What Hope for me?

And if, after,

having seen our Lord transfigured,

and watching the resurrected Lord

ascend to heaven

until a cloud took Him out of his sight,

and then later,

falling as though dead at the feet of our Lord

glorified –

whose eyes burn like a flame of fire,

and whose voice speaks like the roar of many waters,

and from whose mouth is drawn a sharp two-edged sword,

and whose face glows incandescent like the sun shining,

its full strength expending –

if after seeing all these things,

the beloved Apostle, nonetheless,

lacks powers of discernment sufficient

for distinguishing creation from Creator,

so worshiping an angel as if serving

the creature rather than the Creator,

twice (Revelation 19:10, 22:8);

if he who heard,

beheld with his own eyes and

handled with his own hands the Word of Life,

if he behaved like a man disqualified, then,

what hope is there for me?

Who shields me from being deceived, or behaving as one self-deceived? Who delivers me from the worst kind of lie? Who frees me from my own futility? Who snatches me out of the fire? Who keeps me from becoming a fool, exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and summer tanagers, opossums and northern black racers, the shifting pastiches of my likings and wishes, exchanging the truth about God for a lie and worshipping and serving the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever and ever? Who forgives me for my bending the knee to the idol greed? Who breaks me from my consuming, dishonorable passions contrary to nature and the work of the law written in me?  Who leads me away from all that comes easy to me that is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic? Who transforms this debased mind, this hidden, unbidden me, who drives me to do the very thing I do not wish? Who will empty me of all manner of unrighteousness, envy, murder, strife, and maliciousness? Who will prevent me, the evildoer, from doing evil? Who cleanses me of being filthy, a gossip, slanderer, hater of God and lover of self, ungrateful, unholy, and boastful, an inventor of evil, repeatedly disobeying my parents although they are dead? Who gives me rest, the coveter, who wants all things or nothing at all as rivals of God or just in jest? Who saves me; the foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless approver of whoever practices these things…as long as they do not cross me?

Oh Father in heaven, who has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, be merciful to us.  We are weak of flesh and conscience.  We easily slip away from your liberty to be entangled again to a yoke of burden and bondage.  Our one hope is looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.  Our hope is fixed on Him, your Son, to be like Him when He appears, because we shall see Him as He is, the whole fullness of Deity in bodily form, born of a virgin, full of grace and truth, the descendent of David who was pierced for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures to be received up in glory, and will judge the living and the dead at His appearing.

We believe this hope in Him purifies us just as He is pure and cannot disappoint, because your love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit given to us. Your Holy Spirit speaks to the inner most depth of our hearts, He comforts us, assuring us we are your children with whom you share beatific treasures — for everything you give your Son is ours too. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Christ in order that we may also be glorified with Him.  Oh Father of spirits of all flesh of men, who yearns jealously over the spirit you have made to dwell in us, your eternal word is spirit and life.  Grant we might be led by the Spirit of your Son, whom you sent into our hearts crying, “Abba!  Father!”  Hear the voice of your Son whenever you hear us so cry, for we believe the Spirit that testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  We believe your testimony that you have borne concerning your Son.  We believe you gave us eternal life, and this life is in your Son.  We want to know Him who is true with the understanding He has given us, for we are in Him who is true, in your Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life.  Father, deliver us from evil that we might keep ourselves from idols.      

Let me so live Lord,

the sinner justified by faith in Christ,

a saint standing in your grace,

dying for the unfading wreath of glory and

the suffering and

the patient endurance you choose to share

by uniting all things in Christ,

things in heaven and things on earth,

that the Head of Christ may be all in all.

If we fail to see ourselves before God in Christ, then we cannot see one another as God sees us.  If we fail to believe the Spirit of Christ cries, “Abba, Father” with us, then we cannot hear one another as God hears us.  Oh Lord, please open our eyes that we may so see!  Those whom you have given ears to hear fill with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit we may abound in hope for the redemption of our bodies.  In this hope we were saved.  We do not see this hope, nevertheless, we eagerly wait for it with patience even while groaning inwardly, confident the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what to pray for as we ought, nevertheless, in prayer we trust in and rely upon what we cannot hear — the Spirit Himself interceding for us with groanings too deep for words.