A Weary World Rejoices
I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a year that most of us are ready to close the book on. It has been exhaustingly weird. Most everyone has experienced some type of disappointment, loss, frustration, loneliness, and/or general uncertainty. Needless to say, we are weary.
A couple of weeks ago during church, we sang “O Holy Night”. It has always been my favorite Christmas hymn, but on this particular Sunday, tears rolled down my cheeks as I sang, “A thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices!”. After the year we’ve had, those words take on a much deeper meaning and the lyrics perfectly capture the tension of living between the “now and not yet”. Life can be difficult even without a global pandemic, but after months of quarantines, virtual schooling, economic uncertainty, cancelled events, and prolonged isolation away from community, I believe I now truly understand what it means to be weary. The constant nagging feeling that the other shoe could drop at any moment will take a mental and physical toll on even the most optimistic among us.
It would be so easy for us to settle into feeling disheartened about our futures. How do we combat the temptation to let negativity take hold of our hearts and minds? The answer lies in the first part of the same line of “O Holy Night”. It’s hope! We will find hope as we wait expectantly on the arrival of Jesus. He alone is the balm for our worn-out souls. Optimism is not the same as hope, much like happiness is not the same as joy. Optimism and happiness are fleeting as our circumstances change, but our source of hope and joy are steadfast because they are found in Jesus.
As we celebrate Christmas and prepare for an uncertain new year, my prayer is that we are able to rest in the hope found in our newborn King.
~Terri Pease
Upcoming Events
- December 27th | No In-Person Service – Livestream Service Only
- January 3 | No In-Person Service – Livestream Service Only
End of Year Giving
We are extremely grateful for the faithful financial gifts that you all have contributed in 2020 which have resourced us to join in (in new and creative ways this year!) what God is doing in our neighborhoods and city. In case you missed The Park’s Annual Report with highlights of what your giving has enabled us to do you can click here to view it. As we look to next year, we invite you to make an end of year gift to help seed the work of the Park going forward. There are three ways to do so.
• Drop your gift in the offering box located inside and outside at Aggie Park this Sunday
• Mail a check dated by December 31st to: P.O. Box 781669, SA TX 78278
• Give online by December 31st by clicking here.
Upcoming Livestream Services
Over the next two Sundays we will be live-streaming services only. Join us on Facebook or YouTube and say hello!
Prayer Request
If we can pray for you, please contact your parish pastor directly or you can submit a prayer request by clicking here. We have a prayer team who will join you in prayer.
Stay in Contact
If you are experiencing any hardships during this time, we want to be there to support you. If you have questions or needs we can help with, email us at info@theparksa.org or you can click here to submit a request. If you are able to offer assistance to others you can click here.