May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13, NRSVUE
Dear People of St. David’s,
Almost a year ago, I wrote a clergy letter about how bad I am at golf, even though I really enjoy playing it and practice as much as I can while raising a toddler and helping pastor an active community like St. David’s. Well, I’m here to report that, a year later, I’m still not very good at golf! I guess I’ve gotten a little better. I’ve been playing a lot more rounds recently, so I’m starting to get a feel for it.
I recently read an article in an email from a well-known golf writer and editor, Tom Coyne. He is one of the contributors to a publication I enjoy called “The Golfer’s Journal.” The email was titled, “A Letter from the Editor.” In it, Tom reflects on hope. He recounts a conversation he had with a fellow golfer in which he asked, “Why do we golfers play this sport?” He writes, “Why do we do this? What is it that compels us to roam and spend and try and fail and try again?” His answer was hope.
“There’s a lot of hope in playing golf. That the next shot will go right or tomorrow will be your best day yet. Maybe the next place will be the best place ever. Golfers are dreamers, you know?”
I couldn’t help but think about those words because they ring true for me. Every time I head out to play, I convince myself that this might be the day I shoot the best round of my life. The reality, though, is that I’m probably going to fail. Yet I enjoy it enough to keep trying.
Hope is just as important for us as Christians. We live in a broken and hurting world where darkness and evil often loom large. It can be difficult to remain hopeful at times. Yet I believe it is our Christian calling to embody hope. We are people who believe in Jesus Christ, who conquered death and rose again, showing us that darkness and evil do not have the final say. Instead, light and life have the final word.
The hope of a golfer rests in the possibility of hitting that next great shot, which for some golfers like me feels pretty bleak. The hope of Christians, however, is not rooted in possibility but in the reality that Christ has already been victorious over death.
So why do we do this? Why do we come to church when we know there will still be wars, famine, hatred, and violence in our world? The answer is hope. We gather on Sundays to be fed by Christ’s presence in Word and Sacrament so that we can go into the world and bear witness to his light and life.
See you in church.
Love you all,
Thomas
The Rev. Thomas Szczerba, Jr.
Vicar
Photo: View from the course at Jeffersonville Golf Club by the Rev. Thomas Szczerba.
Published on June 25, 2026.