Scripture Text (NRSV)
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction
of things not seen.
11:2 Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval.
11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the
word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not
visible.
11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a
place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not
knowing where he was going.
11:9 By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been
promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and
Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.
11:10 For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose
architect and builder is God.
11:11 By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was
too old--and Sarah herself was barren--because he considered him
faithful who had promised.
11:12 Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead,
descendants were born, "as many as the stars of heaven and as the
innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."
11:13 All of these died in faith without having received the
promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They
confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth,
11:14 for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are
seeking a homeland.
11:15 If they had been thinking of the land that they had left
behind, they would have had opportunity to return.
11:16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a
heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God;
indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
Comments:
Abraham and Sarah exemplify the vision of faith that people of God
need in every age. Their hope and trust in God's promise allowed them
to face an unknown future.
I hope that some are preaching on this. There is a cool photo of a
mountain goat leaping from one high rock to another. Sometimes as
followers of God we must trust that our faith will be enough. Nancy-Wi
Verse 13 is interesting for the suggestion that our fiath may not
bring us all we had hoped for. It further suggests that, for these
faith 'giants,' seeing the destination in the distance was enough.
That reminds me of Moses on Mt. Pisgah. It also serves as a powerful
reminder that we are all on this trip together, and we all have to
arrive together. We need everybody - these who blazed the trail before
us, and all those who will come after us. Ken in WV
To Ken: "our faith may not bring us all we had hoped for." THANK YOU!
I may not use this to preach next Sunday, but I will use it for a
funeral I am doing. We lost a wonderful man to ALS yesterday and our
congregation is really having a tough time with it. He believed he
would be healed, he never gave up believing. He has such a wonderful
last year, always talked about how good God was to him, he was always
smiling and everyone loved being with him. Was he healed? Well, yes,
he received the ultimate healing, but he was not healed in the way we
all were praying for. I am thanking you because now I can tell his
family that even though his faith had not brought him all he hoped
for, he sure had a better quality of life the last year because of it!
I have wondered, how did your foot surgery go earlier in the year?
Also from WV.
It is generally thought that Paul did not write this Epistle/Sermon. I
still speculate that Priscilla wrote it, and remained "Incognito"
about her penning it, so it would be accepted. It was sent and used
"by faith"
Shalom, bammamma
This lection comes like manna from heaven this week -- I'm glad to see
it. This has been a difficult time for our congregation the last
couple weeks, with cancer (even more than usual) and death besieging
us. As a pastor, too, I welcome these words from "the faith chapter,"
having just done a funeral for a 15-week-old baby boy on Saturday, who
died of HLH. This seems to be just the right time for a reminder about
faith . . . I'm gonna call my message "Running on Faith." I, too, hope
the epistle draws some interest this week, so we can have good food
for thought on this board. Blessings, Dave K. in West Ohio <><
I like the title. Running on faith. It really reminds us of how we are
powered by the Holy Spirit.
vs, 13 is indeed uplifting.
Does one church make a difference?
Is the vision each Church holds, often for centuries, the vision of
the kingdom on earth, can this verse be a source of strength and hope?
I think it can, I am thinking of the starfish story for the childrens
sermon. Using that as the individual.
Vs. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God. When we put
our best efforts forth then maybe we are able to think, that God is
smiling at our efforts.
just thinking. Nancy-Wi
Nancy, what is the starfish story?
I have preached from Colossians the past four Sundays emphasizing
Paul's call for the church of Colosse to keep their focus on Jesus,
the head of the body of the church, and to not be swept away by
Gnostic teachings. In one of these sermons I used an illustration from
a personal experience dealing with a "faith healer" who was leading
people to believe that he had a special faith that he could use to
channel God's power as this person directed or prayed. One of my
church members later remarked that I apparently did not believe in
divine healing. I have prayed with this person many times that her
cancer will be healed by God; however, I also pray that God's will be
done. I pray in faith for this person in the hope that her cancer will
be cured, but I must accept God's will in the matter. Is there doubt
in my prayer because I know that God does not always make the cancer
go away? Bill in NC.
