On Sunday, January 12, we ordained and installed elders in the Class of 2027. In preparation for their service, they all wrote statements of faith which they shared with the Session on Saturday. Their charge was not to write a statement of faith but their statement of faith. Their statements embraced not only what they believe, but also the faith journeys that brought them to this point. We ask the same thing of our confirmands as they join the church – intentional reflection on what they believe. What might your statement of faith look like, were you asked to write one? It might be helpful to include God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit there somewhere, but what would you say? Each week in worship we give voice to our faith through the words of a creed or confession of faith that was articulated by our ancestors in faith. Do their words accurately reflect the faith you hold? Or would you choose other words or images to express what you believe, what you trust to be true about the God who created, redeems, and sustains you? As elders who have served more than one term here will attest, faith grows over time; any statement of faith reflects only a snapshot of the faith you hold in that moment. New life experiences, new insights, and new doubts challenge and deepen faith along the way, and give rise to new ways of expressing that faith. In this new year, consider taking a few moments to reflect on the faith you now hold; jot down two lists: 1) those things you believe wholeheartedly and 2) those questions or doubts you hold. Then consider how you might address those doubts or wrestle with those questions – perhaps attend a class or read a book that reflects on some of those same questions or doubts; talk with Rae or me or a trusted friend; try a new practice or find a new form of service; or take to God in prayer those nagging doubts or questions that are present in this stage of your life and faith journey. For it is in wrestling with our doubts and questions that faith grows – sometimes slowly, sometimes in fits and spurts, sometimes in “aha” moments, sometimes in the embrace of a mystery that will never be fully explained. It is worth the questioning and wrestling with the doubts and making the journey of faith, for it is a journey we share as God’s church in this place!
— John Peterson
