I read a lot. My faith is my strength and my commitment to being a good Christian is true. I'm human. I do and have done things that either don't seem right or aren't right, but everything I do or have done has been preceded with the thought "Will I be accountable for this?"
My faith has not lessened, but in fact has grown. I am always amazed and thankful that God loves me...and I always feel it, especially when He reaches down and grabs me - saving me from a fall....again and again.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen
My faith is a calm, cool body of water in which I, as a fish, swim. As a fish cannot survive without its watery home, I too am dependent upon my faith to sustain me and to give me life. Additionally, while the identity of a fish is always associated with its dependence on water, so too do I seek to identify myself as a faithful Christian through my actions, words and service.
God be in my head and in my understanding; God be in my eyes and in my looking; God be in my mouth and in my speaking; God be in my heart and in my thinking; God be at my end and my departing. (Prayer from the Old Sarum Primer)
My conscious life in Christ began in the Presbyterian Church where my mother was the organist. I learned from an early age not only to praise God through music, but to hear His voice through music, as well. For almost four years, I have been a member of the choir at Plaza Presbyterian church where I’ve been a member since 1999. Pre-choir days, I thoroughly enjoyed sitting with the Congregation, engaged in worship from that perspective. I wanted to open my heart and have the Word poured in. Singing in the choir is more than joyfully singing – we lead worship, we assist in worship and we are active participants in worship – a far cry from the peaceful refuge in the back of the church! For me, singing in the choir is a joy and a responsibility– much like being a Christian.
“…Let all rejoice who have a voice to raise! And may God give us faith to sing always! Alleluia!”
Through God’s grace we are saved, and we cannot “earn” God’s love or forgiveness. Through Jesus Christ we may revel in the glorious grace of God. However, I believe that as Christians we have certain responsibilities. God sent Jesus to show us that He loves us – as such, I believe that we are responsible for loving each other. I believe that this is also a great challenge. As human beings we all have particular failings inherent in the very nature of our humanity. As Christians, we are to rise above those sinful ways but also not to judge or to detest others for exhibiting the same traits that we fight against, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. As Christians we are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. We are also directed to love one another. We share God’s love with others by being kind, serving God in our churches and communities, and by humbly listening for God’s voice through the din of the world.
“…and they’ll know we are Christians by our love…”
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
