November 20
Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,
Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
You are prisoners of hope. So says the prophet Zechariah to a people who are struggling mightily. The people to whom he is speaking are the Israelites.
The Israelites have been exiled for decades, they were attacked by the Babylonians, their homes were wrecked and their temple was sacked. A whole bunch of them were taken prisoner and carted off to Babylon. A great warrior named Cyrus conquered Babylon and set the Israelites free. Now they are back home. They look at the ruins and begin to despair. How will they live through this and rebuild? It’s too much.
God sends a prophet named Zechariah to talk to the people. The name Zechariah means - God remembered. He says, “Return to your stronghold O prisoners of hope!”
What is their stronghold? Their stronghold is their memory. Zechariah is asking them to remember what they’ve been through. The Israelites can remember if they so choose that they have been delivered before. They can look back on their whole lives and remember many times that God has walked with them through the valley of struggle. They can remember the parting of the Red Sea. They can remember that they were once slaves but now are free. They can remember that though they have a ways to go they’ve come a long long way. We can too. What are you going through? Somehow we’ve all made it this far. God has brought us this far. He will not abandon us. Whether we live or we die we belong to God. We are prisoners of hope.
The story’s not over until it’s over, even then it’s not over because we’re Christians and we believe in resurrection and eternal life. So, when you think the sky is falling stay in it, don’t quit, ask the question, What’s coming next? Then smile and remember - you are a prisoner of hope. One of the many things that is so special about Good Shepherd is our hunger for love and deeper relationships with God and our neighbors. The following numbers illustrate our hunger for ministry opportunities and depth. Did you know that last year we had 16 community outreach partners and this year we have 24? Did you know that on average 141 members participate in our Formation offerings each week? Did you know that 175 people worship with us weekly via live stream and an average of 347 come in person? Did you know that 106 students go to chapel with Ms. Patty each week in our Day School? Did you know that we have 100 new members in 2025 so far? The Good News of God’s love for all creation has instilled in us a deep hope for the future of our church, our community, and our world to the extent that you are inviting more people into the fold each week. Thank you for spreading the Word so hopefully! Truly, you are a prisoner of hope!
Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!
Love is all,
Hendree+