Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 • Hosea 6:1-6 • 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10
During this season of Advent, one can hardly dismiss the sense of expectation in the air. The atmosphere is pregnant with the hope of new beginnings, reconciliation and change. Hosea’s words today remind me of the myriad of ways that we have collectively strayed from the path of steadfast love and knowledge of God, denying the humanity of our neighbors and commodifying one another and the earth in ways that only benefit us. The need remains ever present for us to continually return to those two guideposts that ensure that we are in right relation to God: steadfast love and knowledge of God. As we reflect on the lives of those who live in constant waiting for the restoration of their own dignity, and in our own lives as we wait for the restoration of the human family and all of creation, let us find good and right ways to rise above the passivity that today’s culture associates with waiting, and go forth not in our own power, but in the power of God, so that we are not merely voicing the need for change, but are empowered to be living examples of what that change looks like in the world, even and especially amidst chaos and uncertainty.
I invite you now to reflect on what action, what steadfast love, looks like, both as individuals, and as members of a larger community.
Good and gracious God, in your steadfast love and enjoyment of your creation, restore us all to you and to each other. Amen.
Katie Gould
Diocese of Texas
Class of 2022
Seminary of the Southwest
Listen to Hope read her meditation and prayer:
Katie Gould is a Middler MDiv student, from the Diocese of Texas. She moved from Houston, TX along with her husband, Chris, and their two children, Izzy and Reagan. She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time in the country, where you can still see the stars and night!
The Advent Meditations and Prayers are a gift to our seminary community and are made possible through gifts to our Annual Fund. Seminary of the Southwest appreciates the support of its friends, alumni, and the communities around the world that its graduates serve for the glory of God. This support ensures that Southwest, as an institution made of individuals dedicated to service to God and their fellow members of the body of Christ, can continue doing its part to build the body of Christ.
