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by Amanda Smith

On July 11th I, along with two of my United Women in Faith (UWF) sisters ventured to Ames Iowa. We met for a prayer walk at the First United Methodist Church, which, much like BUMC, sits on a little corner in the heart ofthe original downtown, beautifully decorated with stained glass & an elegantly exposed pipeorgan.

We had a prayer walk to prepare our minds and hearts for the Mission u conference discussing Practicing Hope on July 12th. It was an evening to make new friends in UWF from all across the state. The absolute love between all UWF for each other & the Lord was all enveloping.

Practicing Hope, led by our own Patti Ford serving as Dean, was a deep look into tough questions:

  • How do we find hope when we are challenged by today's global conflicts?
  • What IS hope?
  • Where is it rooted?

By looking at experiences in our own lives involving grief, confusion, awe, wonder, & loss we are forced to look within our faith. What can be discovered by doing this? Hope doesn't exist on its own. It is within all of us. It is a seed we plant. If we tend to it, it takes root, grows & can spread to all, both inside our church and in our community. It must be a daily ritual we practice with our love & faith in the Lord.

Hope naturally moves us to step outside the known & invites us to build & gather it more creatively. By releasing our grasps at control, we allow hope to have the roots to grow deeper, spreading out abundantly. In our community there will always be conflict, grief, uncertainty, & loss. But that does not mean it is devoid of joy as there is also a fullness if we consistently re-center ourselves on Christ.

Are we the seeds of hope? How can we cultivate it?  We must remember hope lives in our uncertainty, loss, and mystery if we commit to shaping the future of this world that is not yet here but know can & should exist.

How can we as Christians in our community grow hope? How will you plant hope in yourself and the community? We must listen deeply. Having faith and hope thatGod IS good. All the time. Faith grows hope. Will you be an ambassador for hope?