1st Sunday of Advent: HOPE King of Kings: Lamentations 3:46-57, Luke 2:1-5

We begin again. As Advent opens, I named that we do not start with angels’ choruses or starry calm—we start in the dark, with longing. The world Jesus entered was tangled in empire, fear, and forced movements of people. I invited us not to rush past that landscape. Lament is holy work; it tells the truth about devastation and yearning, and it becomes the soil where hope takes root. Hope is not denial. It rises precisely inside the ache.

With our children, we touched the rough edges of that world—Caesar’s census, taxes that drained the poor, a young family on the move. This is the scene into which God chose to arrive. Into that same kind of scene, hope comes today. And hope, I insisted, is subversive. It resists fear. It lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, and breaks open locked doors. Empire speaks fear; God’s kingdom speaks compassion.

I shared where I’ve seen hope while away: in vows spoken at my daughter’s wedding; along the Camino, where strangers cared for each other and no one walked alone; in the soft quiet of a father soothing his newborn; in a friend’s grief eased just a little by shared presence; in our town’s expanding generosity as needs grow; in volunteers who keep showing up (even in turkey costumes). All of it is the shape of a different kingdom—one built by love alongside, not power over; by staying connected more than being right.

I asked you to name your fear. Not to be shamed by it, but to see it clearly so hope can go to work. Hope is stronger than fear, not because life is easy, but because God is with us. I spoke about simple practices that keep us “plugged in”—attention, prayer, and intention—because I have learned I’m never far from God, even on hard days. That nearness is for all of us.

So Advent invites us to a fierce gentleness: compassion over despair, generosity over scarcity, community over isolation, courage over retreat. God is still being born in us, through us, among us. Let us begin again—with hope.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Advent begins in darkness and longing Lament is not a detour; it is discipleship. When we let the ache speak, we honor the people who suffer and make room for God’s future. Advent trains our eyes to see light honestly by naming the night clearly. Hope grows best in truthful soil. [35:43]
• 2. Hope resists fear and control Empire relies on fear to keep people small, divided, and silent. Christian hope is not naïve optimism; it is a stubborn trust that chooses action—lifting the lowly, feeding the hungry—even when outcomes aren’t guaranteed. Hope refuses to let fear script our life together. It unlocks doors we’ve called permanent. [39:29]
• 3. The kingdom is compassion, not control God’s reign is not built by winning arguments or securing dominance. It’s formed at eye level—alongside, not over—through relationships that outlast disagreements. When we prioritize connection over being right, we embody the politics of Jesus. Love becomes our strategy and our strength. [46:25]
• 4. Name your fear; make room for hope Unnamed fear becomes a quiet tyrant. When we face it, we can choose what aligns with God’s future rather than what protects our comfort. Confession of fear is an act of courage that clears space for love to act. Naming breaks fear’s spell. [47:08]
• 5. Practice presence; stay plugged into God Closeness to God is not accidental; it’s cultivated through daily attention—prayer, reflection, and small obediences. These practices don’t erase hardship; they anchor us within it. Over time, we discover we’re not drifting alone but carried by Presence. That steadiness births hope. [49:05]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:00] - Gratitude and community updates
• [03:30] - Advent theme: “What Child Is This”
• [05:30] - Devotional invitation and keeping it simple
• [12:22] - Children’s moment: Census and coins
• [25:51] - Children’s prayer and dismissal
• [35:43] - Advent begins in darkness
• [37:39] - Hope is subversive and resistant
• [38:55] - Empire’s fear and forced registration
• [39:29] - Hope as the antidote to fear
• [40:44] - Stories of hope from sabbatical
• [46:25] - Kingdom built on compassion, not power
• [47:08] - Naming our fears before God
• [49:05] - Practices that keep us close to God
• [51:17] - Prayers, offering, and sending

Bible Reading

- Luke 2:1–7 (ESV) — In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. - Lamentations 3:19–24 (ESV) Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

Observation Questions

1. Read Luke 2:1–7. What details point to the pressure and control of empire (travel by decree, registration, no room)? How do those details change the group's picture of Jesus’ birth compared with the familiar lullaby image?
2. Read Lamentations 3:19–24. Where does the passage name honest suffering, and where does it introduce hope? What words or images signal the shift from despair to trust?
3. The preacher said, "Lament is holy work" and invited us not to rush past the ache. What moments in the sermon showed lament being taken seriously (for example, naming community losses, the census story, or the township needs)? [35:43]
4. The sermon lists instances of hope (wedding vows, Camino community, volunteers, food donations). Which one of those stories stood out to you when you heard it, and why? [40:44]

Interpretation Questions

1. The preacher called hope "subversive" in a world shaped by fear and control. How should the church understand "subversive hope" in relation to Luke 2’s setting under imperial power? [37:39]
2. The preacher connected lament (naming the night) with creating soil for hope. How does Lamentations 3:19–24 model a faithful way to move from grief to hope? [35:43]
3. The sermon argued that God's kingdom is “compassion, not control,” built at eye level through relationship rather than dominance. How do the concrete examples she gave (community volunteers, sharing burdens, small acts of care) illustrate that alternative way of being a kingdom? [40:44]
4. The preacher asked people to name their fear so hope can act. How might naming a specific fear change a person's next practical choice or response? What risks does naming bring, and what might be the spiritual benefit? [47:08]

Application Questions

1. Name one fear that is currently shaping a decision you are making (big or small). Say it out loud to the group or write it down. What is one small, concrete step you will take this week to refuse fear's script and invite hope instead? [47:08]
2. Identify one "locked door" in your life or neighborhood (a relationship, an unmet need, a place of exclusion). What is the first practical thing you will do this week to begin to unlock it (a phone call, a visit, bringing food, offering help)? [39:54]
3. The preacher named three practices that keep us "plugged in": attention, prayer, intention. Choose one practice and make a specific plan: when will you do it, for how long, and what will you do? Report back next week on how it felt. [49:05]
4. The sermon offered concrete images of hope: showing up at a wedding, walking alongside strangers, volunteering at the food pantry. Which one concrete act of compassion will you commit to this month? Pick a date and a place or person. [40:44]
5. The preacher encouraged choosing "generosity over scarcity." Is there a financial or time resource you can redistribute this Advent (donation, meal, hours of volunteer time)? What exactly will you give, and when will you do it? [50:06]
6. The community example of volunteers (like the Thanksgiving meal and food drives) inspired hope. Which existing church or local opportunity will you sign up for in the next week? If none fit, who in your neighborhood could use a one-time help from you this week (rake leaves, deliver a meal, check in), and when will you do it? [45:32]