Nancy,
Starfish story is a good one. I have seen it but could use a
refresher, do you have a resource for it?
ks in ME
Bill in NC and friends - Some reflections on our struggles this week
with cancer, ALS, and infant's death due to HRH (I don't know what
that is). God does make the cancer go away, the ALS go away and all
disease, through the gift of death and resurrection. When all of God's
efforts and ours, through medical intervention, can no longer help, we
have the gift of death. When all that we can do in the "seen" world
will not heal or cure, then we may hope in the unseen. And to connect
with Luke, it is God's good pleasure to give us that kingdom. Even our
deep grief is a sign that points to the unseen world, keep us
connected to the love for that infant or friend or relative who died.
Imagine if we did not feel pain when some one died! That would be
worse than the loss, to think we did not care. Even the pain tells us
of something more! Such a mystery, yet to be revealed. But I do
believe that God does cure the cancer, through our death. If I were
diagnosed with cancer tomorrow that could not be treated, I would
praise God for the gift of death the scripture has promised will end
the suffering. Canadian lurker lady
Bill in NC, I was diagnosed with cancer a year ago. At this point, I
am cancer free but I don't know what the future holds. The healing,
for me, came in the form of a tremendous peace in the midst of this
diagnosis. Because of the many prayers lifted by others as well as
myself, I have a deeper understanding of who I am in relationship to
God. while I am not eager to die, or even suffer through the agonies
of cancer, I do know that I am God's creation and that no matter what
happens to me, I will be just fine. That, to me, is true healing.
Blessings to you!
LP in CO
The Starfish Story
adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley 1907 - 1977
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to
do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began
his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach
and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at
the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked
faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man,
and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was
reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing
them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it
is that you are doing?"
The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into
the ocean."
"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going
out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not
realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish
all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and
threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a
difference for that one."
This story has appeared all over the web in various forms, usually
with no credit given to Mr. Eiseley. Sometimes it is a little girl
throwing the starfish into the ocean, sometimes a young man, once even
an elderly Indian. In any form it is a beautiful story and one that
makes you think.
Loren Eiseley was a anthropologist who wrote extensively. He was the
'wise man' in the story, and he was walking along a beach after a
storm and encountered the fellow throwing the starfish back. I have
not had a chance to read the original book yet myself but will post
more background info here after I do.
There are quite a few versions of this story. If you put Starfish
story into a search engine it will give you several websites. Nancy-Wi
vs. 14 It is by faith that we desire to be in the homeland of Heaven.
Our desire to live with God comes from faith. Our understanding of
life comes from with faith. Nancy-Wi
Hi Friends.... The verse that struck me this time around was, "If they
had been thinking of the land they left behind, they would have had
opportunity to return." Having just moved to a new appointment,
leaving many good friends and good memories behind at my last church,
I feel a little bit like Abraham. I have had little time to "look
back" in the busy-ness of settling in, but after reading this verse
was struck with a twinge of nostalgia.
Would just the act of looking back (or thinking back) have created the
opportunity to return? How often do we not trust in the future by
constantly looking back and comparing to the old, not seeing the
blessings off on the distance?
SammyBSP
The preacher to the Hebrews believes in parallel universes, where
God's heavenly home exists side by side with our world—even when there
is only visible evidence of the worldly homes. He seems to be saying,
"our eyes can deceive us" (v. 3). But try telling that to your spouse,
to your family and friends, or to anyone else for that matter. How
could we possibly see the invisible? Even if we went back and read the
story of Abraham and Sarah, the truth is they were not so easily or
faithfully persuaded, as the Hebrews writer would have us believe. No
one is going to pull the wool over our eyes. We believe what we see
(see v. 1).
For most of us, a homeland in sight is better than an invisible one
down the road (if it even exists, that is). To be sure, our world has
very visible signs of sufferings, abuse, persecution, imprisonment,
and subjection to theft (10:32-34). But we could say that things are
not always so bad. We could paint the city in a more positive light.
