Hope deflated?

[chordoflife]

In talking with people from my church and from the church my father runs, it's apparent that even Christians are a little less hopeful in the midst of this economic uncertainty. I know personally I have not been as hopeful about things as I was last year at this time, and a bit more critical of situations now that what we thought would be a bump in

Comments

[amergina]

I find that the Psalms always match what's going on in this day and age... regardless of the day and age. They cover such a broad range of emotion that they are always relevant.

[smartykjmn15]

I agree...from a historical perspective, history almost always repeats itself in one way or another.

[susannah]

I think people are bound to be concerned - for their children, for their loved ones, for their homes, for paying the bills, for just trying to keep things somehow going on.

Yes, this is relevant in our spiritual lives. Because it concerns our efforts to love and care and protect.

It is sometimes really hard to *trust* when we know the money's running out, and we don't know how we'll pay the next grocry bill, or pay our debtors.

These coming months or years will be really hard on thousands or probably millions of families.

Economic hardship is certainly an issue in people's spiritual lives, if they care about the impact it may have on the people they love.

[redstar826]

I live in the Metro Detroit area. We were probably in a recession even before the rest of the country started to really feel it. My church has done a lot on this, both in terms of sermons and the like, but also in terms of offering classes on money management, trying to step up charitable efforts in the area, etc.

I don't really have a spiritual life (I'm an atheist. Yes, it is weird that I attend church. Yes, you may scratch your heads and/or laugh ;-) but the economic situation is stressing me out quite a bit. I've been looking for work for a long time (I do have a part time retail job, but that isn't a long term solution and considering I have a masters degree I could be doing much, much better), as have several folks in my family.

[jadeejf]

Hope deflated? I guess I've been fortunate with the crisis, as neither of us has yet to experience layoffs, etc., though they have hit close to home. I'm more... excited? almost... about having more opportunities to share with others one way or another. I'm hoping that this crisis will draw the Body of Christ together in ways that aren't possible during times of economic growth.

[pastorlenny]

I'm hoping that this crisis will draw the Body of Christ together in ways that aren't possible during times of economic growth.

A-blankity-men!

[pastorlenny]

Our congregation is extremely hopeful. But that's because they've been taught that the more sand is revealed to be sand, the more apparent it is that the Rock is rock.

Also, since we are looking at the OT prophets, we are identifying with times not being that great and our hope being in God's promised redemption.

One problem is a dwindling weekly offering. But if I was the kind of guy to worry about that, i wouldn't have gotten into this church-planting business in the first place. :P