.
We ask for joys and concerns every week. I do it by asking for people to share them verbally before the prayer. I jot notes. Then is have spots in the prayer that I can offer those particular prayers as I lead it.
In a larger congregation - or in ours some weeks when there are lots and lots of things offered - it could get a bit ponderous.
But it seems to work for our congregation.