Be not Afraid/Faith

Genesis 15:1-6, Hebrews 11: 1-3, 8-13, Luke 12:32-40

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus said to his disciples "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."

Pray with me that the words that I speak will strengthen us in our journey towards God’s power and love.

Of what are you afraid?

I must admit that I often struggle with anxiety and fear. In spite of the fact that I have a productive career and am employed in a relatively secure job position, I admit that I face fears of losing my job and not being able to do my part in providing a reasonably comfortable life for myself and my partner, Mark. The evidence does not support my fears and even my life history has shown a strong ability to survive and thrive in various physical, financial and cultural situations. But still there are times that I struggle.

Listening to the current news stories, such as those of the unfortunate miners stuck in a collapsed mine can stimulate fears of confinement and claustrophobia. The stories of collapsed bridges and automobiles plummeting into the river can stimulate anxiety of heights as well as fears of water and drowning. I don’t necessarily think of myself as abnormally fearful, and when I think about it I can certainly reason how fortunate I am in my life.  I do believe that fear and anxiety, to some extent, are part of the human condition to which we must adjust. Fear is not always a negative emotion. Fear in stressful and dangerous situations can stimulate the senses and allow us to perform physical feats to control a situation or escape what would seem to be certain harm.

I also believe that many of us struggle with the tensions of life. These tensions may originate from loss of independence caused by illness, hardship coming from finances, turmoil within difficult relationships, pressures from our families, perhaps uncooperative children or difficult parents. We are concerned about our work – or about lack of a job, and then some of us struggle with alcohol or drug addiction, or the trials of homelessness.

In addition to personal problems, we live in a world that continues to be full of conflict and violence. We are in our fourth year of open conflict in the Middle East and Asia . We see news stories of famine, genocide, and other disasters, both natural and human-made. We are fearful because we feel inadequate, helpless and alone.

Even the Christian churches and the Episcopal Church in the United States continue to struggle with issues of purpose, sexuality, equality, and fairness.

We might be fearful about just about anything. Life has many sticky problems and human problems are not new. Even in the ancient times of the Old Testament, we read of social and personal turmoil, and a yearning for a closer understanding of God. 

Where was the Good News in the midst of this historical strife? Where is the Good news in all our personal turmoil?

A part of the Good News is that “We are not alone,” we are not the first or only people who have felt fearful, confused or troubled.  In our society we are sometimes raised with the expectation that our life is somehow charmed, that we are in ways better than others. We are bombarded with messages that we can earn, spend, eat, or drink enough to keep us in a perpetual state of happiness. We are told over and over that our nation is divinely blessed.  So when we feel challenged or overburdened it is accompanied with the fear that we have failed and a feeling of hopelessness.  This Old Testament and Epistle lessons let us know that others, from ancient times as well as today, feel challenged at times. “We are not alone” for we share our burdens with people throughout the world and throughout time. We have one another.

The other part of the answer is also found in our lesson for today. “After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.’ Abram believed the Lord, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This means that we are not alone in another way. We are not alone because God is with us throughout all times of turmoil. We though may need to stop, turn away from our busyness, and rely on God’s goodness and God’s strength. The epistle reading ends, “If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country – a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

The admonition along with the Good News, then, is to recognize that we have not done it all alone. We can not do it all alone.  Our readings today all tell us that we must maintain our faith. But faith, like love, hope, and charity is one of those intangible words, the meaning of which is often difficult to understand or grasp completely.

So what is faith?  Sometimes it is easier to describe what something is not before the true essence can be understood. Here are three things I understand faith not to be:

First, faith is not the ability to manipulate God. Some people use their faith as a bargaining chip – using it as a way to obtain health, wealth, and a life of ease and blessing. God has promised to give us what we need not necessarily everything we think we want.

Secondly, faith is not an adherence to a particular set of beliefs. Some people limit their definition of faith to only those who attend their own church, or describe their relationship to God in a particular way or with particular words.

Lastly, faith is not just a blind leap into the dark. To many people, saying “you have to have faith” is the same as saying you “have to act contrary to everything you know.” Fortunately, we are given a better picture of what faith is and a clearer understanding of what faith does.

Faith is a common denominator.  Everyone alive expresses faith daily in something. You can not live a single day without exercising faith. When you awoke this morning and went into the bathroom you flipped a switch and had faith that the light would work. When you got in your car to come to church you demonstrated faith that it would start. Whenever you walk into this building you are expressing faith in the skills of the architect and the workers who built it.  This is exercising faith in the physical world.

