Advent 3 Podcast Edition

Grace and peace to you, and welcome to Trusting God at all times, a daily devotion. I’m Rev. Joe Cailles, the pastor of Peakland United Methodist Church here in Lynchburg Virginia.


During the Tuesdays in Advent I’ll be making use of an Advent devotion written by Rev Anna Catherine Gillozet, a United Methodist pastor in Ohio. Today’s Bible verse is Romans, chapter 15, verse 13

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith so that you overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Twenty years ago, I was appointed to serve as the pastor of two congregations in Frederick County, just outside of Winchester here in Virginia. I had been the associate pastor at Williamsburg United Methodist church for the past five years, and I was going to become the sole pastor of Relief and Hites Chapel.
I was anxious and excited and nervous and hopeful about the change. On the day I left Williamsburg, I noticed a mourning dove perched on the balcony of my apartment. She was quiet and peaceful and at rest

I remembered the story of Jesus’ baptism and how the Holy Spirit alighted on him like a dove.
I decided that mourning dove was a lovely little sign, a reminder that Holy Spirit of Christ was with me during that anxious transition. I had hope because even though I was headed to a place I didn’t know to do a ministry I had not done before, God was with me in a quiet peaceful way, like a mourning dove alighting on my balcony.

Through the years, I have always noticed the mourning doves around me. I saw one a couple of days ago on my way the church and the sight still fills me with hope.
Rev. Guillozet writes, Hope is the way that God speaks to us of what has been promised. Hope is our holding onto God’s grace.
However it is with your soul this Advent season, hold onto hope. God has promised to love us and forgive us our sins and give our lives meaning and purpose. If you aren’t feeling that right now, fear not. That’s where hope comes in. Nurture the hope in your soul. Know that God’s presence surrounds you, even if you aren’t noticing it right now. May hope, love and peace grow in your soul so that you can give hope, love and peace to others.

Thanks be to God.