"Of Things Unseen" by Rev. Kathy Sides (Preached at Fort Des Moines UMC 8-8-10) Today's New Testament reading from Hebrews is about faith. Faith is one of those words that's kind of hard to define. We may know what it is, but it's still difficult to describe it adequately. Two of the definitions the "Merriam-Webster Dictionary" gives for the word faith are: "Belief and trust in God," and: "confidence". The writer of Hebrews puts it much more poetically: "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". (Hebrews 11:1) "The assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." That's how the "New Revised Standard Version" puts it. Other translations say it a little differently. "The Good News Bible" reads; "To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see." And the "New English Bible" says; "And what is faith? Fath gives substance to our hopes, and makes us certain of realities we do not see." Belief, trust, confidence, assurance, conviction, certainty: all of that is faith. When we have faith in God, faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ, we are trusting and believing in what we cannot see. There are times in our lives when that seems as natural as can be. And other times when we find it very difficult. Faith is not a simple or easy thing. It isn't simple to define, and it isn't easy to live. From time to time we all struggle with faith. With having it, with living it, with sharing it with others. Trying to express faith, what it is, how it feels and what it entails; led me to reading what others have written about faith. Some of what I read makes a lot of sense and express a great deal, so I'd like to share some of it with you, as well as a few of my thoughts about their writings. There were three things I especially liked, a collection of quotations about faith, a poem about faith, and a story about faith. I think they all express a little different aspect of faith, a little different side of faith. I have a little book entitled Treasures from My Utmost For His Highest The book takes quotations from Oswald Chambers' devotional book, My Utmost For His Highest, and arranges them according to topics. Chambers manages to express so many truths in so few words. About faith, Chambers wrote: "Faith that is sure of itself is not faith; faith that is sure of God is the only faith there is." and: "Faith is the heroic effort of your life; you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God." 1
How true those statements are. It is only because of God and his trustworthiness that we can have faith. We may never be completely sure of ourselves in this world, but we can be sure of God. And that is faith. But like I said before, it's not always easy. A heroic effort, Chambers calls it. Faith is flinging yourself on God in "reckless confidence." I like that! But as sure as we sometimes are of God and of God's trustworthiness, it's still not always so easy to follow God. Because we can't see God. One evening years ago, while we were living in Redfeild, Ben, Sam and I met Earl in Des Moines after work. Our last stop before coming home was the Hy-Vee on University and 74th St. Since we had met after work, we were driving separate vehicles. As we were getting ready to leave, I asked Earl how the best way to get home was, since 74th street, the street I would normally take from there,was closed for construction. He said, "Just follow me." Well, that would have been OK, except for the fact that when we pulled up to University, there was quite a bit of traffic. Instead of waiting for a break where we could both pull out, Earl pulled out quick and took off. I had to wait for about half-a-dozen cars to pass before I could get onto University. Then I had to stop at the next stop light. By that time, Earl was nowhere to be seen. My reaction was half worry at not knowing were I was going, half disgust at Earl for leaving me in the dust. Well, OK, I admit it, I was more angry than worried. I was expressing this out loud, saying, "where is he", and Ben, who was probably 3 or 4 at the time, assurred me, "Don't worry Mommy, we'll find Daddy, he's not lost." I told him it wasn't Daddy I was worried about! After I found my own way back to where I knew my way from, and calmed down a little, I started thinking about whether there was any parallel to following Earl, who I couldn't see, and following God. Well, God doesn't drive a car, and God doesn't leave you waiting in traffic. But there are some similarities. We can't see God, but like Earl, we know he's up there somewhere, and if we keep following faithfully, we'll see him one day. And, there were signs along the road that marked the detour I was on, so if I used my head and followed the signs, I couldn't really get lost. God provides some signs to follow him, too. Like the Bible, for one. And, I know Earl loves me and wanted me to be able to follow him. There were just some things that got in the way, like traffic and stop lights. There are things that get in our way of following God, too. Distractions that come between us and God. But, if we keep following, we'll end up in the right place. Oh, I did finally catch up with Earl - In our driveway! Besides not being able to see God, we also don't know where he might lead us. God may not lead us where we wanted to go. And that frightens us. But faith means we follow in spite of that. In spite of not knowing where we are being led, we can follow in faith, because we know the one who is leading us. Hebrews 11:8 speaks of Abraham, and his willingness to go where God led. It says of Abraham: 2
