Read: Romans 4:13-25

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed. . .” – Romans 4:18

How many times in our lives have we faced trials and tribulations for which we have little or no hope? Once? Twice? More?

For me, many times.

For many years in my first marriage, I pleaded with the Lord: When will this abuse/addiction/adultery ever end? Do I forgive and forgive and forgive again? For how long? And at what cost? Until there is nothing left of me, or at least nothing recognizable?

Or do I risk a new life?

With little more than a pocketful of faith, I left my 28-year marriage with the clothes on my back and a few mementos, walking into the unknown.

Slowly, through prayer and counsel and reflection and time, I rose to the surface anew, raised to life again from the proverbial dead.

Did I do this alone? By no means! There were sisters, friends, and even strangers. Late night phone calls and time alone in nature. Tears and more tears before a hint of a smile (the laughter came later). And through it all, Christ.

“Without weakening his faith,” Abraham believed. Let it be so for all of us as we face insurmountable odds. May we be strengthened in our faith through our inevitable trials and tribulations—and give all the glory to God for seeing us through.

Dear Lord, in the midst of our troubled lives, thank you for shouldering our burdens. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.
-Ashley E. Sweeney

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…” –1 Peter 3:18

The question that I have asked all of my reflection writers is “Where do you find hope in this passage?” I find hope in these words written by the author of 1 Peter to persecuted churches in Asia Minor, an area of modern-day Turkey. I’m a convert, so I appreciate these words to churches full of converts to Christianity.

Unlike some claims of evangelical Christians in the USA, these churches were facing active persecution where they faced loss of family, livelihood, and frequently their lives. The Roman emperor Nero blamed the Great Fire of Rome on Christians, according to the Roman historian Tacitus, and had Christians burned alive for it. These churches were living in scary times, and the reminder that Christ died for them to bring them to God would have given them a measure of hope. They would have known well how violent and horrible crucifixion was, and someone voluntarily suffering it on their behalf would have been a compelling act of love. Almost 2,000 years later, that act of love serves to bring me closer to God.

Thank you Jesus for suffering once for my sins. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“…when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.” – 1 Peter 3:20

When considering Noah’s ark, I think about sailing towards a particular port or destination. As sailors, we try to prepare for all eventualities – topping off drinking water and fuel supplies plus traveling with up-to-date maritime charts, life jackets, and proper foul weather gear. We enjoy having our first meal prepped and ready for reheating. Shep and I have sailed with our children, grandkids, friends, and, back in the day, our racing crew. We’ve even sailed with our pet cats.

Among all my memories, one stands out above all the others. We were sailing from the Everett Marina towards Hat (Gedney) Island and checking out everything on our fairly new sailboat. The day was lovely. Randy, one of Shep’s students, was aboard as our “deck ape” crew. Kelly, our young daughter, and Geoff, her tagalong 3 year old brother, were also aboard. Our children knew the drill. If they were anywhere other than the cabin, life jackets were required. So there we were – the sun was shining and we were kicking back and living the good life; the kids were below deck in the cabin. Suddenly Randy shouted that Geoff was overboard and Randy jumped in right after him into that very cold water. Suddenly, “man overboard” was no longer a safety drill. Shep managed to wrestle the boat around and we headed back the way we’d come.

When we reached them, Shep dealt with the tiller and our position while Randy lifted Geoff up to me and I got him on board. Then I hauled Randy up and out; the average water in Puget Sound averages somewhat under 50°F. Randy was a grown man and my ability to pull him on board is still something of a mystery. Did I mention neither Geoff nor Randy was wearing a life jacket? Did I mention a sailboat doesn’t spin on a dime? Did we realize that the kids would figure out how to climb up through the forward hatch and we wouldn’t notice? Let me tell you about ‘hope’ as we circled back to search for and retrieve Randy and Geoff. The time it took for the rescue still seems elongated – taking days, not minutes. Would we find them? Were they underwater? Were they alive? Hope, fear, and dread were my companions.

