“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1
Dear People of St. David’s,
I pray that you and yours are safe and well and warm on these cold January days. I pray, too, that some of the light of Christmas continues to shine in your life to give you hope and to allow you to bring hope to others. For the light of God that is in us, however small or dim, brings light to our lives and to the lives of everyone around us.
We are living in a year in which we are focusing on Faith Matters. It’s the theme or focus we’ve taken up for the year as a way to learn more about our faith in terms of what we Christians believe about God and how we are to live our lives. It’s a theme to help us realize the power that comes into our lives when we trust and hope and seek after God. Faith Matters also has an outward focus as we share our faith in God with others by our deeds and by our words.
I’ve been thinking a lot these past few months about the power of faith. That is, how much faith, if it’s measurable, does any one person need to live the Christian life in the fullest way possible? Jesus, at one point, says that if we have faith the size of a tiny mustard seed we can accomplish great things. In another teaching, he speaks about a faith in a person that is so solid and great that Jesus is surprised and astounded and He is able to heal this person’s friend from miles away. In several other stories, it feels as though Jesus is shaking His head with His first followers and others about their lack of faith and the lack of power that results from their lack of faith.
Apparently, faith is a force to be reckoned with. Faith is an energy that can change our attitude and expectations for life. Faith is a gift that can bring a hope and an assurance for whatever life is before us. Faith is a resource for living that provides power far beyond the gifts and abilities we are born with. Faith gives us the assurance that God is with us and is working in our lives.
So in this season of Epiphany, this season of light, when we are reading and talking about stories of faith and Jesus, I hope that we will all pay attention to the power of faith that can change our lives and the life of the world. Invite God to give you the gift of faith. Then live in the hope and expectation that your faith, great or small, matters.
Grace and Peace,
The Rev. W. Frank Allen
Rector