Abraham, in his visible homeland of Ur of the Chaldees, no doubt knew
that it had its worldly problems. But for all of that, he still may
have been tempted to look back at what he had left behind, and desire
to stay put rather than moving toward places he could not see.
When all is said and done, however, we have deceived ourselves into
thinking we see and embrace what is really visible. But in truth, we
only embrace the reality that inflates our false illusions of
greatness, success, stability. Our homes, our cities, our lives are in
shambles, because God has not built them. Indeed, God is the one who
brings our cities to ruin not only because we turn a blind eye (or
two) to the visible things, but because we miss the city that is (v.
16), in all is glory. The truth is, we would never be able to look at
things as the are—in all their reality (including the divine
reality)—were it not for the city that God designed and built for us
in Jesus the Christ. Because he was a stranger and foreigner in our
midst—even died on a cross—we have a whole new foundation established
for us. We are at home with God through the Christ who visibly,
tangibly made his home with us.
We are founded upon that new foundation (Christ) by faith (v. 1). And
we "receive approval" from the architect of our souls by that same
faith. With his approval, we are encouraged to see reality for what it
is. We can view it, in all its starkness, and yet anticipate what God
is bringing about in spite of it: Tents give way to cities (vv. 9-10);
barrenness to innumerable descendants (v. 12); death to life (v. 13,
16).
The journey of faith is exilic. This kind of exile, however, means
looking toward what is to come. We live, much like our Lord, as
strangers and foreigners in the world. Yet we know by faith that there
is a city that is prepared for us. And we are more at home in the
world because of that city than without it. Indeed, there is more that
remains to be seen. Now try telling that to your spouse, to your
family and friends, or to anyone else for that matter.
Michael Hoy
I was in medicine for 26 years before going to seminary. I have to
admit, I used to see the end result of our work , sometimes ratehr
quickly. In ministry it's different. By faith I hope that the seed
will take. Verse 13 says, "All of these died in faith without having
received the promises..." I need to trust that teh Spirit will be at
work in the lives of those to whom I minister just as the Spirit has
been in my life. I will probably die without seeing many of those
people blossom, but that's my prayer. PAP Nanticoke, Pa.
PAP Nanticoke, Pa. Robert Jewett's commentary on Hebrews called Letter
to Pilgrims, speculates in his introduction that Epaphras (who he
argues is the author) was writing to say "The meaning of the pilgrim
journey is not in arrival he(Epaphras)argues, but rather in the
encounter with God and God's word moment for moment along the pilgrim
path. page 12,The Pilgrim Press, New York, 1981
Shalom bammamma
Okay, it's promotion Sunday, really big deal, we schedule worship
first, join the 9 and 11 services (thus making everyone mad!) and
promote the Sunday School kids. Do I want to use the lectionary?
Probably this one. Any suggestions? kbc in sc
SammyBSP -- your thought on the homeland was most welcome (cf
vv13&14). I serve an ethinically & racially diverse congregation, with
many of our newer members being recent immigrants from West Africa or
the Caribbean. When things are difficult here -- and they often are,
with some of these folks working 2 & 3 jobs to reach the immigrants'
dream & continuing "conversations" with INS-- they often look
longingly back to the homeland whence they came. But nearly all of
them stick it out. That's not surprising for the ones who came from
war-torn places like Sierra Leone, but even those who came from
"peaceful" places find that the trials here are usually worth it. I
think I'll work on the idea of not looking back but searching for the
ultimate homeland in faith -- just as so many of the folks in the
congregation have done. Thanks. Joye in MD
As I was musing on the 'homeland' idea, I remembered something Dag
Hammarskjold wrote in "Markings" (pg 66 in my version -- Knopf, 1966):
He was a member of the crew on Columbus's caravel -- he kept wondering
whether he would get back to his home village in time to succeed the
old shoemaker before anyone else could grab the job.
