October 2, 2016
Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4
Psalm 37:1-10
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
Please pray with me,
May the words of my mouth
and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God, our
rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Increase our faith!
How often have we said
something like that?
Increase our faith!
That apparently the faith
we have is not great enough.
That faith comes in
different sizes. Small, medium,
large….super sized?
Is it a muscle that we can
increase?
Have you ever met someone
and thought…wow their faith is amazing…I wish I had faith like that.
I’m reminded of a scene
from The Empire Strikes Back,
Luke is in the swamp with
Yoda and his Jedi skills are being honed.
He is lifting stones,
backpacks, even the droid, R2D2….
Luke wants to get his ship
out of the swamp…he tries to use the force to do so, but he lacks the force or
the faith…he lifts is up a little, but can’t seem to get it out of the
puddle. He gets all pouty…and says,
Luke: I can’t. It’s
too big.
Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me.
Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.
For
my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it
grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us.
Luminous
beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here,
between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and
the ship.
Yoda
then demonstrates by focusing on the X-Wing and using the force to move the
craft out of the water and onto the land, next to Luke. Amazed, Luke says:
Luke: I don’t, I
don’t believe it.
Yoda: That is why you fail.
To the apostles in our
gospel passage this morning, faith is something that they want more of. They feel that they do not have enough…that
more is needed…
Would you really want to
say to a mulberry tree be uprooted and planted in the sea…and have it do
so? If we had faith to uproot trees and
move mountains, clean up days around the church would be much easier…not to
mention moving from one house to another.
But that’s not what it’s all about.
Perhaps this is similar to
the person who states: "I can't do it," and a parent/mentor type
insists: "Yes, you can."
My two and a half year old
nephew has taken to using this phrase.
“I can’t.” My sister and
brother-in-law don’t know where picked it up.
The funny thing is…is that he will say it in the midst of actually doing
something. For example, while climbing
up a ladder, he’ll say, “I can’t!” And
they’ll say you can…and you are…
Sometime we need to hear that we actually can
do something….even when we ourselves doubt that we have the ability to do
so.
How many of us have said,
"I can't do door to door evangelism."
"I can't talk to
him/her about the hurt they have caused me."
"I can't forgive
him/her."
It would seem to me that
the issue in such statements is not that of "can't do," but one of
fear -- which is the opposite of faith.
It is more fitting with
the Matthew and Mark parallels, that if people are unable to move mountains or
trees into the sea, then their faith must not be as large as a mustard seed. I
know that I haven't been able to conjure up such miracles with my faith.
Sometimes we need to be reminded that we can't trust even our faith. It isn't
even as big as a mustard seed. Salvation comes from trusting God to give us
what we can't do ourselves -- including faith.
A brief prayer I read
recently is related to this text. It goes something like: "O God, I don't
pray for enough faith to move mountains. I can get enough dynamite and
bulldozers to do that. What I need and ask for is enough faith to move
me.”
What I need and ask for is
enough faith to move me.
Because here’s the thing…
I can’t do it on my
own.
I know, I just said all those
things about using the phrase, “I can’t” and then I used it anyway. But that’s the real truth, isn’t it….
That I can’t do this thing
called life on my own.
I can’t love, forgive,
heal or help on my own…
I am unable to life out
God’s love and grace without that love and grace in my life already.
The apostles cry out,
“Increase our faith!” As if to say, we
don’t have enough to love others as you love us, we don’t have enough to feed
the hungry, to speak out for the voiceless, to speak the truth to lies….but the
real truth is God has equipped us with the faith that we need….we don’t need
more…
God has given us all the
faith that we need.
Sometimes we just forget
how amazing that gift and blessing is.
We are given the ability
to do exactly what God calls us to do.
This faith is a gift. And it’s not just free floating faith…that is
just out there…it is faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Faith isn’t something that
is ours alone that we can change and grow and increase…it is through God’s promise
in Jesus Christ that we receive the basic forgiveness we are called to share…
Maybe this passage…Lord,
increase our faith…needs a rewrite…
Bishop Bill Gafkjen
suggests this,
Lord, draw us deeply into
your creation and resurrection…into that forgiveness and grace.
Lord, draw us deeply into
your creation and resurrection…into that forgiveness and grace.
That’s what it’s all
about.
Being drawn in to God’s
promise, God’s love, God’s forgiveness and God’s grace.
Being drawn into the
community of a family of faith where we realize our imperfections, weaknesses,
faults, mistakes, and are loved and used for service in the midst of them.
Knowing that God calls us
to tasks that we may not be ready for…but we go anyway, trusting in the promise
of the resurrection….and knowing the forgiveness and grace we have already
received and will continue to receive.
That’s what this meal is
all about…
This is the table that
speaks to us and says…
All are welcome.
No matter what your faith,
no matter what your sins…there is a place for you.
No matter what your
questions, problems, fears, doubts….there is a place for you.
There is a place for you….to
know and feel God’s love for you.
That is what is at the root
of faith…A loving, compassionate, forgiving and saving God. Who wants the world to know that it is
loved.
So God, draw us in…
Into this place for
forgiveness and fellowship, for honesty and love for one another.
Draw us into this
table…where bread and wine overflow for everyone, where sins are forgiven and
grace is poured out….
And draw us more deeply
into you…in our homes, in our schools, in our places of work…that you may guide
our hearts and minds to share this redeeming love and grace with those whom we
meet.
And now may the peace,
which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and
let all God’s people say, Amen.
