Elements of a Living Faith
from Pastor John Nelson
Have you ever noticed someone who is really excited about something he/she newly discovered or something they figured out how to use after a great deal of frustration. Think of a child when they figure out for the first time how to tie a shoe, or ride a bike. They know this is a useful skill but they just couldn’t figure out before how to properly use it. Then, all of a sudden it all comes together and they light up with their discovery and they can not wait to show others. It makes all the difference, like something has come alive that was dead.
It can be the same way with our faith. Faith is a gift we are given by the grace of God. Perhaps it began for us in our Baptism or later when we first began to hear about God and wondered how everything came to be. Faith is a gift that starts small and needs to be opened, nurtured, and wrestled with so that it can grow and bring us the fullness of life that God promises. We don’t usually get it all right away; it takes time.
Sometimes faith lies dormant like a seed. Other times it is a withering plant, lacking nourishment and care. The reality is that faith is not an object that once you have it you are good to go and have nothing else to do. We are given faith in the expectation that we will learn to use it. We are given faith to bring us new life, life that we would not have otherwise. However, to have a living faith we have to tend to it, work with it, learn how to use it, engage it, and help it come to fruition. Only then will our faith produce fruit for our lives and blossom so that new seeds of faith will fall on others.
To make this happen there are certain ELEMENTS that naturally feed a living faith. They are a part of a living faith, and they are the fruit of a living faith.
Prayer
Worship
Studying Scripture
Sharing God's Story
Acts of Service & Justice
Building Spiritual Friendships
Stewardship of our Life and Resources
For the next year our congregation and every ministry we have will be lifting up these seven elements to help us all focus on what it means to be a Christian. The theme came out of our Five-Year Plan and we chose this year to focus on identifying who we are as Christians and what difference that makes in our lives. "Elements of a Living Faith" speaks in a universal language that we all can relate to. It uses sacramental language to connect faith to life; for we use earthly elements in the sacraments that deliver God’s grace, and in turn God uses these practices to help bring about God’s kingdom in our lives and in the world.
How is your faith life? Are you a strong vibrant tree with deep roots of faith, or are you going through a drought in your spiritual life? Is God present in your daily life and work or does God seem distant?
I invite you to join us on Rally Sunday as we kick off a four-week sermon series on the Elements of a Living Faith and explore together what it means to live a life of faith and how you can help your faith come alive in Christ!
I hope to see you there.
