Faith

Faith of the head or faith of the heart? Which one do you foster in your life? I think for me, it started with faith of the head. I don't know when it really happen, that I had the Nicene Creed memorized, but over years of saying it every Sunday, it got into my head and I knew what I believed even if I didn't know why. This is faith as belief. My head knows what it believes, it knows what is true. 

This has sorta messed with me as of late. Is it important to God what I believe in my head? As if 'believing the right things' is what God is most looking for, as if having the correct belief will save us. Believing the right things doesn't do a whole lot to bring about a changed live now does it? Look at it this way, you can believe the right thing and still be in bondage to sin, still be miserable, still be relatively unchanged, with very little transforming power.

What does faith of the heart look like? Marcus Borg in The Heart of Christianity, describes three qualities of faith that are rooted in the heart instead of the head.

Faith that comes from the heart is characterized by trust. To have implies a radical trust in God, a willingness to rely on God as "our support, our foundation and ground, as our safe place.

It's also characterized by fidelity or faithfulness. It's like the the faith we have with our spouse's; we believe that person will be faithful in their relationship to us. This kind of faith means loyalty, allegiance, the commitment of one's self at the deepest level.

Faith that is rooted in the heart is characterized by a positive vision of the world. We tend to see reality as life-giving and nourishing. To live in faith requires a radical centering of our lives in God which leads to a deepening trust that transforms the way we see and live our lives.  

Think on that for a little bit. I'll try to remember to talk about what I think faith rooted in heart looks like tomorrow. I'll give you a hint; it looks like action in service.

If - Then

Do you ever get to spots in your life where you think our doing ok: involved in church, hobby's, going to sunday school, small group here and there. No major fights happening on the home front. You know, feeling pretty good about things and the direction they are moving. Content. Or is it complacent?

That's when you get it, right in the kisser. Comes out of thin air, I swear! Then you spend the next few hours trying to figure out what just happened. Replaying things in your head, going over the What If's, finding a sounding board that can handle what your fixing to lay out there. As I write these words, I'm still shaking my head.

But here's the deal: If we will forgo the desire to lash out in our own defense; If we just take it, like Christ took it, we become vulnerable. Then God has an opening to show up and do what God does.

This is part of what I learned from my time in the vulnerable circle.

1. I can only change myself! 

2. It is my choice to put on Christ or not.

3. God see's me.

I chose to put on Christ yesterday. It was hard to keep my mouth shut when false accusations were flying all around me. I took it. I came home crushed and unable to figure out what to do with all that stuff.

Then this morning, God showed me. I obeyed and He gave me grace by the bucket loads. Every scripture I read this morning was straight from God's heart  to mine! 

If we obey, He is faithful.  

Showing Up!

Sometimes it really can be about showing up! The fancy word for showing up is faithfulness. As a layperson, I feel I have a few things to say about showing up, and as a pastor's wife, I know how much it means to have people who are faithful to their church! Another word that can be used in here is dependable. I remember as the director of a NonProfit, I counted my few dependable, faithful, volunteers as my bread and butter. In fact, there wasn't much I could do without them, and I told them this, often!!

In the church, it's the same way. God is looking for faithfulness in His people. Think about it, it's one of the few things we can give back to God. We can have all the stunning gifts, wonderful talents, and amazing personalities, but if we aren't showing up, being faithful and dependable, what they heck are we doing?

What am I talking about when I say faithful and dependable? Well, it would be attending services and functions whenever possible, even when you'd rather be at a Hog game, or the deer woods are calling your name. Not simply because you may get something out of it, but because your presence says something about what you value. 

Let me ask you 2 questions. Did you go to church on Sunday and Monday last week? Did you see people that were there then but didn't show back up yesterday? Then you, my friend, are faithful and someone I consider a church hero.

See, sometimes it is about showing up. We may not think anyone notices, or that none really care, but let me tell you how wrong that thinking is. God notices and so does your Pastor. Keep showing up you faithful few, God has great things for you!