HopeGateWay

During this week when violence ripped through the peace in our country, we come seeking peace. What does it mean that Jesus is the Prince of Peace? There was no end to violence when Jesus was born, nor when he died, nor when he was resurrected. The peace of Jesus means something beyond the lack of violence, and something deeper and more profound. Peace is an internal reality and an external longing. We need to make space for peace both internally and in our world. We need peace.

We live in a google age. We believe there is an immediate answer to every question. We let this expectation flood over into our faith. Mary ask few questions when the angel told her she would have a baby and he would be God's Son. We need to make space in our lives for mystery, because sometimes the questions are better than the answers.

The voice of Jeremiah echoes down across 2600 years: “The days are surely coming, says the Lord…” A message of hope. The hope is that God is with us in whatever wasteland we find ourselves, and God invites us to be part of God’s work of restoring all things. This is the hope of Advent. Not that God waits for everything to be perfect – for all the details to come together in just the right configuration -- but that Jesus came in the messiness... in the midst of loose ends and unfinished business... in the midst of pain and suffering. And God invites us to embody that hope for others. So – with one candle lit on our Advent wreath, we begin this journey through the Season of Advent, and today we’re making space for hope.

As we reflect on how to draw the circle wider still at Hope.Gate.Way. We want to focus on the importance of community. There is a deep sense of community at Hope.Gate.Way. and it's something that we want to grow even deeper in.

The first week of our series Draw the Circle Wide. Gratitude is the place where stewardship starts. When we draw our circle of gratitude wider we are thankful for more parts of our lives. When we exchange resentment for gratitude, we find the peace and hope that God gives.

As we continue this worship series, "God's Politics," we're attempting to cut through the rhetoric to explore some of the issues at stake as we seek the heart of God. Today's message focuses on the issue of same-sex marriage, with two of our retired pastors, Rev. Sam Johnson and Rev. Charlotte Hendee sharing a dialogue. Until his retirement in 2011, Sam Johnson served as the Director of Contextual Education at Boston University School of Theology. An ordained elder in the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, he served 27 years in local churches, most recently at Christ Church, United Methodist, in Wellesley, MA. Sam is a graduate of DePauw University and Harvard Divinity School.Charlotte Hendee has recently retired to Maine after serving churches in the Baltimore/Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. Prior to her ordination, Charlottee worked in the United States Senate and on Capitol Hill for the General Board of Church & Society of The United Methodist Church. She is a graduate of Drew University, UConn, and Wesley Theological Seminary. She served churches in Maryland Line, Brooklyn Heights, Galesville, Emory and Deer Park, Maryland.

Jesus said turn the other cheak, love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you. How are we to let these teachings guide us, while we live in the most militarized country in the world. Today we are talking about how to follow our faith as we vote and communicate with our federal representatives as it relates to U.S. Military Spending.videos can be seen at:http://www.truemajority.com/oreos/&http://youtu.be/8y06NSBBRtY

God is not a Republican. God is not a Democrat. God is not even an American. But for people who wish to wish to put their faith into action, politics do matter. In the words of Oscar Romero, “The Christian faith does not cut us off from the world but immerses us in it.” Over the next several weeks, as the election cycle gathers steam, debates rage, and the rancor intensifies, we’ll attempt to cut through the rhetoric to explore some of the issues at stake as we seek the heart of God. Wherever you stand on the issues, we hope you’ll join us for the conversation.

Why is it so easy to see the mistakes others make and so hard to see our own? It's easy to judge others, but the challenge Jesus gives us is to see the pieces in us that need changing rather than focusing on the parts of others that need changing. Grace is the gift God gives to us all. We can have the blessing of giving it to each other.