Keeping Faith

Keeping Faith is my suggested worship theme for the thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost, August 18, 2013. Focus scriptures are Hebrews 11:29-12:2 and Luke 12:49-56.

In Luke, Jesus pointedly asks why we can interpret the signs of the weather, but we can’t seem to interpret the signs of the times. He says that his ministry will not bring an easy peace and comfort but will set even family members against each other. And he shares the pressure this puts him under, the fire of a baptism that can only end in his very painful and disappointing death.

The difficulty of reading the signs of the times, of course, is the pressure of having to do something about what we discover! It's hard to keep faith with God's call for justice when we see clearly the journey involved to make things right. We’d much prefer to go along pretending that the rising stock market is based on strong, honest companies who employ people fairly. We’d like to keep on pretending that our increasingly terrible forest fires and floods are not the leading edge of global warming with much worse to follow. We’d like to pretend that closing Planned Parenthood health centers will increase the health of women and fix the problem of too many abortions or that rigorous standard testing will save our public schools. We can pretend all we want, but pretending doesn’t fix anything. A faithful reading of the times uncovers many inconvenient facts!

The author of Hebrews is clear-eyed on both the power and the sacrifices required by faith. When we step out on faith in answer to God’s call to create justice and peace, we have God’s power behind us. Remarkable things happen which have saving power for our world. But as the deaths of the martyrs and of Jesus demonstrate, it sometimes comes at a very steep cost.   

Here is a Call to Worship based on Hebrews 11:29-12:2. Please use or adapt anything helpful to you.

 Call to Worship   From Hebrews 11:29-12:2

 L: Sisters and brothers, keeping faith is not an easy thing!

      It’s far easier to give in to the ways of the world.
P: Yet the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us of the power of faith!
L: For faith empowered the people to cross the Red Sea… made the walls of Jericho  

     fall flat… and saved Rahab and her family against all odds.

P: In fact, time fails us to tell of the heroes of Israel: Gideon, David, the prophets…
L: Through faith they conquered kingdoms, did justice, shut lions’ mouths,

     escaped the sword and sent enemies running.

P: Yet others were tortured, choosing to die before forsaking their faith.

L: They were flogged, chained, stoned, even sawn in two!

     They went about destitute and persecuted. They were homeless.

P: For them, faith was not easy. The world was not worthy of their sacrifices.

     But all the while they kept their eyes fixed on heaven.

L: They knew a better day was coming, a day we can now enjoy with them.

P: Therefore, let us join these faithful witnesses and give our all to Christ’s work.

L: For Jesus is our ultimate example of faith. For the joy of accomplishing

     God’s work he endured the cross and now is enthroned with God.  

All: Thanks be to God! Amen.