|
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)
Dear Church Hill Faith Family,
We are living in uncertain, unstable times. Whether we are talking about our civic and political lives, our personal lives, or the life of the church, many of us continually feel discouraged, overwhelmed, frightened, or angry about the present moment. Everything is labeled a crisis (and for good reason): the housing crisis, the climate crisis, the migrant crisis. Goods are more expensive. In Ukraine and in Israel/Gaza/Lebanon, there are wars which have caused unspeakable devastation and show no signs of stopping any time soon. It wasn’t that long ago that we could always count on the church to be there to supply us with solace and community and purpose even when everything else in our world seemed to be spinning out of control. The church was a given in American life. But now we have real doubts about the future of the church. Worship attendances are dropping, budget deficits growing, memberships graying. Will the church always be there?
Being a person of faith means that our actions are driven by an unshakeable hope that with God, a better future is possible. The person of faith doesn’t deny all that is wrong with the present but at the same time, the person of faith refuses to be imprisoned by the present. The person of faith knows that they are a beloved child of God, that God will care for and support them, that divine grace is always available when we are in need. The person of faith knows that—as they say in the Black church tradition—“God will make a way out of no way”. But the person of faith also understands that “without God, we can do nothing, but without us, God will do nothing”.* We must surrender our will to God’s will and witness to and work toward the better future God has for us. It takes great courage to act in faith, to put up with the snickers and the eye rolls, to be accused of being foolish and naïve. It also takes great sacrifice to act in faith, knowing that we may not live to see the future we are laboring for. It is essential that each of us dig deep within ourselves and find that reservoir of faith which we can draw on in these uncertain, unstable times.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Nicholas
* Popularly attributed to St. Augustine.
| 
