God is Not Finished Yet
One of the most powerful images in the Advent season comes from the prophet Isaiah: a green shoot begins to grow from the dry stump of a tree that has been cut down long ago. It is an image that speaks into places where life has been reduced, dreams have been trimmed back, or situations seem to have reached their end. Isaiah’s vision begins with something small and easy to overlook. But it hints that the overlooked spaces are where God’s hope may be found
Isaiah describes a time when the story of the people of God had collapsed into ruins. Their political and spiritual life had been disrupted, their confidence shaken, and their future was uncertain. In the middle of that, Isaiah dares to imagine new life sprouting from what looks like a dead end. The prophet sees God nurturing a tiny beginning that will eventually bring justice, wisdom, peace, and healing to the world. For Isaiah, hope is not a vague emotion. It is the promise that God is not finished yet.
In Advent, this image can become personal. Many of us know what it feels like to stand beside our own “stumps,” places in life where we feel cut back, worn thin, or unsure of what comes next. These may be moments of transition, loss, or exhaustion. Sometimes they are simply the slow, ordinary places where growth seems invisible. Advent does not ask us to pretend these stumps are not real. Instead, Advent invites us to watch for the small signs of God’s life taking root again.
The Apostle Paul, writing centuries later to the early Christian community in Rome, draws on this same sense of rooted hope. For Paul, hope is not naive or sentimental. It is sustained by God’s faithfulness and strengthens us even when survival is the goal. He encourages the community to remain united, to welcome one another as Christ has welcomed them, and to trust that God’s redeeming work is still unfolding. Paul’s words echo Isaiah’s promise: the Holy One is bringing something new to life, even when we cannot yet see its shape.
Together, Isaiah and Paul offer us a way of understanding Advent that is particularly meaningful for us at Trinity Church. Our tradition often invites us to hold together honestly and hope, acknowledging the challenges of life while still making room for God’s transforming presence. In the rhythms of our services, we learn to wait not with resignation but with expectation. We light candles, not to pretend the world is already bright, but to witness that even a small flame can break into the shadows.
In these weeks of preparation, Isaiah’s vision and Paul’s encouragement remind us that endings are not the whole story. God delights in nurturing beginnings, some so gentle that we recognize them only in hindsight. Part of our Advent practice is noticing these small beginnings and tending them with care. We do this through prayer, generosity, fellowship, and acts of service. We do it every time we allow God’s hope to take root in us again.
As we move deeper into Advent, may we keep watch for the shoots of new life God is causing to grow. May we carry Paul’s invitation to welcome one another generously, making room for God’s hope to flourish in our life and in the life of our community. And may we trust that even in the stumps and endings of our lives, the Holy Spirit is quietly at work, preparing the way for Christ’s peace to take hold.
Advent hope may begin small, but it grows.
Kevin+