Faith is also expressed in the spiritual realm. Hebrews 11:1 was read this morning: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” We have here an epic story of faith. Abram and Sara were a couple who by any ordinary measure were well past the productive time of their lives. They could look back at their long lives together and perhaps see some accomplishments but the one thing that they longed for, a family and descendents had eluded them. They were looking at retirement and even death, as Abram was talking to God about who would inherit his estates. We are told, though, that something else, something totally out of the realm of possibility or expectation, happened. Abram followed the advice he was given when he was told, “Do not be afraid”. As a result, he and Sara became the ancestors of not only one religious faith but stand at the roots of three; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They were able to look past their fears through faith and it has benefited humanity even today. It truly did come to pass – “Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them. So shall your offspring be.”

But how does faith manifest itself to us in our daily lives? I certainly don’t feel that God has called me to huge accomplishments as we are told he did Abram.  But even in the small accomplishments of our lives faith does play a part.  Both the Old Testament and the Gospel readings today give us the answer, as they begin “Do not be afraid.”

Faith will overcome fear. Faith, or trusting in God, will strengthen us so we are able to perform the good work required to realize our dreams. Faith establishes us, grounds us, and gives us a foundation. Most of all though, faith empowers us to look past our individual problems and our self interests. We can then act and create a reality that exalts God.

We are told in the Gospel lesson today to take the next step. Not only to overcome fear but also to be alert and prepared, to act in co-creating God’s realm. In our faith is always hope and our hope is expressed in charity and concern toward one another.”

By having faith and by living and acting out that faith, we open ourselves to feeling God’s presence with us at all times even in times of turmoil and trouble. I believe that presence is what was meant by Abram’s vision: ‘Do not be afraid. I am your very great reward.’ - Not I will reward you but I am your reward.

God’s spirit as the reward for faith is expressed not only individually but on the level of a church family. Our parish today stands in the middle of struggles of life, homelessness, materialism, human failings, and change. The church of today, though, is built on a foundation of faith expressed by parishioners who, in 1849 when

Sacramento

was a wild gold rush way station, acted on their faith to begin this church. They also lived in the midst of chaos and greed. Not one of them is alive today – but this worship space is here and alive, this congregation is here and alive.  We are, today, creating by our faith and actions, a worship space for future generations. Our parish has been affected and will continue to be affected by events outside our walls. I believe that our faith as a parish has helped us overcome our community fears and allowed us to turn from an inner focus toward others in our community who need our help.

By being alert, being ready for service, and acting compassionately we come to recognize the value of all people, and the value of all creation. In this way we broaden our definition of who is like us and who is worthy of our concern and charity. Most of the people of the world are “NOT LIKE US” in some way. Most of the people of the world have different skin color, most of the people of the world do not even share our religious convictions as Christians, and most of the people of the world exist on far fewer resources than any of the members of this parish.  I pray that whatever our individual beliefs; that whatever our individual response to political and world issues, each of us will continue to be faithful toward God, that as a community, as a parish we will continue to overcome our own fears and hold dear the value of others.

This is one of my favorite stories and so you get to hear it again:

In the desert stands a water pump in the sand. You are a lone traveler, your canteen is empty, you are thirsty, and you come upon that pump.  Tied to it is a hand written sign.

The sign reads, “I have buried a bottle of water to prime the pump. Don’t drink any of it.  Pour in half of it to wet the leather.  Wait, and then pour in the rest.  Then pump.  The well has never gone dry, but the pump must be primed to bring the water up.  Have faith, believe.  When you are through drawing water, fill the bottle and bury it in the sand for the next traveler.”  Having come upon this pump in the desert with this sign and being out of water, what will you do???

Will you dig the water bottle from the sand and drink from it?  Will you believe and in believing dare to pour that water, every drop of it, down into the old trusty pump?  Because you trust, you take a risk, both for yourself and for the next person who will pass that way. Faith calls us to rely on God’s promises not only for our lives but for others.

It is our FAITH that helps us through the times when we feel beset with trouble. It is our FAITH that supports us when we look around us and see only struggles, when we may feel that God is not close to us.

God said, “Do not be afraid, be faithful, remain alert. I am your protector. I am your very great reward.

Doug Clay