Are we like him -- so busy looking back we don't see the future or
even the present? As I said, musing. Joye in MD
I really like Clarence Jordan's take on v.1 in "Cottonpatch Version,"
Now faith is the turning of dreams into deeds; it is betting your life
on the unseen realities." There are wonderful tie-ins between this
passage and the gospel--should be a fun sermon to put together! Hi,
Joye! Rebecca in MD, too
I am going to (I think I said something about it on the Gospel lection
space) preach on "Substance of things hope for, essense of things
unseen", My title is "Incognito".
Several questions come to mind as I read the Hebrew contributions.
These are just reflection questions for myself.
1. I notice some references to the importance of seeking a better
country, and not looking back. What is the difference between one's
homeland, and the ground of one's faith? 2. When I am thinking
conservatively, am I grounded and/or centered? When I am thinking
liberally, am I desiring a better place and/or a new homeland? 3. I
see contributors attempting to hook up with persons who write in from
their states or countries. When I observe a contributor mention my
state I ponder whether I know them. Am I looking back, centering
myself, or trying to find new connections?
I thank God fo this site!
Shalom Bammamma
That should have been, "I thank God FOR this site."
I now understand why some people capitalize. You can not underline for
emphasizing on this contribution space.
Shalom Bammamma
Michael Hoy-- I say DO try telling that to your spouse, and to all who
would listen - for it is true. I appreciate your insights. RevGlo of
IL.
John Eldredge is a pretty conservative writer (he used to work with
James Dobson) In his new book "Awakening the Dead" his first main
point is "things are not as they seem."
thought this would apply here
grace and peace;
revgilmer in texarkana
Although my bulletins are already printed, I think I may change the
title of my sermon to "Are We There Yet?" Tying in with the verse,
"All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but
from a distance they saw and greeted them."
Abraham and Sarah didn't "get there". There are times that we don't
"get there", but the fact that we are on the journey, and are lead by
faith, is the important thing.
We may be taking my five year old step son on a 6 hour car ride next
week to see his grandparents.... I can here the "Are we there yet"
chorus starting already!
SammyBSP
To Canadian Lurker Lady -- HLH is a rare immune disorder that affects
1 in 50,000 babies born. The initials are short for a REALLY long name
of the disease. I appreciated your comments regarding "the gift of
death," as the bridge to the ultimate healing. Also, the image of deep
grief as a sign pointing to the unseen world is helpful. . . . On
another point, repeated references here to "homeland" make me think of
"homeland security" and by extention, the security of our "eternal
homeland" -- though the images raised by homeland security could be
more of a distraction than useful, perhaps. . . . Rebecca, thanks for
the Cotton Patch quote -- that works! . . . And Revgilmer -- thanks
for Eldredge's "things are not as they seem." . . . . we could do
worse than to use that as an opening line. Blessings, Dave K. in West
Ohio <><
My husband and I just saw "The Terminal" starring Tom Hanks. If you
have not seen it, please do. It is a wonderful parable with so much in
it to think about and inspire, AND... it speaks well to this week's
Hebrews passage. Viktor flies into JFK airport (or LaGuardia-- I
forget) anyway, it's NEW YORK CITY. He is detained and brought to an
office and told that his country has just been taken over by a coups
and is at war. Because of this the leadership there has been
overthrown and technically, he has no country, and so they cannot
grant him a visa. He is told that he cannot step foot on US soil, so
he has to remain in the terminal, which is neutral ground, until they
can get it straightened out. He speaks very little English and doesn't
understand what they're saying. He sees the TVs with CNN with images
of his country at war, and panics. He cries and tries to get someone
to help him, tell him what the closed captioning is saying, and no one
even notices him. It is a sea of impersonal people walking by and he
is invisible. He's stuck in a foreign country, doesn't know the
language, isn't fully clear on what is happening to him and what that
means. He ends up losing his meal vouchers. He was told that he is a
"man without a country," and therefore in the eyes of the US is
"unacceptable." He is declared "unacceptable." The officials don't see
him as a human being, but rather as a problem to be gotten rid of.
viktor just wants to get into NYC, but the doors are heavily guarded.
