Hopefully, this message finds you well.
You may have missed the bit of news last April that the Associated Press Stylebook, the longtime self-avowed guardian of proper journalistic grammar and word usage, finally relented on a decades long battle over one of our most common, and – they would argue – most misappropriated words.
“Hopefully, you will appreciate this style update, announced at #aces2012,” the AP Stylebook tweeted on April 17, 2012. “We now support the modern usage of hopefully: it's hoped, we hope.”
For years, language purists have argued that use of the adverb hopefully is suitable only when describing the action of the person in the sentence, when performed in a hopeful manner. As in, “The little boy hopefully tossed his coin into the wishing well.” Or, “The girl blew out her birthday candles hopefully.” It is about the hope felt by the main character, the subject of the sentence.
But over time, we have expanded its application to include not just the person in the sentence, but even the narrator themselves. “Hopefully, the team will make it to the playoffs,” says less about the hope the team feels and more about the person writing the statement. “Hopefully, the two sides can come to an agreement,” describes our hopes for the best outcome, rather than the emotional state of either party. In other words, we’ve taken the word hopefully and used it as a mirror to reflect our own feelings.
Hopefully, you can see the difference.
When the AP Stylebook agreed to this expanded usage, it felt like a defeat for those who have long complained about the ongoing twisting and warping of our English language. It’s vagabonds like us, they would say, who butcher perfectly good words like hopefully and cast its carcass on the wreckage of debates over words like nauseated vs. nauseous and healthily vs. healthful.
However, for Advent pilgrims like us, this news reinforces what we should already know. This is not just a season for third-person hope. It is more than just remembering the main characters in the Christmas pageant. Yes, we sense the hopeful anticipation in Mary’s heart, and the hopeful obedience that marked Joseph’s spirit. We remember the hopeful word of the angels who broke through with amazing news to the shepherds, and the hope that was born and wrapped in manger hay.
But this is also about the hope we might find in ourselves. When we light the Advent candles and sing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” when we gaze on the twinkling star lights on our Chrismon tree, when we pause during our busy days and refocus our attention on the God who leads us on our own journey, then hopefully, hopefully, we become people of hope ourselves.
This is not simply a time of fondly recollecting stories from long ago, but it’s also an invitation to allow those stories to sort through and soothe our conflicted lives, so that the hope that God offers can become our own. For whatever reason you are in need of hope today, I pray for God’s richest promises and possibilities for you and those you love.
Let us, then, be full of hope.
Magrey
The Rev. Magrey R. deVega
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
531 W. Main St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Ph: 712-225-3955
Email: mdevega@sp-umc.org
BETWEEN THE TESTAMENTS
We continue our Advent sermon series this Sunday with a closer look at the rise and fall of the Greek Empire. We will discover the origins of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the festival of Hannukah, and we will explore the question of what it means to maintain our spiritual commitment in a culture that is contrary to our convictions. Join us for a sermon titled “The Greek Empire: Faithful Living in a Changing World.”
YEAR-END GIVING
Help St. Paul’s finish the year strong by offering your final year-end contributions by December 31. If you have not yet done so, please fill out a stewardship pledge card, available in the narthex or church office.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
Join us on Monday, December 24, for our special Christmas Eve service featuring carols and candle lighting. The service begins at 5:30, and we encourage you to come early to find a seat. We also hope that you will park as far away from the church as you are comfortable to walk, so that you can reserve the closer spots for the many visitors joining us that night.
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