Possibilities

Most likely I have written something before under this title. If so, place a ‘2’ or ‘B’ after today’s title. I’ve lost track of repeat use of titles and frankly I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. It truly doesn’t.

What does matter is that we allow ourselves to be in the present authentically enough so we interact productively with others in real time. The here and now is important. We get caught up in details so often we forget the here and now, and we also forget why we are working hard in the first place. What is the purpose of this effort? Why are we so committed to it? And what is the ‘it’?

Mission. I’ve said it before. Mission is a definitive purpose of what we are serving or doing.

I’ve attended several meetings of late where our discussions ultimately came down to revisiting our purpose, yes, our mission. If we talk about something as though it is a problem in need of attention, why is it a problem, and if we fix it, what good will that do? Will it further our mission in any tangible form? Will our efforts today be of value tomorrow? Are we moving forward?

Perhaps our discussion is not to fix anything, but rather to refocus on what we are about in the first place. Not a bad exercise, really. We often become hazy on why we do things. The mission ought always be in full focus, perhaps a placard on the wall or hung around our necks to fully remind us of what we are about.

Our church is small. The congregation has committed members and walk-ins, too. It has diverse ages and backgrounds but not so much ethnic selection among its gatherers. It has a music ministry comprised of volunteers and home-grown talents. All good. All dedicated and reaching outward. Not all confident in quality or artistry, but somehow so very real and beautiful in its honesty.

Faith journeys are like that. Not knowing all the theological purposes of our denomination’s history, dogma, traditions doesn’t deter us from individually moving along the journey’s track toward fuller understanding. That growing sense of faith – in something, if not God alone – is more a blossoming of the self into a bundle of energy bursting with possibility. What will be will be, what I am is here before you this very moment, what God means in your life and mine is an individual spark of discovery in the moment. It is not the product of dogma or ritual. It is meaning conjured in the brain for each of us in our own time. Moments. Connected moments. Disconnected moments. We experience this mystery of faith in believing and hope of power and senses that bring great joy and meaning for life.

I am not a very good Christian as it turns out. I do not believe in the absolute divinity of Christ as the son of God. I do believe a man named Jesus existed in the historical sense, and in a virtual sense, is the son of God just like you and I are his sons and daughters. I view Christ as a model or ideal to compare our lives to and to challenge our faith in God.

Will our faith be rewarded? No one knows. Only you and I can know for ourselves. And that’s the point of this posting today.

The point is we all make our own journey in purpose and faith day by day to serve our own sense of value and worth. Luckily that value can only be measured in our effect on the lives of others. They too have an effect on our lives. Together we make the world a better place in which to live. And that becomes a grand stage for something much larger than ourselves.

A grand stage. A place to launch possible outreachings of love, and care and purpose. A mission of love and care so we might all share peace and serenity with one another. A central core of peace within.

Possibility of joy planted in the lives of others so we live fruitful lives of happiness and purpose. The faith of love. The faith of purpose. The church universal of caring and touching others. That is our ministry. Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, only the latter we don’t really focus on because we are intent on doing the former. The latter just happens. Just like peace happens – because enough of us care that it does.

Could all of life be this simple? Is this what education is all about? And history? And math? And science? And theology?

I believe in many things, but God is one constant I’ve been lucky to have in my life from the beginning. I didn’t always know this, but it was there and this is the root of faith. The rest is our effort to share it with others. Sometimes we do this well; other times not so well. All the more reason to refocus our attention.

Let me count my blessings…no, let me count the possibilities!

Now we’re getting somewhere.

December 17, 2015