"Faith, hope, and love are the abiding attributes of the Christian life. Most of us proclaim faith and love consistently," writes John P. Rossing. "But... we may be guilty of neglecting the third great gift God has given us. During the closing Sundays of the church year we have an opportunity to declare our hope boldly."

The ten sermons in this book are based on First Lesson texts primarily from Job and Ruth. The sermons follow the Revised Common Lectionary.

We experience the same doubts, the same nagging absences of God that Job did. But we have some advantages. We know that God came into the world to redeem suffering through the suffering of his Son... His presence among us in word and sacrament probes that he is neither distant nor uncaring. (from the Proper 23 sermon)

John P. Rossing is pastor of Advent Lutheran Church in Doraville, Georgia, and a doctoral candidate in church history at Emory University in Atlanta. He graduated from St. Olaf College and Luther Theological Seminary.