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John A.M. Guernsey on hope
“Hope and a Future” Conference
Opening EucharistNovember 10, 2005

Jeremiah 29:10-14
Romans 5:1-5
Matthew 7:24-29

Ten years ago, at the Global Conference on the Decade of Evangelism, when mission leaders from throughout the Anglican Communion gathered to report on their progress in spreading the Gospel (or, in the case of the Episcopal Church, our sad lack thereof), then Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey lamented the form of Anglicanism which he memorably described as: it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you don’t believe it too strongly.

Well, it is a great joy and privilege to be here at this conference with so many who know that it matters a great deal what you believe and who — thanks be to God — believe it with such great passion.

The focus of our conference on this opening day is Hope. In the Scriptures, hope is not some vague wishful thinking, as in, “I hope things work out for our Church, but they probably won’t.” No, hope is a sure expectation, a confident looking to the future because of the victory won on the cross by Jesus, who is called our Hope. The rest