When Our Hopes and Fears Meet God’s Desire

9.6.2026

[Texts]

Ezekiel 33:7–11 ▪️ Psalm 119:33–40 ▪️ Romans 13:8–14 ▪️ Matthew 18:15–20

Grace and peace from God to you.

Here we are!

We had planned to hold our special congregational meeting today.

But instead of the first Sunday of September, it will now be the last.

And that’s okay. It’s also okay to ask, “Are we there yet?”

Sometimes the road takes a turn we didn’t expect.

We find ourselves asking that same question,

not only those who have been walking closely in this process,

like our Call Committee and Church Council,

but all of us together on this journey of faith.

Facing this unexpected moment,

I’ve been wondering how today’s scriptures might help bring clarity.

Last Sunday, we talked about what kind of home congregation God calls us to be

a place where faith comes alive,

where mercy and justice are practiced,

where God’s love is made visible through us,

a place that feels like home to those who are searching for one.

We celebrated that moment by welcoming Nancy

as a new member into this household of faith.

And now, as we wait for our pastoral candidate’s recovery

and the rescheduled meeting,

I keep thinking of Pointe of Grace as a bus stop,

a place where people get on and off,

where different drivers take the wheel

in different seasons, as I shared in Grace Notes,

all on our way back to God, our ultimate home.

On this faith journey,

God’s desire comes first

for us, the travelers on the bus,

to walk in the way of righteousness,

keeping right relationship even in uncertainty;

to live in the truth of reconciliation,

daring to ask how we might live better tomorrow;

and to move toward the life of restoration,

being vulnerable enough to let God fill the gaps when we have no answers.

Yet God sees each passenger

carrying their own hopes and fears,

certainty and uncertainty

for the ride.

And God also sees us

feeling the bumps and tensions along the way,

moments when our hopes and fears meet God’s desire.

Sometimes that meeting creates tension

that makes us wonder, or even feel uncomfortable.

When our lives are not aligned with God’s desire,

we tend to lean toward comfort, control, and self‑preservation.

Each of today’s readings shows us

a different way that tension takes shape

and how God’s desire meets us right there.

Ezekiel 33:7–11 shows us that tension.

It’s easier to condemn someone’s fault or imperfection

than to speak heart to heart.

But God’s desire is honest, heart to heart conversation that restores life.

So we ask:

• When blame or condemnation rises in us during unexpected moments, what helps us return to God’s desire for restoration?

Psalm 119:33–40 reminds us that

it’s easier to react than to be teachable.

Reacting to the unexpected can take a second;

responding to a teachable moment from God takes grounded faith.

God’s desire is a heart that learns, listens, and grows.

People of faith, grounded in God’s wisdom,

should slow down enough to ask

what God might be teaching us in this moment.

So we ask:

• When unexpected moments tempt us to react quickly, what helps us slow down and become teachable again — open to God’s desire for restoration?

Romans 13:8–14 makes the tension clear.

It’s easier to forget love than to build a lasting, loving relationship.

But God’s desire is

love that wakes us up,

love that keeps us moving each day,

and love that helps us rest at night,

ready for a new day even when the road changes.

Each act of love is a restart

a new ignition of grace.

So we ask:

• When we find ourselves drifting toward comfort, control, or forgetfulness, what helps us wake up again to God’s desire — to live in love, to walk in the light, and to put on Christ?

Matthew 18:15–20 brings the tension into our most uncomfortable territory.

It’s easier to pretend nothing happened than to stay with

the long, patient work of healing for as long as it takes.

But God’s desire is reconciliation,

honest conversation that mends what’s torn,

heals what’s wounded,

and releases what needs to be set free from the bondage of sin.

So we ask:

• When conflict stirs in us not avoidance but the urge to fight, defend, or push back in ways that don’t reflect Christ, what helps us return to the patient, honest, grace‑filled work of reconciliation?

Every church, every family, every community feels this tension.

Faith teaches us how to ride the bus together,

to notice the tension,

to name it without blame,

and to trust that God’s desire will steer us toward life.

When frustration rises, we can pause and ask:

“What is God’s desire in this moment?”

“How can my hope, my fear meet God's desire, instead of resist it?”

That’s how we keep the ride joyful

even when the road takes a turn.

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray.

Holy and gracious God,

You meet us on the road

in our hopes and in our fears,

in our waiting and in our wondering.

As we break the bread today,

remembering your body broken

and your blood shed for us,

we see your desire come alive,

wholeness, not hurry;

reconciliation, not resentment;

love that holds us together.

People may get on and off the bus,

and different drivers may take the wheel,

but what remains together matters,

your Spirit guiding us toward home.

Teach us to pause when our hearts pull apart,

to notice the tension,

and to name it with grace.

Make us one body on the journey,

awake to your righteousness,

alive in your reconciliation,

and restored by your grace.

In Jesus Christ,

the faithful companion of our road home,

we pray.

Amen.