August 8, 2004; The Tenth Sunday After Pentecost Readings: Genesis 15:1-6; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16; Luke 12:32-40; Psalm 33:12-25, 18-22.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith Faith What is faith? What does it mean to be faithful? How often do we think about God’s faithfulness to us? "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not see." Faith and hope are connected—joined together, intertwined—in the letter to the Hebrews. Faith does not stand on its own as an idol to be worship, but rather is part of the whole. Faith is not so much something that we have, as if we could go out and purchase it. Rather faith is known through experience. Our faith is known by how we live, what we do and what we don’t do. Faith grows in us. Faith is a gift to be received. God has faith in us. God has made many promises to us. In our world of disquiet and conflict, God promises us peace and love. It is too good to be true. Still, we hope and pray—we work, as we are able, to be part of God’s promise to the world—that is faith. And believe it or not, as confused as we might feel about our faith at times, our faith, as shown through our actions, is an assurance for others. We hope for what we do not yet see. Much of what God has promised we do not yet see. We get glimpses here and there. So much of faith is hope. Many people worry that their faith is not strong enough. Some choose not to attend church, saying that they do not have faith. Faith is a word that is used by some to separate people. The churches that provide all the answers expect people to agree on every issue of faith. If you do not agree, your faith is questioned—called into question, dismissed. I was in a restaurant here in Winchester on Tuesday to meet with our Senior Warden. As I was being shown to my table, the hostess looked at my Celtic cross and said: "What is that charm you are wearing?" "It is a Celtic cross from Ireland," I said. She looked confused. If I had been wearing a simple gold cross would she have be able to identify it? My silver Celtic cross has woven aspect to it. The lines are connected and form a pattern. The design is symbolic of God’s involvement in all of life. The lines weave in and out to form the cross. The design conveys the depth and beauty of God’s love—solid but not simple. Such is the gift of the Anglican tradition. A person’s understanding of faith—what it is, how it works, what it requires—has much to do with the churches that person has attended and one’s family. There are many people in our community who do not go to church. Of course, there are many reasons for not attending. This issue of faith is a big one. Some people were convinced long ago as children that they did not have faith. Rather than feeling somehow less than holy, they now stay away. Who can blame them? God has created all people and blessed all with gifts, the ability to love and work for justice. When an institution somehow calls into question a person’s core value given to them by God, why would that person go back to that institution when given a choice? This is where we come in. The Episcopal Church—this Episcopal church—has so much to offer to our neighbors. God calls us to express our faith in a ways that welcomes people. The Episcopal Church offers a loving place to explore faith. We have no belief requirements for attendance and participation. All baptized persons are invited to receive communion. All are welcome because, we believe that God acts through the sacraments. God acts. God is faithful. God reaches out to us. For the same reason, we baptized infants, children and adults who are not sure about every line of the creed. Why? Again, we believe that God’s faithfulness calls us into relationship. Our faith grows through the experience of God’s faithfulness. The church maintains the historic faith and invites individuals to explore it. Faith is more about hope than certainty. Faith is not an object to be possessed but rather an experience in which to engage. We are a community of faith. God has faith in us. We are here because of God’s faithfulness. Because we choose to be a part of God’s dream for the world, our church a sign of hope. As a church that invites people to explore faith, we open the way for faith to grow. God will act through our ministry in ways that we cannot even imagine. "...faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not see." Amen.