Faith
I want to write about Faith,
About the way the moon rises
Over cold snow, night after night.
Faithful even as it fades from fulness
Slowly becoming that last curving and impossible
Sliver of light Before the final darkness.
But I have not faith myself
I refuse it the smallest entry.
Let this then, my small poem,
Like a new moon
Slender and barely open ‘
Be the first prayer that opens me to faith.
David Whyte.
I have been in exactly the place David describes so achingly in this small poem. I have been in a dark place.
And as I read today’s scripture – Zephaniah, the Psalm, Thessalonians, and Matthrew my darkness only got worse. Zephania writes, The great day of the LORD is near, the day of wrath, darkness and gloom. I will bring distress upon people because they have sinned again the Lord. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them…
And then, I began working on our financial pledges. Time and Talent are very well utilized here, but I became concerned about our budget. And then, slowly, like David’s new moon, I began to find one source of my darkness. Now, before you, I must confess that I have taken on a responsibility that is not mine to take on. I became burdened and dark-minded believing that if I just came up with the right images, the right words, the right process that we as a community would quickly fund our 2024 operating budget.
And the psalm isn’t any better. NOR is Matthew on the surface. I read, if we don’t invest the Lord’s gifts, we’ll be thrown into the outer darkness and there will be gnashing of teeth. (I can’t afford more dental work!)
Gosh, that’s not such good news, but surely it will inspire pledges! Not.
And then….A bit oddly for me because I struggle so much with Paul’s writings in general, I found hope in the reading from Thessalonians. I struggle with Paul’s sexism, patriarchy, preachiness AND I find comfort and guidance when I allow Paul to be a man, just like me. He struggles with his own faith, his own consistency, his efforts to find the right words to inspire the people.
And so, instead of ignoring Thessalonians, and heading for the presumed darkness of Matthew, I stopped. Here’s what I then heard:
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night – READ WE ARE NOT IN CHARGE!
And the, “ For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
That is good news! That is good news!
At ShSP that truth is illustrated over and over again. We are a people, a community that finds a way. Listen: We set in motion a Capital campaign:
Requested 35K in pledges. We Received 50K – to be paid over 3 years…. Work already being done: several trees were evaluated by an arborist and are not a hazard to our neighbors! Gutters are being repaired. The church was repainted and we will be paying back our savings for half of that expenditure. The fire suppression system is being brought up to code. We plan to grade and regravel the parking lot and rebuild the play structure behind the church.
These results are not by chance. They are because of the deep love present in this place. We are so blessed to be with each other, with this sanctuary, with God in this place with Emmanuel – God with us.
Back to my darkness: part of it comes from the events in the Middle East, in Ukraine, in Myanmar, in Syria. All of that turmoil has gone on for time immemorial and I fell into more darkness. Is there any hope? And then that small moon, slender and barely open, shined a light for me. Paul writes: ““ For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,” We are children of the light! We are entering Advent – in which we anticipate, we prepare ourselves, not for the commercial toxicity of Christmas, but for the birth of love into the world!. Love is, in my thinking, the only solution, the only balm to take away the pain.
Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
I am not, in spite of my sometimes clever words, the one who can raise enough money here. But with God’s help, WE are. It is time to see, to acknowledge what we are, what we steward together:
Light at SHSP: I want to do something radical and ask you to help finish this reflection. With some help, I’ll pass out cards and pens. My request is that you write about being children of the light. Two questions to consider. The results will be posted in the rotunda:
What role does SHSP play in your life?
What do you receive by attending SHSP?
These words, from you and from me will be summarized on a poster in the Rotunda – to update the Love Notes to SHSP. In a way, these notes are a Thanksgiving for who and what we are. And for the capacity God has installed in us. They reflect what Paul has asked us to do: Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
In summary……
Standing with you, I am not in darkness, and neither are you. We are people of the light. Let’s let it shine.