It's a very full movie, with many, many images that are relevant for
this faith passage. He ends up waiting in this airport for NINE
MONTHS. The officials try to dispose of him, they block his attempts
to sustain himself, but he manages to find ways to live. He learns
more English by various means. He continually goes to the office to
apply for his visa, and every day his application is stamped with
"Denial." After awhile, during this time, he makes friends with other
"invisible" people who are "foreigners" as well, and who would be also
considered "unacceptable." He offers grace and blessing in simple ways
to those around him. He makes the place where he is more beautiful, he
affects and even changes lives for the better-- all while he's waiting
in this airport as an alien in a foreign land. He's in circumstances
beyond his control, his future seemingly being controlled by a very
cold bureauacracy (sp?), but he manages to live. It's late in the
movie when you find out why he's so determined to get into NYC. But he
is sustained by his hope that would ridiculous to the rational mind.
He is sustained by a promise that he made and that must be kept. And
so he waits for something he can't see yet, and seemingly is hopeless.
It is a wonderful parable about what to do when we can't see the
horizon. We can still make the world a more gracious, beautiful place,
even when it seems so cold. We can help change lives and touch
people's hearts. We can remember who we are as citizens of another
realm altogether. We can hope in something we can't see, but believe
with all our hearts, minds and souls that we will get there somehow,
someday. Because of a promise. SEE THE MOVIE!!! pm in pa
A short story on faith: Two nuns worked in a hospital and drove home
to their convent in the country each day. One day they ran out of gas.
In the trunk, along with other medical supplies, was a bedpan. They
decided to use it to carry some gas from a nearby farm. Returning to
their car, one nun was pouring gas from the bedpan into the tank while
the other knelt in a prayer of thanksgiving. A trucker pulled up,
rolled down his window and said, "Now sisters, that's what I call
faith!" FrB in Michigan
Don't remember if this story was told by Win Arn or Donald Macgavren
in one of their church growth books that George Hunter made us read
(If i had to choose, i think it was Arn)but whoever it was had always
had a secret ambition- to be a trapeze artist. He was in a town, and
the circus was coming. A friend told the circus people of his wish,
and the trapeze artists invited him to come work with them. They
showed him all the tricks and techniques that he would need, and he
swung out on the trapeze many times. How thrilling! But there was one
more thing- he had not swung from one trapeze to another. When he was
ready, he jumped off the platform, into the air on his trapeze, and
the person on the other side swung the trapeze pushed the other
trapeze towards him. HE HAD TO LET GO TO REACH THE OTHER TRAPEZE! So
in mid-air, trusting that the next trapeze would be where it was
supposed to be, he let go, and grabbed on the other trapeze.
My problem is that I keep looking down to make sure that there is a
net, and so miss the coming opportunity (trapeze)
Another story- I once attended a spirituality workshop led by Roy
Oswald from the Alban Institute. He was showing us different types of
meditation, and one of the ones was a walking meditation. You lifted
each leg high-think of the Karate Kid and the crane pose ( and I am so
grateful the there were no videocams there), put it down and lifted
the other leg as you moved forward. Dr. Oswald warned us "Whatever you
do, don't look down!" But we did, and when we did, we fell down. The
lesson here is that to keep going on, you have to look towards, or at
least in the direction of, where you are headed.And it only works if
you are looking forwards.
grace and peace; revgilmer in texarkana
A great and memorable text! It made me think of the words of Roger
Sizemore in "Keeping in Touch." I share them with you: "The future is
always faced with uncertainty, even panic. The unknown is always seen
as more terrifying than the known, for we are not certain our coping
behaviors have developed to meet the new challenges."
"Besides, we get accustomed to dealing with the familiar. It's secure,
like old bedroom slppers. Anything new might require us to reprogram
ourselves altogether. And that we find a most threatening prosepece."
