This weekend is the second sermon of our Fall Series, Surprised by Hope, based on the book by N.T. Wright. The theme is "The Hope of the Resurrection" and our Scripture readings come from: I Corinthians 15:12-26 and John 20:19-31. When we think about the nature and character of hope among the early Christians, N.T. Wright shares this observation . . . "The first Christians did not simply believe in life after death; they virtually never spoke simply of going to heaven when they died. When they did speak of heaven as a postmortem destination, they seemed to regard this heavenly life as a temporary stage on the way to the eventual resurrection of the body. When Jesus tells the brigand (thief on the cross) that he will join him in paradise that very day, paradise clearly cannot be their ultimate destination, as Luke's next chapter makes clear. Paradise is, rather, the blissful garden where God's people rest prior to the resurrection. When Jesus declares that there are many dwelling places in his father's house, the word for dwelling place is mone, which denotes a temporary lodging. When Paul says that his desire is 'to depart and be with Christ, which is far better,' he is indeed thinking of a blissful life with his Lord immediately after death, but this is only the prelude to the resurrection itself." (Surprised by Hope, p. 41) Join us for worship as we explore the meaning of hope in light of the resurrection.