“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (BSB)
“And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.” – 1 John 3:3 (BSB)
“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and steadfast. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain…” – Hebrews 6:19 (BSB)
“…the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.” – Colossians 1:5 (BSB)
Hope enables us to face suffering with courage, knowing that trials are temporary and glory eternal. Fr. Isaac Rehberg (ACNA, All Saints San Antonio, TX) explains, “Hope doesn’t erase pain, but it reframes it. It says, ‘This is not the end. God is not finished. Resurrection is coming.’” (The Power of Christian Hope, 2021)
Hope also motivates holiness. When our eyes are fixed on eternity, our hearts are stirred to live for God’s kingdom rather than for fleeting pleasures. Fr. Caleb Evans (Anglican Orthodox Church, St. Stephen’s Mission, GA) teaches, “He who hopes to see Christ purifies himself now. Hope is not passive—it’s transformative. It changes how we forgive, how we serve, how we endure.” (Set Your Hope Fully, 2020)
This hope is not built on our circumstances, but on the promises of God secured in Christ. It is “an anchor for the soul,” firm and secure, as the book of Hebrews declares. Fr. Thomas Buchan (Anglican Union, St. Mark’s Anglican Church, VA) notes, “What anchors us is not the absence of storms, but the unshakable presence of Christ who has already gone before us into glory.” (Hope in the High Priest, 2021)
Canon George Grant (ACNA, Parish Presbyterian Church, TN) adds, “The Church must preach hope—not vague optimism, but the blood-bought certainty of resurrection and new creation. This hope sends us into the world with joy and sets our hearts on the world to come.” (Recovering Anglican Piety, 2019)
“He who hopes in Christ does not fear death. For death is a doorway, and hope is the light beyond it.” – John Chrysostom, Homily on Romans 8, c. 390 AD
“Hope purifies the heart and strengthens the will. It binds the Christian to heaven even while he walks the earth.” – Basil the Great, Homily on Christian Endurance, c. 370 AD
“Let us hold fast to hope, for it is the gift of God to His children. By it we overcome the world.” – Cyprian of Carthage, On the Hope of the Righteous, c. 252 AD
An Anglican Catechism (Expanded) offers over 350+ Scripture-based answers to the core truths of the Christian faith. Each entry includes biblical texts, theological insight, and reflections from historic and contemporary Anglican voices. Rooted in the classical tradition, it is designed for teaching, discipleship, and spiritual formation.
An Ancient Worship Movement invites readers into the rich, historic worship of the early Church rediscovered through the Anglican tradition. This book calls believers into a deeper, Spirit-filled encounter with Christ through timeless practices.
St. Thomas Church
PO Box 873
Abbotsford, BC,
V2T 7A2, Canada
If you are interested in starting a St. Thomas Church in your area and or ordination path fill the contact card form.
St. Thomas Church is a Church planting movement in ancient tradition.
