Joplin Community of Christ

Increase Our Faith

Today’s Prayer for Peace – Germany

Direct link to download today’s audio message http://jcoc.no-ip.org/media/JoplinCOC-10-03-2010.mp3

http://jcoc.no-ip.org/media/JoplinCOC-10-03-2010.mp3

Message: Margo Peterson

Increase Our Faith

Ordinary Time (Proper 22)

Announcements

Wednesday, Oct. 6
Mid-Week Renewal of the Spirit – 6:00 PM
Sunday, Oct. 10
Theme: Rise and Go
Presider: Lester Lay
Speaker: Steve Hicks
Musician: Margo Peterson
Morning Devotions: Barbara Baert
Deacon in Charge: Carl Gurley
Dinner Day – All are invited to stay for the potluck dinner following the 11:00 AM Service.
Saturday, Oct. 16
Mission Center Conference – 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM at the
Community of Christ Chapel for Peace, 909 W. Battlefield Rd.,
Springfield, MO. Guest speaker will be Apostle Rick Maupin.
There will be mixers and fellowship on Friday evening for youth
and young adults.
Oct. 29 – 31
Peace Colloquy – At the Temple, Independence, MO
November 6 -7
Vision Project – Bald Knob, AR
In his address to the church on April 5, 2009, Steve Veazey & the First Presidency committed to visit with young adults everywhere to capture their vision for Community of Christ. The Vision Project is their "world tour" to meet with them.

Birthdays & Anniversaries, Oct. 3 -9
5 Darrell Hagaman 5 Garrett Shank
6 Mark Shank 7 Raymond Brooks
7 Stanley Pyle 9 Caitlin Kingore
8 Shane and Heather Galbraith’s Anniversary!
Administration Teams. Sept. 26 – Oct. 9
Daytime & Evening: Lester and Patsy Lay

Scriptures: Lamentations 1:1–6; Psalm 137; II Timothy 1:1–14; Luke 17:5–10

Exploring the Scriptures

Luke places the disciples’ request for increased faith immediately after the difficult lesson on forgiveness, as if the disciples were protesting: “Wait a minute! It’s too hard to forgive that many times in one day! Increase our faith so we can follow your teaching.” Jesus’ response begins with a mild rebuke: “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed….” The implication is that the faith of the disciples is even tinier than one of the small black seeds of the local mustard plant. The rest of the statement appears to provide hope and comfort. Even faith so tiny can uproot a sycamine tree (in the King James version) and replant it in the sea. The image, however, is full of both humor and warning.

The sycamine tree is a large mulberry tree with deep, spreading roots. To uproot it would take an immense amount of effort and time. It would create quite a sensation among any observers. But apart from creating a sensation, what would be accomplished? Uprooting a sycamine would undoubtedly kill the tree. Furthermore, planting one in the sea would have no purpose at all, for the roots would find no hold in the sea bottom, and the salt water would kill it. The image presented, then, is of a tiny bit of faith being used to no good purpose. Paraphrased, it might read, “If you had even a tiny bit of faith, you’d probably use it to uproot a mulberry tree and plant it in the sea!”

Human beings are eager to ask for increased faith, but our motivation is often suspect. How do we intend to use or demonstrate that faith? Jesus calls his disciples to forgive seven times in one day, if necessary—something that we are capable of, but often unwilling to do. It does, indeed, require faith—faith in the person who is repentant and faith in our own ability to keep loving and forgiving. Even a tiny bit of faith will do; but if the investment of faith is flashy, public, with a demonstration of effort and self-righteousness, we will defeat the purpose and destroy relationships in the process.

Forgiveness is a delicate thing, deeply rooted in grace and love. A quiet expression of faith in a person who is repentant can empower transformation and stabilize a relationship in love. The sacrament of Communion is a sacrament of forgiveness and celebrates the relationships with one another and with God in community. Let us increase our faith in one another and in God so that we may help heal and empower those relationships.

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