"Again the question haunts us. Given the jostling and rapid change of
today, with future discoveries a boggle to the imgagination, how does
one face tomorrow without fear? How does one develop an inner hold to
meet the invading forces of the yet-to-be-born?"
I think the answer must be faith, even though it is easier said than
done. Mark in NC
I have been thinking about this text all week. Iam retired and have
not preached for months, but have the opportunity of filling a pulpit
this Sunday.
My main idea is that we need to trust in the spiritual forces as well
as things things we can see. One of the books I have been reading is
Bernie Siegel's PEACE LOVE AND HEALING. Bernie has illustration after
illustration about how thoughts and words which are unseen can have
power over our bodies and our lives. He has a qout by Carl Menninger
that I like: "It is our duty as physicians to estimate probilities and
to discipline expectations; but leading away from probilities there
are paths of possibility towards which it is our duty to hold aloft
the light, and the name of that light is hope." Siegel has not turned
his back on the value of surgery and science, but has many
illustrations of how giving people words of hope and treating them as
a whole person leads to healing. He also defines healing as learning
to live well, and being cured as a by product of healing.
Seasons of the Spirit suggests that you fill a glass of water very
full and across the top lay a piece of shiny tag board. Flip it. It
should seal tight and stay! Faith that surrounds us. They suggest
trying it first with a bowl. Season of the Spirit is available from
Cokesbury. Nancy-Wi
This is a late submission but ...
as bammama was describing about the journey, i thought of Edgar Allen
Poe's poem El Dorado. About the journey for El Dorado rather than
actually finding it. Good for a 3-point sermon and a poem:)
also, with the discussion on security I remember an illustration i
used after 9/11. I called that sermon Walking Home - about finding the
faith of just walking. After the attacks one of hte news organizations
showed one of the bridges out of manhattan. It wasn't filled with
cars, it was filled with people just walking across this usually car
crowded bridge. The news anchor commented that all these people were
just 'walking home'. They literally walked on faith because what they
saw around them was destruction. In the midst of our cancer and
suffering all we can do is walk home. jinpa
Canadian lurker lady (and Dave K.) I understand your sentiment but I
am reluctant to ever view death as a gift. The Bible is pretty clear
that Death is an enemy and will someday be destroyed. Jesus calls God
the Lord of the living not the dead (somewhere, in reference to
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) A number of years ago my wife and I lost
first a son and a little later a daughter to death, both suddenly.
Folks meaning well said all sorts of horrible things, like "God just
needed another little rosebud for his heavenly bouquet." No, I would
say under my breath, The God I love does not kill babies to decorate
heaven. God has a record of being able to translate people directly
into heaven without death. At least three in the Bible went direct.
God does not need death to accomplish the heavenly will for the
faithful or their children. When someone you love has suffered long it
is common and understandable to be relieved when the pain finally
stops, but we should not thank Death. That is like the torturer saying
"If you will tell me what I want to know I'll kill you quickly and end
your suffering." Those kind of people we hunt down and bring to
justice. Nor should we congratulate God for killing them to save them.
Some earthly parents have, for pity's sake, ended the lives of their
children to keep them from having to suffer something the parent
dreaded. Those parents we usually send to jail. God can indeed stop
cancer without having to kill it's victims to save them. Yet this
rarely happens. We can't fully understand why God seems to allow what
is to us unimaginable suffering. This I can testify to in full faith;
That God is with us all the way through the suffering and continues to
carry us through to the other side(this is true for both the one
suffering disease and those who suffer with/for that person). Death
may take, but cannot keep, what is God's. God does not take, but does
recieve, those who face death with faith in what is eternally beyond
Death's temporary grip. I am in the process of watching one church
member quickly go down due to cancer. I told his soon-to-be-widow
recently that I admired him for the fight he has put up, struggling
not from fear of death but for love of life. We worship the Creator
and Sustainer, the Lord of life. For Death the destroyer and decimator
we should only ever have disdain, never fear and never thanks. Death
is a little pissant tyrant who has already been defeated and someday
will be destroyed forever. Thanks be to God for the resurrection hope
we have through Jesus the Christ! tom in TN(USA)
I'm preaching on the "Dog Days" Here in the tropic to temperate
Northern hemisphere, in August we grow laconic from the heat and
humidity and want to just lay around like dogs under the porch. Both
Luke and the writer to the Hebrews saw the church growing tired of
waiting, slacking off, slowing down. Some to in our day grow weary. We
too need to hear both the gospel and epistle texts, as they say keep
working, keep looking forward. Don't slow down and don't lose hope.
