The Question of Faith

We all come to a point in our lives in which we question God and the condition of our lives. In other words we all experience intense hardships in life that cause us to either question or even lose our faith.

Faith is such a fragile spiritual belief for many of us. It is easy to believe in God and walk in faith when our lives are going well, but when we encounter the “Dark Night of the Soul” that is where our belief system is put to the test. The journey through the darkness seems hopeless and endless at times. Perhaps we just want to throw our hands in the air and give up on anything that has to do with this supposedly loving God we worship. After all, where is God in the darkness? If God is so benevolent then why in the world do we have to experience such difficulties and tragedies in life? As Christians we are called to live a sacrificial life. Why isn’t God returning the favor?

Life is full of ruts, twists and turns. We never know what the next moment is going to bring. Hardships seem to haunt us at every corner. So why does God allow this to happen? Why does God seem so fickle? There are times when we genuinely feel God’s presence, and then there are those times that God seems to ignore us despite our cries for help. It is difficult to be met by silence. We want answers. We need answers. We need direction. We need hope.

The fact is God is present in all of our sorrow, anger, disappointment and tragedies. Often our mental condition and emotions overwhelm our spirituality. Why? Because those things are real and tangible, and we feel the pain. When we are in turmoil and grief that is all we can think about and feel. Since we can’t touch God and see God it is easy to give in to the belief that God doesn’t care about us. The result of our agony distances us from God. The more pain we feel, the more distant we feel. We forget that faith takes ongoing and constant work. We often forget that faith comes from a consistent relationship with God. We forget that pain is the touchstone of all spirituality. As much as we hate to admit it, it is through the suffering that we have the opportunity to grow closer to God. It may not happen in the moment, but in the aftermath we come to a stronger relationship with God.

Christ hung on a cross and died for our sins. His suffering was intense and he experienced complete abandonment from the Father. This took place for our sake; so that even in our most grievous state, we are assured that Christ has been there too, as well as beyond. Jesus did this so that we would never experience abandonment by God. He died a hideous death so that our relationship with God would be ever constant.

In our worst state of mind the assurance of hope through Christ is extremely challenging to remember. But God is present in our suffering and misery. God is present in our pain and grief. God is present in our darkness and loss of hope. God has forged an eternal relationship with us that we may not feel in our suffering, but it is important to remember that Christ is the Alpha and the Omega. He is our beginning and our end. He walks ever constantly with us despite our doubt and despair. Christ is even present in our disbelief.

Faith is an important part of our lives. Hang on if we are in the midst of turmoil. Believe it or not God really is present and suffering with us.

Communication

Communication in any organization is vital to the health and well being of the entity. All too often we do not communicate well. This is especially true in the church in which we work largely with volunteers. It is important that we tighten up our communication strategies so that we more effectively and efficiently deliver the same message to everyone involved. Don’t just assume that a random or unverified decision is appropriate, and then follow through with the task. This only creates confusion, frustration and anger.

Communication is one of those seemly easy traits to follow, but that is often a misnomer.  In the church it is important that each committee, chairperson, and liaison know and understand his or her role. It is also vital that the paid staff understand their job descriptions as well. This is how we are able to articulate our needs through the appropriate channels. It also eliminates confusion and misunderstandings.

There are appropriate people and channels that each decision is to go to for approval and then organized delegation. In the church these often become muddled as everyone either wants to participate and doesn’t wait for directives from the leader, or people make decisions on their own and don’t communicate with the leader. This kind of process must be eliminated if we are to function as a healthy and efficient parish.

So I encourage us to talk to the committee chairs first regarding ideas and thoughts. If they are not available then go to the Vestry Liaison and discuss the matter with them. Try to do these things either face to face or over the phone as e-mail is far too interpretive, and has the possibility of creating misunderstanding and hurt feelings. 

Flat Tires and Cracked Rims

I looked down for one second and the next thing I knew was my car was skidding over the median in the middle of the road. Boom! There went the front drivers side tire. As I pulled over to the side of the road to change my tire, it didn’t help my mood any that it was drizzling rain.

As I got out of the car a nice young man pulled up and helped me change the tire. When I offered to pay him something he said, “No, this is just one brother in Christ helping another.” His words meant a great deal to me and gave me some unexpected comfort.

