“If you had faith the size of a mustard seed,
You could say to this mulberry tree,
“Be uprooted and planted in the sea’
and it would obey you.”
Luke 17: 6
Dear Friends,
Fall, it seems, has certainly arrived! There is a feeling in the air and even a bit of moisture to go along with it, announcing that our long, hot summer has left town rather abruptly. I don’t know if you agree, but I am inclined to think that this is a good thing. I have come to truly appreciate the variety of the seasons and the changes that each one brings in turn. I am now looking forward to some cooler weather, some bright colors and the chance to have a fire in the fireplace.
I am also looking forward to continuing with the journey that we share as a community of faith. In light of some of the financial challenges we have had recently with our bell tower, I am feeling especially grateful to those who have stepped up to help us find our way forward through the maze of what has been mostly disappointing news. While our financial resources have been stretched and stretched again, we are blessed by the leadership and commitment of some very positive people who insist that we will find a way to overcome these challenges and setbacks. In their eyes, the glass of our current situation isn’t half-empty, but three quarters full and rising!
I am grateful for that spirit and for the hope and optimism that it communicates. It is, I believe, rather contagious! Yes, we have our challenges, but who doesn’t? This is simply a part of life, and a healthy church is one that is able to acknowledge the challenge without allowing itself to be defeated by it. Yes, termites are real and, of course, can do great damage, but even they are no match for the conviction and commitment of the human spirit—thanks be to God!
This is what it means to have faith. That is, of course, a term that is thrown around a lot in any given church. We all know that faith is something that we are supposed to have, something that we are called to demonstrate in moments like this. And yet, when you get right down to it, we often feel as if our faith isn’t exactly what we would like it to be. We may be inclined to feel that we need a bit more—an infusion of faith, if you will.
In our Gospel Lesson from Luke for this week (Luke 17: 1-10), Jesus’ followers are feeling overwhelmed by this same feeling and so approach Jesus with a passionate plea: “Lord, increase our faith!” they ask.
Upon reading this, we might be inclined to think that this was a good thing. After all, isn’t this something that we have all requested at some time or another in our lives? Who doesn’t want to have more faith, a bigger faith, a better faith?!
But Jesus is not exactly pleased with their request. As a matter of fact, he sternly reminds them that even a mustard seed sized faith (say that ten times) is enough faith to uproot a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea. In other words, Jesus is telling them that they already had enough faith to do seemingly impossible things. All they needed to do was to act upon the faith that they already had within them.
This is a rather surprising message, not only for the early followers of Jesus, but for those of us who happen to read and reflect upon it in our own day. This Sunday in worship, I will address some of the implications of this teaching in our own time. Rather than allow ourselves to think that we simply lack enough faith, what would happen if we chose, instead, to simply act upon the faith that already lives within us? According to Jesus, we would discover that we are able to accomplish things that we never imagined ourselves capable of doing.
As you prepare for worship this week, I dare you to imagine just what some of those accomplishments might actually look like, not only in your own life, but in the life of our church. Who knows? They might even involve a bell tower.
Grace & Peace,
Ron
Rev. Ron Dunn
Tower Project Update
Those of you that have been by the church lately have noticed that significant parts of the tower have been removed. The construction team is wrapping up the removal of dry rotted wood and termite destroyed areas. In some places that means clear down to the ground level. The remaining structure is going to be weather sealed while plans for the finishing look of the tower are made. This next phase is going to take some time because plans need to be made and approved before any reconstruction can begin.
It is still our hope that, although it will not be as tall a structure, we can complement the existing building, include the finials and the cross that were part of the original top of the tower, and stay within our current budget.
If you have questions, I’ll be at church this Sunday.
Mark Renfrew