Thoughts to Ponder from Reverend Mary White
If we believe in God, then we have faith that a Higher Power exists beyond our ability to actualize a visual concept. But doubt is intrinsic in the concept of faith and the greater our doubt, the deeper our faith. Having a deep faith in the Divine within the doubt takes courage. In his book “Dynamics of Faith” the philosopher/theologian Paul Tillich states that “Where there is daring and courage there is the possibility of failure. And in every act of faith this possibility is present. The risk must be taken.”
Reading ~ 2 Corinthians 13:5-9
Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it. I hope the test won’t show that we have failed. But if it comes to that, we’d rather the test showed our failure than yours. We’re rooting for the truth to win out in you. We couldn’t possibly do otherwise. We don’t just put up with our limitations; we celebrate them, and then go on to celebrate every strength, every triumph of the truth in you. We pray hard that it will all come together in your lives.
Prayer
Living God, may the mind of Christ be ours;
clothe us with your grace and grittiness,
help us to embody the vision and values of your kingdom and be ready to face whatever may come
as we seek to do your will.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen