"Against Hope... God Was Able."

Transform our hearts, Holy One, that your light may shine through us, making your world a little more kind, a little more just, and a little more gentle.


Romans 4:18-21
¹⁸Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become ‘the father of many nations’, according to what was said, ‘So numerous shall your descendants be.’ ¹⁹He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already^* as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. ²⁰No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, ²¹being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.


1) "Hoping against hope;" "...good as dead;" "...he gave glory to God;" "...God was able;" "...God was able to do what he had promised;" "...fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised;" "...


2) Are we so convinced?  That God is able to do what God has promised?  Am I?  As I ran today, I was thinking of the double loop theory of congregational development and where I feel we are on it... I feel like the Titanic is sinking faster and faster every day and my congregation is so busy preparing and serving a five star meal in the banquet hall that they won't hear me saying we need to be ripping these tables and chairs apart and making life rafts, not moving them about to make it look like there are more people at the feast!  Where am I on the "double loop"?  I like to think I'm on the second loop trying to call people over, but that is SO not the case.  I'm panicking at the bottom of the first loop.  I want to cross over, but I'm busy pushing and pulling and exhorting trying to get other people to go across.  Why don't I just cross over?  And then I wonder about what I see on the other side, on the "second loop."  I see a more faithful church.  One that is serious about its calling to follow Christ.  One that is taking PIE seriously: Public, Intentional, and Explicit seriously.  Public in is proclamation, using every means at its disposal to share its message; Intentional about learning its place in history and how it has benefited from oppression, abuse, marginalization, and an injustice.  Explicit in is seeking of amends and right relationship with those it has wronged.  I see a church that is affirming of LGBTQ* people.  I see a church that sacrifices absolutely everything it thinks it is to follow the way of Christ.  And it isn't going to say, "We're too old (good as dead to use Paul's words)."  But rather it will trust that God will fulfil what God has promised.  What is holding ME back from simply crossing to the other loop?  Am I?


3) Cross over.  Start exploring the other loop.  If others choose to follow, wouldn't that be nice?


"Holy One, help us to trust that you are with us every step of the way, you were there before we arrived, you are there before we follow.  You are the push and the pull into the future, we simply can't escape you.  Thanks be to God."


Breathprayer: "Against hope... God was able."