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A Journey Unlike Any Other

December 14, 2024

Isaiah 8:1-15| 2 Thessalonians 3:6-18| Luke 22:31-38

Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us.

They say that Faith is a journey.  Truth be told, I have found many things in life to be a journey, including life itself.  I believe this to be mostly a good thing – to grow as we experience new adventures, to learn as we move beyond first impressions, and to investigate on our own rather than accepting what we are told.  When I first started school in 1959, it was right after Russia launched Sputnik.  Educators then challenged us in the sixties to accept nothing at face value and to question most everything.  We dreamed of what was possible, and set about to make it happen.

Faith’s journey for most starts with belief – accepting to be true that which cannot be proven with physical evidence.  There is a difference between Faith and Belief – for instance, without knowing, I believe that the world’s armies have the capacity to end the world.  I have Faith that they won’t.  It was not until belief became understanding for me that my journey moved on.  I think back to one of Craig Burlington’s sermons – I believe he called it an “Ah Ha” moment.

Being a Christian, though, is more than just belief and understanding.  Christ’s call is not to be idle believers – he asks that we follow in his footsteps.  His call was not an affirmation of who you are but a call to service, to change you into all that you could become (Be all that you can be, no that was the Army) – to work to make life better for all. 

Here at St. Luke’s, there are many ways to follow and share that which you have been blessed with – be it your time, your talents, or your treasure, to make a difference.   Lee Iacocca, in a series of advertisements for Chrysler back in the eighties would say “Lead, Follow or get out of the way.”  Christ will lead, we must follow.  Let us not stand in the way as just idle believers.

Peace and Grace,

Michael Sullivan