Renewing Faith: Introduction

Note: You can view this teaching on our YouTube Channel. Today I begin a new series, Renewing Faith, where we will examine some key concepts that serve to form Christianity, determining which pieces are timeless and need to be honored and kept, as well as those parts that clearly need to be left in their historical context – appreciated to some extent, but no longer key to our belief. February, being Black History Month in the United States, affords us an interesting intersection which I hope to take advantage of: how we think about race in our country also needs to be examined in ways similar to our theology. I am going to work to make this a practical and helpful series that also assists with our ongoing deconstruction and reconstruction faith project. May it be so!

Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) is a man I don’t remember knowing anything about until I sat in on a Black History Month event. His research and development of ideas led to our capacity to store blood. How many WWII soldiers lived beyond their otherwise lethal wounds because his discovery allowed for blood to be wherever the wounded were tended. Unfortunately, he was never admitted to the American Medical Association. He also chose to part ways – in protest – with his association with American Red Cross. Both of these were due to the fact that he was African American. The AMA didn’t allow him membership, and the Red Cross didn’t allow the blood’s integration. Yet his work and legacy impact lives now and forever. Thank God for Charles Richard Drew! He honored his passion, which served as a call of sorts that led him to make a massive, long lasting impact on our world.

This week’s collection of passages has us looking at Isaiah’s vision, hearing the call and passionately responding “Here am I”! It also has Paul speaking of his vision, call, and response to God – an unlikely character given his previous vision for his life. Finally, there is a scene of Jesus, first teaching the large crowd from a boat offshore, then instructing Peter and company to put out again and fish after they were exhausted and disheartened. They honored Jesus’ request and were blown away by their experience, which led them to humbly bow before Jesus, when they heard their version of the call, followed by their decision to follow.

Three characters all blown away by different kinds of visions of God that brought them to their knees. Paradigms blown. New ways of thinking about how God was at work in the world. All called. All responded affirmatively. All led to incredibly important, but also extremely challenging work that would alter their sense of themselves and the world.

God is still showing up in various ways – at the right moment, in the right way according to the person. Are we aware of the presence of God right where we are?

God is still putting out the call to go forth, proclaiming the Good News, which truly is good but can come across as bad news to those who need to change.

Who will hear? Who will go?

Sometimes the call seems very small an ordinary, yet exactly what we’re called to do. Being willing and open to do what may or may not feel uncomfortable – to make the phone call, have the cup of coffee, to be honest about how you’re feeling with someone about something, to heed the call to introspection, to heed the call to action, to be humbled, to stand for something that makes you feel really vulnerable, to stand with someone who needs to know they are not alone, to clearly state when something isn’t right...

The list of how God is at work and inviting us into the work is endless. It seems that in each instance there is a recognition of God’s presence. A humility in light of God’s presence. An understanding of God’s call in some way. A decision to say yes. A discovery that it was going to be different than we thought, tougher than we imagined, yet more compelling and important than we could dream.

May you be inspired by the stories of Isaiah, Peter, and Paul who heeded the call to move forward with God even though it was very hard and met with resistance. May you be inspired by Charles Richard Drew who lived at a time when he was not fully appreciated, yet used his skills to serve humanity in ways that far outlived him, even while challenging the status quo.