“Preparing our Hearts: Rebuilding and Restoring” Ezra 1: 1-4; 3: 1-4; 10-13

Have you ever received something you never expected to get? Maybe it was something you had your eye on in the store that someone picked up for you for your birthday or Christmas. Or maybe it was an answer to prayer, that you were so sure you were not going to get that you had all but given up hope. 

In this morning’s scripture lesson we find the Israelites getting the most unexpected of gifts - the ability to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.  A bit of background. Way back with the prophet Jeremiah, the people of Israel were taken captive by Babaloyn. They cried out to God again and again asking how long they would be in exile until God finally gave them an answer through the prophet: its going to be a while. Settle in. Build houses. Plant gardens. Marry and have children. Because you are not leaving this state of exile anytime soon. As you would guess this was not the answer the people wanted. At all.

And then just when all hope had been lost - when they were leaving into God’s commands to settle in and not think about leaving any time soon, the unexpected happened. God, through Cyprus the Great, ruler of the Persian empire, to let the Jews return to their native Jerusalem and rebuild the temple, their place of worship. In fact, he believed so much in the decree that he put it in writing. Think about what you put in writing - things that you want to remember - dates go on the calendar, things that must get done get written on our to-do lists, journal entries chronicle the days events. And those binding covenants in our life also get written down - marriage liscenses are signed as well as other important documents. This is a decree for the people that Cyprus wanted them to remember. One that was binding, as he declares that God has appointed him to rebuild the temple that had been destroyed so many years ago. As a result, anyone who so wished was welcomed to return from Jerusalem to build a temple for the Lord of Israel. 

One definition of hope, put forth by Pamela Hawkins, a spiritual author in her devotional Simply Waiting, is the first sign of life where there was thought to be no life at all. Brothers and sisters, how true for the Israelites. They had been captives of another country for so many years that only a few remained of the original group of people who were taken captive. They were generations removed, and yet they had heard the stories. The stories of how Jerusalem, which used to be the center of all life, had become destroyed and desolate. Only a few people remained there but it no longer was what it once was. It was no longer the epi-center of their faith - the place they worshiped God. Yet, now they were being given the gift of hope - the gift to go and rebuild and restore the city to something even better than what it once was - to bring life to a place that had no spiritual life left.

Often when people talk about why others are not in church today there is a laundry list of reasons. I hear things like if we only bring back the blue laws. Or if only sports teams didn’t compete or practice on Sundays. If only parents thought this was important for their children. But even with all of those things being lifted up as reasons as to why people don’t attend church I see one thing - I see hope. In the Philipsburg area, according to census data over eighty percent of folks do not identify themselves as having a relationship with Christ. There is hope that the life and love of Jesus Christ can take root in them. I see hope that people will have to choose to be active participants in the church - that they will want to come to know the Lord, not just show up because everyone else is. There is hope that people will hear the good news because of us and will invite God to work in their lives. At the times it seems the most desolate brothers and sisters, is when we are most apt to be surprised by hope. 

But here is the thing about hope - it also requires hard work. The people who responded to the decree of Cyprus took a step of faith. They had never seen the Holy City themselves, but something inside of them yearned to return. They didn’t know what they would face in Jerusalem, yet they went. They probably had no idea how to build a temple, yet they willingly responded. And when they arrived, the task was daunting. It was a long journey back to Jerusalem and when they arrived they had to reorganize for the sake of the mission in Jerusalem. It took seven months after the decree for everyone to be assembled together. Even as they built, we are told that they were fearful of their neighbors - they built the alter first and offered a sacrifice to God as an act of worship. 

Just because we are hopeful doesn’t mean that all of our worries and fears disappear. Remember that the city Jerusalem was surrounded by people who worshipped other Gods and the Israelites had no idea how they would react to them moving in and rebuilding the temple for their God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But they did it anyway. 

Sometimes we need to have enough hope in our hearts to take that first step of faith to invite someone new to worship with us. To invite them to come to know the God who has changed our lives. And yes, sometimes people are going to tell us no. But we need to take the risk of asking before anyone will say yes. We need to do the hard work of asking and inviting and telling people what Christ means to us in order for people’s lives to be transformed. Hope opens up the human heart and gives us courage to try new things and be bold in our inviting people to come to worship a Holy God. 

After the alter came the building of the foundation of the temple. And even before the walls were built up, only after the foundation itself was laid, the priests put on their vestments and sang a song of praise to God with trumpet and cymbals. Some wept with joy, those very few remaining folks who remembered the original temple. Who had told the stories from generation to generation about it. Others shouted with joy. The excitement could not be contained and it was heard from afar.

What are you excited about in your walk with God? What excites you about when  we gather to proclaim God’s word on Sunday mornings? Yes, there are many reasons that folks do not come to church on Sunday, but I fear that one of the most prevalent is that our love of the Lord isn’t spreading and exciting and joyful. We talk like church is one more thing we had to attend instead of an experience that stirs our spirits. Maybe that’s because this celebration isn’t about us - its about God - but it certainly has the ability to change us, if we seek to be open to the movement of the Spirit. What brings you so much joy that you cannot help but share it and a joy that can be heard from afar? 

Brothers and sisters, this is the season of God’s dreams and our hopes. Hope that others will come to know the love that came down at Christmas. But no one else can do the hard work of sharing that hope, but you. For there are people God placed just in your path, in your life, to share that message with and to invite to come to know the Lord and worship with us. Share your hope. Share your joy. For the sake of the Kingdom of God. Amen.