Some clergy girlfriends and I got together yesterday to talk about this coming Sunday's sermon (we do this just about every week. It's not intentionally all women. In fact, there is one fearlessly faithful man who is usually present - although he was absent this week...God love him. Hang in there Gus!).
Anyhow, we were looking at this upcoming Sunday's gospel lesson (Luke 17.5-10). It's the one that says, "If you had faith the size of of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey."
It's a verse that has always sounded like not-such-good-news to me. In fact, I usually leave it feeling convicted of not even having that much faith! OUCH!
This is just one of the many reasons that scripture is best opened when we "talk it out" with others. My sister pastors really helped me out.
First of all, they pointed out that there isn't anyone in our congregations, who is paying any attention (including all of us who were in the room), who doesn't also wish they had more faith...So maybe we can give ourselves a little break.
Then, they pointed out that Jesus never says that "if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can waive a magic wand (or blink your eyes ala Barbara Eden in "I Dream of Jeannie"), and the tree will instantly uproot itself and be thrown into the sea"!
Now, maybe you never read it that way...but I always did.
What Jesus says is that if the disciples have faith the size of a mustard seed, they can uproot and move the tree (which is totally passive in this verse)...which probably is going to take some sweat and swearing and maybe some tears (depending on how old or deeply rooted that tree is). And Lord knows, we all have "trees" in our lives that could stand to be uprooted and thrown into the sea and drowned. Again...maybe that's just me. But I doubt it!
And then, my sisters pointed out that Jesus says this to the apostleS (plural)...Right?! Sometimes it takes all of us working together to move that old tree! Remember the friends who carry the paralytic into the presence of Jesus (took four guys doing a lot of carrying and digging to get that "old tree" moved to where it needed to be!) And Jesus commends them on their collective faith! That's in the 2nd chapter of Mark, if you want to read it for yourself.
Here's the thing...Faith has to do with showing up and doing what needs to be done.
For example, a member of the congregation I serve drove up a little bit ago and had a big box of gifts to leave for the Drop In Center (our ministry to the mentally ill). "Faithful," is Archie (and whoever he ended up grabbing to help him) going out to help her unload it. Thing is...Archie wouldn't use the language of faith to describe what he did.
Which, I think, points to an underlying problem we have. We tend to limit "faith talk" to great-super-human acts...feats, almost. You know (like a tree uprooting itself at my command!)?
We forget that faith is simple and every day. And we need to do something about that. We need to call faith "faith." We need to point out that being a good and honest friend, or working at jobs to keep food on the table or keep the world running, or paying your taxes and voting for people who spend those taxes well, or holding hands with someone as they go through grief and transition, or doing any number of ordinary, every day things is being faithful!
This is faith - heading out the door each day, looking for opportunities to be a co-worker with God in the world (whether that looks like sharing a prayer with someone or solving a conflict at work or writing a letter to your congressman or being a patient parent or carrying a heavy box for someone).
On the surface, it may not look like much...But added together and together and together, and then blessed by God - it is all quite extraordinary.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
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