The Assurance of Things Hoped For.

Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor

“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1.

In preparation for CtK’s annual meeting this Sunday, nominees to serve as officers, church council members, and members of this year’s nominating committee were each asked to share some of their own hopes for CtK in the immediate post-pandemic times. They shared everything from the hope of soon being able to worship together, sing together, and break bread together (form the CtK bread oven!), to leaning into what we’ve learned about worship and community during this pandemic, dismantling racist systems, and serving our neighbors in need. As we still don’t know exactly when this time of separation will be over, I hear in their words a good deal of faith. The hopes they have shared reveal their own faith-filled conviction, despite not yet having seen it for themselves, nor even knowing when they might get that chance.

Faith in the God we have come to know through Jesus Christ allows us the audacity to hope for such things. Such faith reassures us during times of confusion and doubt, and sustains us when we are feeling sad, isolated, or alone. It is faith in God that will see us through to the end of this pandemic time. And as we wait, it is good to share our hopes with one another.

• My hope is that this time apart will remind us how good it is to be together—and help us not to take for granted the bonds of friendship and fellowship that we share.
• My hope is that we hold on to some of our newfound practices of connectivity, relying on them for the sake of inclusion, and not simply convenience.
• My hope is that we begin to rethink our place within the surrounding community, including reimagining how we might make better use of our building throughout the week.
• My hope is that we will recommit ourselves to worship, faith formation, and community-building that highlights participation, purpose, and the practice of our faith, and relaxes a bit our emphasis on performance, perfection, and personal preferences.
• My hope is that we gather more than we ever have around shared meals, shared stories, and shared service. 
• My hope is that this long and painful year of being apart becomes just a blip in the story of life together as a vibrant, diverse, inviting, and generous congregation over the past sixty years--and counting!—as Christ the King.

May God continue to give us all the faith to hope, even when we cannot clearly see the future.