Words of Hope – On the longest night of the year we have the Service of the Longest Night, hosted by the group in our church that seeks to counsel and heal those who are suffering loss, depression, grief.  In one section of the service Corbin Smith delivers Words of Hope, based around the scripture reading in Luke 24 about two of Jesus’s disciples who are grieving his crucifixion but encounter the risen Christ as they walk the road to Emmaus.  He points out that in the story the two do not initially recognize Jesus, which is much as we may be accompanied by Jesus in our journeys without recognizing that he is with us.  Corbin says that for many of us, this time around Christmas may be particularly difficult because we may be missing a deceased loved one or suffering from an illness or distressed about any number of things.  This Emmaus Road story, however, can speak to us about how, even if we don’t recognize it, Jesus is always with us. 

(NOTE:  As Corbin delivered the Words of Hope, a loose connection in his microphone resulted in a loud pop frequently as he spoke.  In post-production we have minimized the pop, but it is still there.)