This week we'll return to the lectionary (Psalm 27; Genesis 15:1-12,17-18; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 9:28-36) as is our custom for Lent. Our focus will be Psalm 27, a royal song of trouble and triumph, which will help us transition from the hope series we're concluding. The theme of the conversation will be the relationship of hope to grief. Does our grief (and our vision of the wounds of our world) contradict a posture of hope? How can grief become a discipline and practice that catalyzes our hope?

Our hope conversation has been dominated by the theme of resurrection, a physical redemption and transformation of not just individual bodies but a redemtive restoration of God's creation — in other words a hope that is comprehensive, complete, physical, present and future — and, as we saw last week, beautiful rathering than frightening. This week will discuss how these hopes shape our present living and missional commitments.

This Sunday, as our hope conversation nears its conclusion, we are going to step into what has been controversial ground — considering the return of Christ and also the doctrine of hell with a dialogue entitled, "Happy Endings?". Our key texts will be 1 Thess 4:13-18 and Rev 21-22. What did the historical church believe in these two realms? I believe that when we ask the right questions about the completion of God's work, the promises of the text become sources of good news that frame our hope. In my opinion, common conversation about these mysteries has been dominated so often by many of the wrong questions.

We're back in action this Sunday (after our snow break) with the Hope conversation. Previously, we discussed the the Jewish and then Christian perspectives on resurrection by looking at several key New Testament texts (Romans 8, 1 Corinthians 15). This week we'll add one more, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Most importantly, we want to make the link between the resurrection of physical bodies and God's created world, and a hope that drives our lives today.

Tonight's concert in the snow features the original songs and work of Wade Baynham, Tim Carless and Dale Baker. Proceeds go to the Emmaus Way artists' fund, supporting local professional arts of many genres.