Wednesday, September 9

Today’s Readings: Proverbs 14:1-9; Matthew 17:14-21; Psalm 73:1-20

I had the extreme blessing of being raised in a small church when I was growing up. Some folks out there in cyberspace might be wondering if they read the last sentence correctly. That’s because many make the mistake of believing that a blessed church is a large church. I would disagree with such a conclusion. “On what grounds?” you might ask. “Isn’t it the big churches that have the resources needed to provide top-notch ministry?” I suppose if you equate the phrase “top notch ministry” with things like big screens, projectors, and expensive sound systems that you would be right in questioning my opening statement. But if you think that top-notch ministry is about more than just material resources, then you might continue reading. I say I was blessed to be raised in a small church because that church taught me something valuable about life; it taught me that if you want something badly enough - and have the faith to pursue it - then there are good chances it will come to pass. When our small church wanted to send its youth to summer camp each summer, guess what happened? We found enough money to send the kids who wanted to go. And when an individual went through the loss of a loved one, guess what happened? The people in the community pulled together to provide the support needed to see the individual through his or her loss. Whatever need arose, it always seemed as if we had just enough to see us through. As a result, I grew to become a raging optimist about facing the challenges life throws my way. In other words, I grew up believing that I should take seriously the words attributed to Jesus in today’s Gospel reading: “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle” (Matthew 17:20-21 from The Message). You might find yourself in circumstances where you feel as if the challenges before you are greater than the resources you have at your disposal. If that’s the case, today I would encourage you to hold Jesus’ words close to your heart and make them your mantra. For remember – “there is NOTHING you won’t be able to tackle” – as long as you remember to bring one thing with you at each step of your journey: your faith. Til next time…