Sunday Message - January 25, 2026
Judy Pearson
SEEKING HOPE
January is a strange month. At least it always has been for me. It’s the start of a brand new year, a clean slate, time to do all those things we thought we’d do last year. After the frantic busyness of December and all the Christmas season entails, January opens the door to “reset”. Every year I tell myself this, but it doesn’t seem to take long for the old patterns to creep back. I easily become directionless – all over the map! What to do? What to do!
I had a wonderful Christmas with my family all here together in Brockville. My heart was full watching them enjoy each other, overwhelmed with gratitude for health and happiness. And now I’m with my family in British Columbia, with lots of Bella (my granddaughter) time. I know how fortunate I am, but in these past few weeks the realities of my wider world have been crowding back in.
We have experienced death and illness within our church family and community. The loss is heavy and the grief is heartbreaking. We see our family, friends and neighbours in pain and we suffer with them. We may be facing challenges at work, at home, in our personal lives. And the horror of what we see happening in the world around us is terrifying. All this can quickly tip our scale from joy to despair. It does for me. These can be the words and feelings we most frequently find ourselves using: loss, fear, threat, stressed, distressed, shocked, uncertain, paralyzed, hopeless. It’s easy to see how this can wash over us, causing us to question how we should respond, or even if we can. How can we find hope to help us move ahead?
This dilemma has been widely studied and there are many schools of thought about strategies that help us cope and overcome. A good summary for finding hope in tough times involves a mix of self-care, shifting perspective, connecting with others, and taking small actions, like practicing gratitude, exercising, focusing on controllable tasks, journaling, and seeking support when needed, to build resilience and find meaning, acknowledging that hopelessness is normal but not permanent. Some strategies that I personally use are meditation, yoga, finding a quiet space for time alone, doing something fun, sharing a hug (especially from Bella!) or sometimes doing something I probably shouldn’t, just because it brings me joy. Yesterday I ate a whole box of mini cream puffs (8) – they were delicious!! And besides, that’s really only 1 regular cream puff, right?! I owned my joy and felt no guilt.
As Christians, we have a special tool in our coping toolbox. We are people of faith – we have God on our side. The scriptures provide many references to the power of faith:
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Psalm 118:6
The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
Isaiah 41:10
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Joshua 1:9
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
And many others. The hope in these verses is profound. It can help turn challenges into opportunities, losses into motivators, a roller coaster into smooth sailing, being stuck to taking a step forward. This faith does not give us permission to shift responsibility, but rather gives us the strength to take action.
Scriptures and religious scholars have given us many strong guideposts for navigating life. One very famous and widely used is the Serenity Prayer. The full Serenity Prayer, attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr, written in 1932, asks for divine help to accept what can't be changed, courage for what can, and wisdom to know the difference, adding verses about living moment by moment, finding peace in hardship, trusting God's will, and achieving happiness in this life and the next. It's a powerful tool for finding peace in difficult situations, especially within recovery programs, offering guidance on accepting life as it is rather than as we wish it to be. Despite its recent origin, the Serenity Prayer expresses timeless truths about faith that Christians can continually apply through prayer.
A big thank you to Tim for providing a recording of the beautiful hymn “Hope Is A Star” (VU #7). Although we know it best as an accompaniment to lighting the Advent candles, it’s perfect for today’s message. Music is another powerful tool in strengthening our spirit and resolve. Enjoy!
Our world will continue to be a scary place, but I will continue to strive for hope. Just as Basil, our grandpup, has faith that someone will come in the door and take him for a walk, I will choose to have faith that I will never walk alone.
Now I am going for a walk, and then maybe more cream puffs! Have a wonderful last week of January!
"A Village Church With A Heart For The World"
Christ United Church
12 Perth St., Lyn, ON, K0E 1M0
(613)498-0281 (Phone) (613)498-2589 (Fax)
lynunitedchurch@cogeco.net www.lynunitedchurch.com Follow on Twitter: @Ch1United