Faith for the day...

Some days it's easy to identify with the prophet Habakkuk...and this is one of those days. A big part of the reason is admittedly self-inflicted. I stayed up way too late last night watching the Bears/Packers game...and I'm always grumpier when I don't get my beauty rest. But another part is something all of us suffer from time to time...that nagging doubt that the bad guys (by our definition, of course) are getting all the breaks while the good guys (who usually look remarkably like us) are taking all the lumps. Do you ever feel that way?

Small comfort, perhaps...but comfort nonetheless: We're not the only ones who've ever dealt with this dilemma. Hence the reference to the prophet Habakkuk. He's preaching at a time when Jerusalem is circling the drain...going down fast. And he's complaining to God about just this same thing. The good guys seem to be fodder only for the advancement of the bad guys. So...what's the deal, God?

God's response takes the form of both promise and challenge. First, it's pretty clear that God understands the situation precisely (just in case you had doubts about that). Second, God reminds Habakkuk that the end result of all this human upheavel is safely in God's own hands...not the prophet's. And fnally, God reminds Habakkuk (and us) that there is a mode of living that steers us safely through these doubts and frustrations. It's called "faith." And it's precisely how the people of God confront the world around them.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." That's Hebrews 11:1. (I can heartily recommend the whole book.) It's a potent reminder for crabby days like today that our lives our held safe by a strength greater than our own. It's also a call to live in trust and obedience to God despite the choices that others make for their lives. It doesn't mean that there won't be conflict. Both Habakkuk and the writer of Hebrews will attest to that. But it does mean that we can live thankful, faithful lives in the midst of whatever upsets and disappointments come our way.

Faith is the God-given gift that makes such living possible. May it be the power that strengthens your journey this day...and in the days ahead.

Missing body parts...

Sounds like something out of a scary movie, doesn't it? But in fact, it happens in churches all around the country every Sunday morning. Some of the body shows up...most of the body doesn't.

Confused? Check out 1 Corinthians 12. Paul writes rather convincingly to the rascals in Corinth about the Church as the body of Christ. Christ is the head; we are the members; together in the Spirit, we carry out the Father's mission of reconciliation and love for the world. (That's the Reader's Digest Condensed version. I'll trust you to read the whole thing on your own.)

Here at Grace, about 44% of our members are in weekly worship. More than half of the body is missing. And we're actually in much better shape than most places. I read somewhere recently that the average for congregations around the country is between 25-30% of the membership in weekly worship. Yikes! Can you imagine what it must be like to run without a leg or eat without a mouth or see without eyes or keep your innards from spilling out without enough skin? You might be able to do it...but not without some major reconstructive surgery or a lot of artificial help.

"But, pastor" you protest. "I'm just a little toe. How can it matter if I'm not around?"

Make no mistake. When the body is incomplete, it limps. Of course, God can still use limping bodies. Indeed, God's been doing just that since Eve invited Adam to try a bite of apple. But imagine how much more effectively God would be able to use the body that's whole and healthy...