Faith Is...

If you happened to attend the “Elbows Up: Canadian Songs for a Summer’s Night” singalong as part of Summer in the Spirit on Wednesday night at the Tobermory Legion, then, perhaps, like me, you’re still feeling warm and fuzzy… Over 60 people turned up, many wearing red and white, to sing along to the songs that have formed and shaped our Canadian identity… “Four Strong Winds;” “The Farmer’s Song;” “Alouette…” Brian Taylor, Brian Osborne and Arnie Crittenden (Bluesky Day) received a standing ovation, and not only that, but funds were raised for both the Golden Dawn and the Tobermory Legion. Yes, it was a good night…

We carry that summer energy into our service of worship for Sunday. This summer, our topics have not been light. We’ve wondered about how to pray. We’ve pondered what to do with abundance. This Sunday will be no different, as we tackle the definition of faith. We’re going to move from the Gospels into the letter to the Hebrews, specifically, chapter 11, where the author (most scholars believe that this is one of the letters that Paul himself didn’t actually write) writes, “Now, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. . .” What a good definition of faith, but how easy is it to uphold?

This Sunday, we will once again be blessed by the music leadership of Gwen Chapman and M.E. Kish. They’ll be teaching us a hymn that M.E. wrote entitled “Breathe In.” Good advice for an August Sunday morning…

To prepare, read Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16 and ponder the following:

1.       If you had to write a definition of faith, what would you write?

2.       Would it bolster your faith to receive a letter such as this one?

Bluesky Day (Brian Taylor, Arnie Crittenden and Brian Osborne filled the Tobermory Legion for "Elbows Up: Canadian Songs for a Summer Night," part of Summer in the Spirit, August 6.