Monday's thoughts on Sunday's sermon

Sermon for Sunday September 12th
"Hoping for Something Better"
Jurgen Moltmann was the professor who came from Germany to teach us Systematic Theology in 1967 at Duke Divinity School. He had written a book entitled The Theology of Hope. Recently, he has written an autobiography. In that book he writes about his experience at Duke and what happened to him in the Systematic Theology class he taught. It was a required class and I was in the class when he taught it. This is what he wrote:
"At Duke Divinity School the dean, Bob Cushman, had given me the two-hour lectures weekly, and a two hour seminar. I had to translate my first lectures into English, have them corrected by Doug Meeks, and then deliver them. Every beginning is hard, and this one was especially so. The students were not used to concentrated Germ lectures, where they were expected to take notes, and I wasn't used to students who chewed gum. I could note that I had caught their attention when they stopped chewing and their jaws dropped." (Jurgen Moltmann, A Broad Place; An Autobiography)

I'm sure Dr. Moltmann wonders if his students learned anything in that semester at Duke. At the time I wasn't sure but I do quote him a great deal. I think about his theology and I think about the power of hope.

In the sermon Sunday I will bring you some of the ideas this great theologian has provided for us. Basically, we will think about the power of hope. We will look at what happens when we hope and how the hope brings forth what we have dared project as possible.

When has hope transformed your life? What happens when we realize that what we have and what has happened to us is as good as it gets?

If you have some thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have your thoughts available to the community click on the "comments" box below.

If you wish to have a rough draft of the sermon at the end of the week write me and let me know and I will be happy to send it to you Friday.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Charles Schuster