Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ... And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. ... Corinthians  13:4-7, 13

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me. In My Father's house are many rooms: if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going. ... John 14:1-4

These two passages are included in this year's Sunday School Advent Family Devotional Book for Day 24 and the 6th Day of Christmas. For me they are closely linked in thought because the Home is an image of God's love. The Sunday School booklet is full of simple explanations of symbols of our faith. Nested in our families, we hear about the love of God and see the circles of life embracing us as we strive to imitate Jesus' journey, the Way to our heavenly Home

Compiled for family use, the readings and explanations are of course filled with homey images: the fire of Advent candles reminds us of God's eternal love and care for us; water is necessary for life and symbolizes our eternal life through baptism; feasting together is a time of rejoicing; the gift of love represented by the arrival of children in a family, whether ourselves or Jesus. Think about stars, gardeners and eggs; all are linked to the manifestation of God's love for us.

One image especially struck home for me: the anchor of hope. Hope is like an anchor in that it keeps us steady and afloat when we are tossed by adversity or doubt until we can be truly with God.

I am a collector of Home Sweet Home samplers. They usually contain an image of a cottage surrounded by a garden and often show smoke coming from a chimney and have an accompanying slogan. There are many variations of the slogan: Home is where the heart is, Home is best, Home is sweet, Home is made of love, there's no place like Home, Home lives are happiest. Some slogans are slightly amusing: Home is where you hang your needlework, or Home is where your cat is.

Recently a friend made me a new sampler. It depicts the familiar cozy cottage, but the slogan has been reduced to one word: Hope. Through the change of one letter in the word "Home", I now realize why these samplers have always appealed to me. The Home represents Hope, the human version of the certainty of God's Love.

Dear God, Thank you for the opportunity to study your Word with our Faith family and in the words of the Sunday School prayer for the 4th week of Advent:
 
Come Lord Jesus, be our guest;
let these gifts to us be blest.
Deep within us come to dwell
that we might all your goodness tell. Amen

Contributed by Susan L.
Published Sunday December 19, 2004
Week 4 of Liturgical Year A