August 10, 2025

“For What Are Hopes?”

“For What are Hopes” A sermon based on Hebrews 11:1-3;8-16 and Genesis 15:1-6 delivered on Sunday, August 10, 2025 by the Rev. Alison Andrea Young at the First Congregational UCC of Onekama, Michigan.

Danish theologian and writer, Soren Kierkegaard, who lived in the 1800s suffered terribly with clinical depression. In his searching for healing he described faith as a leap. He said that reflection and meditation deceive us into assuming that by thinking alone, by our own intellectual action and rationalism, we can know all possibilities of life. But really, he said, it is only by a leap into the depths of the unknown, only by a total commitment to this leap, can a person have the full experience of Christian faith. Kierkegaard would agree with the definition of faith given by the author of Hebrews read in our lectionary passage this morning, “…faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (v. 11:1) . . .

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