Becoming a House of Hope - September 25, 2022 - Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15; Luke 16: 19-31

Aug 25, 2026

A sermon-driven reflection on becoming a “house of hope” rooted in Jeremiah and the Gospel reading of the rich man and Lazarus. Sunflowers, a vineyard of care, and the image of an earthenware jar frame how love, shared commitment, and daily spiritual practice keep “tomorrow” safe for children. It invites prayer and meditation in a Buddhist-inspired loving-kindness practice, addressing longing, mercy, and the chasms created by division, while moving toward inclusive action that heals the world.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Becoming a House of Hope

Sunflowers, vineyard, and the earthenware jar

Security question, password, and God’s hope

Longing, chasms, and mercy between rich and Lazarus

Loving-kindness meditation practice

Daily spiritual practice and moving into action

Becoming a House of Hope September 25, 2022, Jeremiah 32: 1-3a, 6-15 Luke 16: 19-31 We are becoming the house of hope, the field of sunflowers, the vineyard of great caring. Come to a shared commitment to abundance possible for all people. We are an earthenware jar, to keep safe the tomorrow of children. Our security question is – the word of God, and our password is love. (Maren C. Tirabassi) I was drawn to these words from the Reverend Maren Tirabassi because so many of us have become aware of the power of the image of sunflowers as we have looked with horror and also with awe at the war in Ukraine. Talk about becoming a house of hope! The Ukrainian people are teaching the world something old and something new about hope in what appears to be hopeless times. My love of this call to worship also stems from the beauty all around us. The heavy laden sunflowers full enough to feed goldfinches and squirrels, deer and so many other creatures. Then there was the phrase “shared commitment” and I thought of all the teamwork that is happening at church. And the image of people as an earthenware jar, keeping safe the tomorrow of children. Finally I loved the clever riff on our computer age.“What is your security question – the word of God. What is your password? Love.” When I heard the parable of the chasm between the rich man and Lazarus read aloud in our Listening to the Gospel group this week, I was touched by a reflection from a woman who spoke from personal experience of being part of a family that is being torn apart by political divisions. So torn apart that on some days it feels like a chasm is widening in her family. She told us that she fervently wants everyone in her family, her communities, in the world, and the planet itself to be well. Not just nourished and happy, although that too. She longs for the wellbeing of all. For God’s dream of goodness to be done on earth as it isin heaven. Her hope is placed in the earthenware jar of her full self. Lazarus longed to be fed. The rich man longed for mercy. For what are you longing? Today, on this last Sunday in September when the harvest is abundant, our collective longing for the future is high. Can we take this time, in the quiet of the sanctuary, to sink into prayer and meditation for Lazarus, the rich man, Jesus and his disciples and a world bent on holding us in hopelessness? This meditation is a Buddhist one and it reminds me of the song we heard last week, Dona Nobis Pace. Grant us peace. Close your eyes. Place your feet on the floor. Start with wishing well for yourself. Silently repeat these phrases slowly. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be safe. May I live with ease. Call to mind someone you care about—a good friend. Someone who helped you in your life. Someone who inspires you. Visualize them. Say their name to yourself. Get a feeling for their presence, and then direct the phrases of loving-kindness to them. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease. Call to mind someone you know who is having a difficult time right now. They've experienced a loss, painful feeling, or a difficult situation. If somebody like that comes to mind, bring them here. Imagine them sitting in front of you. Say their name. Get a feeling for their presence and offer the phrases of loving-kindness to them. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease Think of someone who plays some neutral role in your life, some function that you don't know very well, that you don't have a particular feeling for, or against. Maybe the checkout person at the supermarket where you shop, the gas-station attendant, somebody that you see periodically. If someone like that comes to mind, imagine them sitting in front of you, and offer loving-kindness to them. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be safe. May you live with ease. Finally bring to mind someone who you feel distant from, someone

FAQs

What images in the sermon symbolize becoming a house of hope?

Sunflowers, a vineyard of great caring, and an earthenware jar that keeps safe the tomorrow of children symbolize hope nurtured through care, community, and protection of what is vulnerable.

How does the sermon connect the readings of Jeremiah 32 and Luke 16?

Jeremiah provides a “word of God” for waiting and glimpses of goodness, while Luke’s rich man and Lazarus highlight longing for food and mercy, turning attention toward how prayer responds to suffering and division.

What is the loving-kindness meditation practice described in the sermon?

The practice repeats inward phrases wishing well—may you be happy, healthy, safe, and live with ease—first for oneself, then for a friend, someone struggling, someone neutral, and finally someone distant or hurtful.

Aug 25, 2026

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