“Faith beckons us to follow God when we can’t see what’s coming next.”
January 1st, 2020
A couple of weeks ago, I sat with Pastor Sarah in her office during one of our weekly check-in conversations and she said these words to me: “Your faith life is on steroids at the moment.” And, well, it’s true. While internship is a time in theological education to learn some of the skills required for serving as a pastor, it is also a time of significant faith formation. It’s a time of trusting God when all the fancy information acquired in seminary classes begins to fall short. And let me tell you, my faith is being stretched and shaped here at Grace in significant ways.
One area where I know my faith is being stretched and shaped is during the sermon writing process. While preparing my first Advent sermon for the community of Grace, I struggled and struggled to clearly identify the good news of that particular Gospel passage. On the Friday before worship, I had the first version of the Advent sermon about three quarters finished. What I had written was fine, but it wasn’t a sermon— it was a lecture. So, I deleted it and started again. By the grace of God, I had a new sermon written by the early Saturday afternoon.
However, the process of writing that particular sermon was rough and here’s why: I struggled to let go of relying on my own knowledge (i.e. the fancy information I learned at seminary) and to trust God to give me the words. That Saturday, I discovered sermon writing is about listening for the Spirit. Which seems obvious, but of course, is easier said than done. My faith is challenged in the sermon writing process, because listening and following the Spirit is an exercise of relinquishing control, and yielding to what the Spirit is doing. For clarity, I understand faith not to be knowledge or special insight into the inner workings of God’s activity in my life or in the world, but rather faith, as I understand it, is trusting-belief that God is present and leading all of us beyond what we can know or predict. Faith beckons us to follow God when we can’t see what’s coming next.
When I sit down to write a sermon, I can’t predict how the Spirit might move and inspire me. She may even inspire me to write something I never even thought was an option! I can’t predict it, because the Spirit moves how the Spirit moves and my sole job is to be faithful to God’s voice. People of Grace, thank you for being with me as I experience “faith on steroids” here in this community. I’m grateful for your companionship.
Just a note: moving forward, “The Vicar’s Vantage Point” will feature moments, conversations, learnings that reflect my particular “faith on steroids” experiences here at Grace. These posts will be a place for me to share how God is moving in and through me, but more than that I hope they are insightful and meaningful for you, beloveds, in your own walk with God.
In Faith,
Vicar Beth Gallen