What are you hungry for?

(This is the sermon I preached on Sunday, August 2, 2020. You can find the entire service at www.ststephenlc.org.).

Let’s do a little test. I’ll say a word, and you think of what first comes to mind. I’ll start easy and then we’ll make it more difficult.

First word — Beach. What comes to mind when you hear that word? For me, the first thing that comes to mind is relaxation. The sound of waves crashing on the shore.

Ok, next word — home. What comes to mind when you hear that word? Maybe you think of a specific place, or Thanksgiving, or family. That all makes sense.

Ok, now a bit harder — politician. What comes to mind when you hear that? I’m willing to bet that there’s a mixture of thoughts that came to mind — some positive and some negative. Some may even have drawn sharp emotions too.

Ok, last one — hunger. What comes to mind when you hear that word? Maybe it’s a type of food. Or maybe just hearing the word caused your stomach to speak up.

This week, in preparation for the sermon, a colleague of mine asked this question — what are you hungry for? The answers included lots of references to food. But as I continued to read the answers, they got more serious and much deeper. People were hungry for interaction, a vaccine, singing, peace, civility, the truth, and more. The answers showed that many people were hungry for so many things that are lacking right now.