Keep the faith, for yourself, your children and the distant
generations. tom in TN(USA)
Dear Tom in TN:
I don't know how long ago your grevious losses were, but I can hear
the pain in your words. Mere words cannot express what I would like to
say to you from the deepest recesses of my heart. It is not right to
bury our children. I cannot begin to imagine the pain you and your
wife suffered through that process.
I appreciate your words: "God does not take, but does recieve," those
who in faith relinquish their fight. When I hear the words: "God had
taken ..." I cringe. God does not take; but I did not have a response
for them. You have given me one, thank you! May God's blessings be
upon you and yours.
As you said, Praise God for the knowledge of the His resurrection
power! In Christ, pp in ny
Phyllisp In answer to your question you must sign up for this service.
There should be a place for you to register on the home page.
It is a wonderful service but the best part is the dps contributors.
One who reads but does not often write in. ks in me
A rather late posting, but something I just remembered might be
helpful to someone -- now or the next time this passage cycles. I
remember Dr. Warren Carter saying several times (both in lecture and
in conversation) that the Greek word most often rendered as "faith"
really cannot be adequately translated into English. If we had such a
word, a closer translation would be "faithing" -- which indicates an
activity.
Wish I'd remembered this earlier in the week. My offering for this
week ("Faithful Faith") might be closer to completion. (Pun intended!)
Robbie in KS
A rather late posting, but something I just remembered might be
helpful to someone -- now or the next time this passage cycles. I
remember Dr. Warren Carter saying several times (both in lecture and
in conversation) that the Greek word most often rendered as "faith"
really cannot be adequately translated into English. If we had such a
word, a closer translation would be "faithing" -- which indicates an
activity.
Wish I'd remembered this earlier in the week. My offering for this
week ("Faithful Faith") might be closer to completion. (Pun intended!)
Robbie in KS
It may be too late but to the one who wanted to use this passage for
Sunday School... The Bible is the container of faith stories, stories
that teach us of the faith of others. I am using my Story teller from
a tribe to link the Bible with our way of keeping the stories. We
don't use a person per se but a book. Then I am going on to explain
faith with the glass and the paper ( must be coated just tried it) and
talk about faith through change... and all that is subject to change!
Nancy-Wi
Tom in TN,
Thanks for the response about death. I am disturbed by all the cutesy
euphemisms about untimely death but I guess it is how some people
cope. I think we can reverse the trite bumper sticker saying though,
(Life sucks then you die) to be "Death sucks then you LIVE." You won't
see that in Christian stores any time soon.
~~PC in GA (Still searching for the Sea of Tanquility)
Also from WV: I'm glad that my words could be helpful this week. This
is probably too late for you to see the answer about my surgery (wow!
Thanks for remembering), but if you do, answer me on next week's
Hebrews site (I'm using the Hebrews lection for the next 4 weeks). My
surgery in February went well. I continued to be non-weight bearing on
my right foot (wheelchair-bound) for the next 3 months (5 months
total), at which time I was fitted with a brace. I've been walking
since May 11, driving since June 15, and hope to get the brace off
soon. The only permanent restriction I'm under so far is that I have
been advised not to walk for exercise any more. :( But I feel very
blessed. We moved this year to a new appointment in the Parkersburg
area in June, and I'm on my feet! Ken in WV
