It's Called a Journey of Faith

     Over the past 14 weeks I’ve spent most Wednesday evenings with 10 middle schoolers, a few adults, and about 10 high school mentors in Confirmation classes.  Confirmation is that time when one decides that they are going to step on a path with the saints of the church and live more deliberately as followers of Jesus Christ. 
    Often Confirmation language includes phrases like “being saved” or “becoming a member of the church,” and it can include these, but the longer I’m in it, the more I realized that Confirmation and the faith itself is less about the destination and more about the journey.  That when one becomes a member of the Church they live into the faith in a different, more intentional way, which when taken seriously and done deliberately actually should add more stress to life and more struggle than had one decided not to join the church.
    Such struggle and stress can come by simply committing to invest in a group of flawed, sinful people attempting to live in community.  That is, Jesus was correct when he said, “Nothing is impossible with God,” and thank God that’s the case because the call on the Church is to meld the hearts, minds, and actions of people of faith...which is indeed an impossible thing but for God’s grace.
    But the stress and struggle is deeper than just trying to all get along, for when one commits to follow Christ, one commits to follow One who was a witness to another way of living.  They strive to do things that the world doesn’t understand, and there are many who, like Jesus, make such a nuisance of themselves that they suffer the consequences.
    And so on Sunday morning 10 of our own, 10 who have been in many ways protected and cared for, will come forward, stand before the Body of Christ, and proclaim to the community of faith, “What you have, I want to have.  Who you are, I want to be.  I hope I’ve learned enough to live into this commitment.”
    On the flip side of this, we who have been at this for awhile stand before them and say, “Well, we’ll try.  We’ll share what we’ve learned, including the fact that there will be hard times and times when it doesn’t make sense.  There will be times when there will be great joy and hope, and there will be moments when all joy and hope will be gone because Jesus’ challenge to live by this odd way appear to be too much.
    Most importantly, however, both sides look at each other and realize that this agreement, this commitment, that we make is really a commitment to journey together.  It’s a commitment to state boldly that it’s called a journey of faith.  It’s not so much a belief system, but it is an acknowledgment that on a journey there are moments when the signage is few and far between, when what we say is not necessary what we do (and vice versa), and when it really does take faith, trust, and hope to make it to the next day, hour, or even minute.  And in making that commitment, we are emboldened by the Spirit to invest in the journey together.

    The ninth chapter of Luke’s Gospel begins with Jesus sending the 12 disciples out on a journey.  Up to this point Jesus has done some amazing and miraculous things, and they all marvel at what He can do.  But then he calls them together and says, “I give you authority and power to take care of demons and diseases, to heal, and to proclaim the Kingdom of God.”  And then, as if that’s not difficult enough, Jesus says, “...and you can’t take anything with you.  Just go on the journey.”  And they did.  They went on that journey, and God used them to reveal God’s power, heal the world around them, and preach about this new world that Jesus was ushering in.
    That had to have been a scary proposition.  It had to have been a hard thing because they didn’t know what was coming.  They didn’t have a clue how to do what they were called to do.  They didn’t know what it would look like, this journey, but they did it anyway.  They did it together, trusting, following, sharing, and learning.
    On Sunday morning as we pass on this faith to our young disciples, it’s as if we touch them and say, “My daddy and momma did this for me, and I’m gonna do it for you.  You now have the authority of God to heal and preach and live the way.”  And the authority is passed on to them.
    The truth of the matter is, it’s a scary proposition, for they don’t know what’s coming.  They have no clue what God might call them to do, and yet if they trust, follow, share, and learn, then they step into the journey of a lifetime. 
    And best of all...neither they, nor we, do it alone.  Instead, we journey together...and with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


What has the journey been like for you?  What does the journey mean to you?...to others?