The opening text will come from a book by Abraham Joshua Heschel (God in Search of Man - A Philosophy of Judaism). As you are able to see by the title, the language may be a bit dated and therefore, I will, when able, make the language inclusive.
Faith comes out of awe, out of an awareness that we are exposed to (God’s) presence, out of anxiety to answer the challenge of God, out of an awareness of our being called upon. Religion consists of God’s question and (humanity’s) answer. The way to faith is the way of faith. The way to God is the way of God. Unless God asks the question, all our inquiries are in vain.
The answer lasts a moment, the commitment continues. Unless the awareness of the ineffable mystery of existence becomes a permanent state of mind, all that remains is a commitment without faith. To strengthen our alertness, to refine our appreciation of the mystery is the meaning of worship and observance. For faith does not remain stationary. We must continue to pray, continue to obey to be able to believe and to remain attached to (God’s) presence.
We all need to remember that “faith does not remain stationary.” Everyday is a consequence of our stepping off in faith. Therefore, I suppose we could look back at our day and it would tell us a bit about that in which we place our faith. At the same time, we are always free to trust again each and every day…to continue in faith…to leap into what is not yet. When we come together for worship we train ourselves to take another look at our day and everything around us. Through our hymns and through the Meal and the Word, we are challenged to respond to our God who is forever bidding us to come and live a whole new life. I find that worship presses me to look with faithful eyes at a world that is forever changing and then trusting that our God is in, with, and under all the change and all of what will come of it.
Connection: Do not remain in one place…the place you find comfortable for you. Take the step to journey into this day as though our God is laying out a carpet of new life upon which we are invited to walk.
Be present in our day, O Lord. Be present to lift our eyes so that we may be amazed by the glory of this day which you hand to us. Be present and grasp us with the power of your Spirit so that we may engage ourselves with those we meet along the way. Amen.
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