Light first purple candle - The Hope Candle
“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.” This famous line spoken by Princess Leia in the 1977 film Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, takes me right back to the movie theater in Marietta, GA, where I saw it for the first time with my parents. In this scene, Leia delivers a holographic message via the droid R2-D2, conveying information vital to the Rebellion and pleading for Obi-Wan’s aid in their struggle against the Galactic Empire. Now thinking about Leia’s desperate plea, I can’t help but think how much pressure that was to place on another human being, even a jedi master.
Hope. What are you hoping for currently? Maybe a full table of family on Christmas Eve? You can picture yourself seated at your table looking around at those darling faces and saying, aloud or just to yourself, “This is exactly what I was hoping for.” Perhaps you’re hoping that the expensive gift you’ve hinted at all year will somehow be under the tree on Christmas morning? We hope that those who are sick will be healed, that our favorite NFL football team will go all the way to the Super Bowl, that our college-aged kids will make good decisions while away from us, that the weather will cooperate with our daughter’s plans for an outdoor wedding in December.
Merriam Webster defines hope as a verb meaning “to cherish a desire with anticipation; to want something to happen or be true.” I like that phrase, “to cherish a desire.” But think about it with me for a minute. The desired outcome is the object of hope, but the one who is hoping has no power, no control over whether the desire will be realized. What if Obi-Wan didn’t get Princess Leia’s plea for help? What if the Christmas table is missing an adult child because of addiction? What if your husband was oblivious to your hints of that new purse you want and instead there’s a new appliance under the Christmas tree? Our hopes realized are truly outside of our control. So why would we even hope?
The writer of Hebrews had a slightly different take on hope. “Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. For by this our ancestors were approved.” (Heb 11:1) The object of God’s chosen people’s hope was a promise made to them by God from the very beginning. But who was the object of their faith? Who would accomplish or make good on this promise? It was certainly not themselves, but God in His perfect timing, through generations.
Each Sunday of Advent ushers in a new sub-theme, a new candle to light, a new hymn to sing and even a new recipe to try and serve to friends and family for Sunday supper. The first purple candle of Advent represents hope, the promise of God first spoken to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after their sin, and repeated over and over through the books of Old Testament history, wisdom and the prophets. Each day this week we will read passages from Genesis that call us back to the beginning and God’s consistent theme of hope. We’ll also sing a beautiful rendition of the Advent hymn Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus. Notice my referral of this hymn as an Advent hymn rather than a Christmas song. This is intentional. Sometimes the line between a Christmas and an Advent hymn is blurry, but generally I characterize an Advent song as one that’s marked by a sense of longing or expectation. This longing can be expressed joyously or with tears and groaning, and both of these shades are present in the Advent hymns I’ve chosen for us to sing and meditate on this year. If you’re interested, you can access my Advent 2025 playlist here: Advent 2025 - God’s Promise Through the Generations.
TexMex Turkey Chili
Sunday Suppers
Week 1
Put those Thanksgiving turkey leftovers to good use in this easy slow cooker recipe! Throw the ingredients into your crockpot midday and by evening your first Advent meal will be ready!
2 cups of chopped or diced roasted turkey (No leftover turkey? Substitute cooked ground turkey or chicken breasts)
4 cups chicken broth
2 (4-oz) cans mild diced green chiles undrained
2 15 oz canned navy or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz frozen corn, if desired
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp cumin
¾ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp chili powder
4 oz cream cheese softened
¼ cup half & half
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Toppings - shredded colby jack cheese, diced avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro and tortilla chips
Place all ingredients (except toppings) into a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus, Charles Wesley (1744)
Most of us are aware of the Wesley brothers, John and Charles, who began a protestant christian movement known as Methodism in the mid-18th century and are credited with a multitude of hymns in every denomination’s hymnal to this day. As a hymn writer, however, Charles Wesley was unique. He is said to have written at least 6500 hymns. Charles’ gift of hymn writing resulted in many of his hymns rising to the highest degree of excellence, earning him the title - greatest hymn writer of all time.
This Advent hymn is no exception, for through it we experience the longing of God’s people, from Adam and Eve in the garden to Abraham to David, for the hope of the Messiah to enter the scene of our world’s brokenness, delivering and restoring all of creation to its intended state.
Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (Performance Video) - Keith & Kristyn Getty
Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus
Charles Wesley, 1744
1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,born to set thy people free;from our fears and sins release us,let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation,hope of all the earth thou art;dear desire of every nation,joy of every longing heart.
2. Born thy people to deliver,born a child and yet a King,born to reign in us forever,now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spiritrule in all our hearts alone;by thine all sufficient merit,raise us to thy glorious throne.