When I took the tire in to be replaced the next morning I discovered that not only was the tire bad, but also I chipped the alloy rim. Once again I could feel the anger within. I had nobody to blame but myself.

Our life in Christ is often like this situation. We move along through life dealing with what Life presents us, and then wham! Something disrupts our lives seemly out of nowhere.  Our faith is blown out and our trust in God becomes cracked and chipped like that tire rim. We feel like this is the end when it is really only a minor inconvenience.

Life in this world is illusive and full of unexpected hazards and difficulties. Does this mean that faith doesn’t work and is somehow an ideal hoped for but never obtained? Absolutely not! We often lose sight of the road as we travel, and end up in ditches (or running over medians). Rather than despair we simply turn our attention to God and say, “Well, my way didn’t work. Look where it landed me. Thy will be done.” Or perhaps as in my case a servant of God shows up and provides assistance.

Despite what we face in life, God will not abandon us. Things may turn out differently than we planned but God will heal those chips and cracks in our hearts. We all run over spiritual medians and have spiritual blowouts. Yet God will always get us moving in the right direction once again. Things may not happen as fast as we like, but nevertheless Christ is there, healing us in his time.

And that is what we have to remember, we live on God’s time, not our own. The damage we do to ourselves are healed in Christ’s loving care usually over a period of time and not immediately.

Gossip, a Church Illness

How does illness seep into the church community? It is like a poison that quietly develops and patiently festers until one day it infects everything and everybody. One of the main culprits is gossip. As human being we love to hear the struggles of others and the juicy details that make the stories so rich with sin. Gossip is a church killer and if left unchecked it is a poison like no other. It has laid ruin to many a rector, assistant and layperson. Gossip is hurtful as it is often without truth or merit.  At best it is a distortion of the facts.

Gossip grows and spreads not only because people are naturally attracted to such stories, but also it creates a dynamic in which we don’t have to look at ourselves, and our shortcomings. Life is much more pleasant when its focus is off of us and on another. People take more delight out of throwing a stone at someone rather than having the stone thrown at us. Unfortunately we Christians have become rather good at casting stones. There seems to be the need of a perpetual scapegoat in which we can direct our attention. Along with others we gather like feeding swine gobbling up every little detail. Although we deny it, creating pain and suffering in another persons life is an ongoing task. It seems the more they are down, the easier the target they become.

Gossip makes the church ill and is absolutely toxic to a healthy spiritual life. Gossip under minds Christ’s teaching to love our neighbor as ourselves. Amongst other sins, the Apostle Paul speaks out against it and its corrosive nature.

God calls us to reach out to the down trodden and the sinner, not trod them down. God’s house in many ways is like one big rehab center. We’re all there because we are sick. I don’t know of one single perfect person who attends church. We are there because we are in need of redemption and renewal. We attend church not because we have all the right answers, but because we have very few. We attend church in order to develop and cultivate relationships, not tear them down. Does this mean we will always get along with everyone? No! Of course not, but that doesn’t give us the right to gossip about a person and seek character assassination.

I encourage us this Lent to take a good look at ourselves and our motives. What do we thrive on? Is it the misfortunes of others or the opportunity to reach out to them in genuine love. God reaches out to us and offers us grace and forgiveness. Can we do the same, and in the process produce a healthy church?

Lent

Lent is the season penitence and self-discipline. It is the liturgical period in which we walk with Christ as he journeys to the cross and his ultimate death. Lent is a time of self-reflection in which we examine our lives, especially our shortcomings. It is a time of letting go and taking on – letting go of those things that cut us off from God, and taking on new spiritual disciplines that bring us closer. Lent is a season in which we strive to obtain a complete spiritual makeover.

We often think of Lent as the season of “giving up something.” Yet it is important to remember that Lent is also the liturgical season of fasting during the first forty days before Easter. During the early days the fast was quite strict. Only one meal a day was allowed and that was in the evening. Meat, fish and eggs were forbidden to eat.

Lent is generally a time of penance, by abstaining from festivities, almsgiving and by devoting more than usual to religious exercises. Interestingly Lent fell into disuse during the early 18^th century. It was revived by the Oxford movement of the late 18^th century.

Lent is an important season of preparation for us today, not only because of the coming of the Christ at Easter (the Resurrection), but spiritual renewal and revival as well.

I wish you all a most holy and blessed Lenten season.