What Does It Mean To Be Faithful?

As I sit at my desk pondering what to write, I look out the window at the Sleeping Giant off in the distance, silhouetted against the morning light, and I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a person of faith. The answer which keeps coming to me is that it involves a richly woven tapestry of things. In part it has more to do with being than it does with doing. Sitting and watching the clouds float over the Giant, and allowing that beauty to nourish my soul, is a profoundly spiritual practice. But the faith which is enriched by such contemplative practices also calls me to action. In a world filled not only with amazing beauty but also with fear and violence such as we have witnessed in recent days in the mail bomb situation and the shooting which took place at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, faith calls us to stand up and speak out. Faith challenges us to be in solidarity with the vulnerable and the oppressed in our world. Faith inspires us to proclaim that the God of life calls us to embrace values of love and justice and hospitality and community. Faith means striving to live into the words of John Wesley when he wrote, “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” It means pondering the words of the Talmud, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” It means taking whatever small and not-so-small steps we have it within our power to take that will make a difference in the world. On November 6th we in this country have an opportunity to vote. It is sometimes tempting to believe that our vote doesn’t matter and won’t make a difference. But the message of our faith is that it is one of the ways we can make our voice heard, and speaking out is a faithful act. On November 11th we in this congregation will have an opportunity to make a financial commitment to the ministry of Plymouth Congregational Church. It is sometimes tempting to believe that what we can afford to give doesn’t matter and won’t make a difference. But the message of our faith is that giving is an expression of gratitude, and gratitude is a faithful act. What does it mean to be a person of faith? It means slowing down enough to experience the presence of God, and then allowing that experience to inspire us and empower us to make a difference in the world. May we learn to be faithful like that!

- Pastor Roger  

(keeping my feet firmly planted in the flow)