On this day, hope overcame all. This was a short afternoon sail – not a sail for 40 days. We had no menagerie, not even a kitty. We didn’t have to have enormous amounts of food on board. Yet I’m left with a glimmering of what that long-ago ark voyage was like and how it succeeded. I think I understand some of the worry and fretting that was present among all the passengers. I know about desperately hoping and then discovering that ‘hope’ is a more faithful companion than ‘fear’ or ‘dread.’ Imperfect know-it-alls that we sometimes are, God lifts us up through hope and that’s when we truly discover the ‘good life.’ I agree with Father Paul who said when “there’s a rough spot on the sea, there’s smoother sailing ahead.”

Thank you for the hope that there is always smoother sailing ahead. Amen.
-Sue Shepherd

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“(Christ suffered) in order to bring you to God.” – 1 Peter 3:18

When I was a young lad, our family was visiting relatives in the Chicago area. One Wednesday night, our aunt, uncle, and cousins took my brother and me somewhere in Chicago. It was a scary, dilapidated part of town; an area no one in their right mind would drive through, let alone stop and park – at least not if you loved your life and/or family. Well, they found a place to park and we entered what could only be most charitably described as a falling-down fleabag dining room auditorium space. Hanging above a stand that seemed to function as a pulpit was a dusty old banner with JESUS (in red) on the left, a plain dark cross in the center, and SAVES (in red) on the right. Winos and derelicts of every sort and condition shuffled into the room. Some were there to enjoy the fan-blown air on a hot summer’s eve, others to get off the streets and into relatively safe space, and the rest for reasons known only to them.

At the appointed time, the preacher got up to preach, shared the “Plan of Salvation” with the people gathered, and in the fullness of time, invited folks to come forward for the laying on of hands and salvation. I didn’t step forward, for I was a young teen and did NOT want anyone in the family to think I hadn’t been saved, although I really didn’t know what that meant. But standing there in the quiet darkness of my own heart, I knew I wanted to be a child of God, and although I was too timid to move, I offered the sinners’ prayer.

Christ suffered to bring me to God. That gave me hope to carry on, deepening my faith, and, eventually, sharing that faith with others.

Dear God, I give you my pain, my ignorance, my ego, and all the things that keep us apart – you, me, and those who cross my path. Help me to make good choices, to be kind, and to live into the hope I have in you. Amen.
-Fr. Keith Axberg

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“..and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.” – 1 Peter 3:21-22 (NIV)

When my son Daniel was born prematurely in April 2009, my former husband Jon wanted to baptize him as soon as possible so he “would be OK” if something happened. I was in the throes of PTSD from Daniel’s traumatic birth as well as post-partum depression, and I was hedging out of terror that it would jinx him because of the events of the previous few days. My mother (who is not religious) was the tie-breaking vote, commenting that the baptism “[would be] a celebration of Daniel making it.” After acquiring some sterile water and a medicine cup from a NICU nurse, and borrowing some anointing oil from the hospital chaplain, we baptized Daniel in the NICU of Benefis East on April 10, 2009, with my mother, uncle, and a NICU nurse as witnesses. My best friend Rebecca, Jon’s best friend Justin, and Justin’s wife Dawn were named as godparents.

I do not believe for one minute that God would automatically send a 4-day old baby to hell for not being baptized in time, but I do believe baptism is important. It has been described as “an outward sign of an inward grace”, and I remember hearing endlessly at my Lutheran seminary about the importance of put[ting] on your daily baptism.” The author of 1 Peter is writing to persecuted churches and reminding them that they are saved because of their baptisms which get their saving power by the resurrection of Christ, as they were uniting themselves with Christ through these baptisms. As their baptisms saved them, my baptism at age 19 saves me, and Daniel’s baptism a few days after birth saves him. This salvation is hope for us.

Thank you, Lord, that our baptisms save us by your resurrection. Amen.
– Jen McCabe

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

As I work through the recent loss of my mother, I find myself weighed down with the more problematic parts of my relationship with her — and in so doing I find myself confronting my many personal failings and shortcomings. For this reason, the description of baptism as “not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God,” is particularly poignant.

Lord, Christ suffered once for sins. I find myself wondering how many times I might suffer for mine, and I hope I can be made alive in the Spirit. Amen.
-Michael Boss