"And he set out, not knowing where he was going. " (Hebrews 11:8) Chambers has this to say; "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. It is a life of faith, not of intellect and reason, but a life of knowing Who makes us "go"." and he advises: "Stand off in faith believing that what Jesus said is true, though in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing." Not understanding what God is doing - that's a difficult thing. So often we look at the events of our lives, especially painful, heart-wrenching events, and we wonder what God can possibly be doing, how God can possibly be at work in them. But true faith is believing, trusting - even when we do not understand. So many things test our faith and make us wonder if we can hold on to our faith. Chambers suggests that those tests are OK, that in fact they are necessary. Because whatever faith we have never becomes truly ours until it is tested. He writes; "Faith must be tested, because it can be turned into a personal possession only through conflict. " And he suggests that the testing of our faith is never done: "There is continual testing in the life of faith, and the last great test is death." That may sound a little discouraging, but I think it is probably true. That is the nature of being human. Doubting, questioning, struggling to understand. Struggling to hold onto our faith in spite of how little we understand of God and God's ways. Believing in faith that God is a God who can be trusted, even though we may not always understand what God is doing. One of the poems I re-read this week expresses this same idea. The idea that God is in control, that God's plan is being carried out in the world, in our lives, even though we can't understand. Because we cannot see beyond right now, we cannot see the whole picture, the "master plan". We cannot see what is being woven in the "Loom of Time" 3
The Loom of Time Author unknown Man's life is laid in the loom of time To a pattern he does not see, While the weavers work and the shuttles fly Till the dawn of eternity. Some shuttles are filled with silver threads And some with threads of gold, While often but the darker hues Are all that they may hold. But the weaver watches with skillful eye Each shuttle fly to and fro, And sees the pattern so deftly wrought As the loom moves sure and slow. God surely planned the pattern: Each thread, the dark and fair, Is chosen by His master skill And placed in the web with care. He only knows its beauty, And guides the shuttles which hold The threads so unattractive, As well as the threads of gold. Not till each loom is silent, And the shuttles cease to fly, Shall God reveal the pattern And explain the reason why The dark threads were as needful In the weaver's skillful hand As the threads of gold and silver For the pattern which He planned. Faith is "the conviction of things not seen." Faith is being able to believe that God is in control of the loom. Faith is believing that one day God will reveal the pattern he planned, and we will understand how all of the pieces we struggled with fit together. Faith is trusting that what we cannot see now will be made known one day, and believing that until then, God knows what we cannot know, and God sees what we cannot see. And that God can be trusted with that. 4
That is a lot to believe, a lot to trust, but that is faith. And we have a God who makes that kind of faith possible. Who not only makes it possible, but also makes it profitable. Saint Augustine once wrote: "Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe. Saint Augustine This suggests that if we have faith, if by faith we are able to believe what we do not see, then we will be rewarded. And the reward will be to see what we have believed. I offer this story of faith by Laverne W. Hall as an example of faith, and the reward of faith. Faith by Laverne W. Hall The fields were parched and brown from lack of rain, and the crops lay wilting from thirst. People were anxious and irritable as they searched the sky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came. The ministers of the local churches called for an hour of prayer on the town square the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object of faith for inspiration. At high noon on the appointed Saturday the townspeople turned out en masse, filling the square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands - holy books, crosses, rosaries. When the hour ended, as if on magical command, a soft rain began to fall. Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in gratitude and praise. From the middle of the crowd one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the others: A small nine-year-old child had brought an umbrella. May we all have faith like that. Faith that believes in what we cannot see. We may not always receive such immediate rewards. It may not rain every time we pray for it. But let us hold fast to the final reward of faith: That we will one day see the God we have trusted in faith. That all of those things we do not know will be make known, and all of the things we cannot understand will be understood. That we will stand before God and find in his presence all of the things we have hoped for; all of those things now unseen. Amen. 5