Habakkuk is irritated. He will not
give up his complaint until he gets God’s answer and he does! The very descriptive
language of his frustration speaks directly to our own times and the answer he
gets is clear if not exactly a swift resolution. The Psalm appointed for today
is a perfect follow up: Have patience, keep on track, do good,
commit to and trust in God, for evildoers shall be cut off in
the appointed time, wait for it.
And so while we are waiting, it is, certainly and always,
the Gospel, with a little help from the 2nd letter to Timothy, that gives us
our focus – the apostles, with relatable human impatience, ask Jesus to
"Increase our faith!" Jesus reminds them, and us, that all we need
is faith the size of a mustard seed and we would be able to
command whole trees to uproot themselves and be replanted in the sea. These
are metaphors whose underlying meanings are worth pondering, however strangely
mixed – did you stop and wonder: why would we plant a mulberry tree in the sea?
Moving on, there are many varieties of
mustard seeds across the many regions of the Earth, and those Jesus speaks of are
nearly as small as the period at the end of this sentence, yet they hold within
themselves the ability to produce enormous trees. No magic intended here, just created nature. But thinking of something so tiny taking such deep root and growing so
large can guide our understanding of the potential in our own imperfect faith.
Whether in days of seeming uprooted-ness and feeling all at sea, or in times of
feeling securely well planted, we are reminded by these readings that we have
all that we need within us. We aren’t called to understand how it all works,
just to believe that it does and it will.
How
great our own eternal future if we but remember the good treasure,
our holy calling, the grace... that has
now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. If
we seek to rekindle the gift of God that is within us, the
fertile seeds of faith and trust have already sprouted in us with
the help of the Holy Spirit.
It is also important to remember that having “true faith” doesn't
mean freedom from doubt. And when the doubts creep in, don’t panic. One
Christian mystic suggested that wanting to have faith is enough, and even
wanting to want to have faith is enough. Accept as natural that in this life
there are moments of distance, occasions of dark nights and gray days. Trees
need pruning now and then and so do our souls. Some of those times are longer
than others and it is in such times, as the Psalmist tells us, we are to be
still before the LORD and wait patiently. Give yourself a cheat sheet
for those moments that encourage you to spend time with the Word and
Sacraments. Think of some ideas on how to pray with a bit more effort, a little more often, if only just
breathing in and out with the name of Jesus on your lips, in your mind, and in
your heart. All the while our work of faith, present or awaited, goes on in small
and ordinary ways, as in any garden. No worries about how large or small a seed, our level of faith isn't meant to be quantified, only recognized for its
power, for its sufficiency, for its enough-ness to bring us to our fulfillment
in the dignity of God's grace and purpose, in God's appointed time.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ God
of Mercy, Grace, and Peace, may we allow our tiny seeds of faith to renew our
right spirits, rekindle the gift of You living within us, and place our
trust and hope in You.
Lord of
Salvation
RESPONSE: We commit ourselves to
You
~ God of Mercy, Grace, and
Peace, remove evildoers and perverted judgment from the chambers of all who
govern on this Planet, in this Nation, and in this Community, that all victims
of violence, poverty, and bigotry be met by righteousness and justice. We pray
especially for: add your own petitions
Lord of Salvation
We
commit ourselves to You
~ God of Mercy, Grace, and
Peace, grant ease to all who live with distress in body, mind, or spirit, and
give rest to the hearts of those who give them care. We now join our
voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
Lord of Salvation
We
commit ourselves to You
~ God of Mercy, Grace, and
Peace, may the joy of our loved ones, now freed from earthly bondage,
shine brightly in the immortal life and light of the glory of Christ. We pray
especially for… add your own petitions
Lord of Salvation
We
commit ourselves to You
~ God of Mercy, Grace, and
Peace, we pause in this moment to offer You our other
heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or
silently… add your own petitions
Lord of Salvation
We
commit ourselves to You
~~ God of Mercy, Grace, and
Peace, we lift up all who are appointed as Your heralds, that with the help of
the Holy Spirit, they may hold to the standard of sound Gospel teaching,
guarding the good treasure of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Lord of Salvation
We
commit ourselves to You
The Celebrant adds: O
Lord our God, remind our impatient hearts to take our delight in You and
to rely on Your power in our holy calling. Inspire us to nurture the fragments
of faith our souls are holding, that we may bloom into the fullness of Your
purpose and grace in Your appointed time. We ask through our Savior Jesus,
the Christ; and the Holy Spirit, living in us; who together with You are One
God, now and forever. Amen.
