Message of Hope

The January talk by David Saetre will focus on the theme of “hope.” This is the third and last in his series on spiritual virtues. You may have heard the popular saying, “hope is not a plan,” and the dismissive tone of that phrase sums up a cynical side to modern society. Indeed, hope is often synonymous with magical thinking or unrealistic expectations that avoid personal responsibility and the hard work of building a better world. Yet, while hope is not a plan, no one can plan without it. Because the future always includes ambiguity and surprise – things rarely turn out exactly how we plan them – all plans require some level of risk. Hope is the way in which we launch our dreams and visions into actions. All good plans have their roots in hope. But, hope in what? That’s what we will explore at our gathering on the second Sunday in January. The topic seems right as we begin a new year, filled with our own resolutions, dreams and expectations for our families and community. And, the topic of hope carries particular importance in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shootings, and our national sense of vulnerability and sorrow.
Join David and the faculty, staff and students of Northland as we begin a new year of worship, thoughtful reflection and building community together around the theme of “Hope!” 

Listen thru iTunes or download at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/16150915/uu/2013W/1-13-13m.mp3