Message from August 18.

Today we had a wonderfully stimulating exploration of Faith in contemporary times as it has evolved historically.
We know that church attendance is significantly reduced these days, particularly among young generations, and the reduction is at least partially due to the misleading association of religion and religious practices with true Faith. So the focus of today’s message was on Faith, how we can believe what we cannot see or prove.
We accept a concept like LOVE which is not tangible but we know it is real because we experience it. Science believes in DARK MATTER and dark energy because, even though it can’t be seen, there is accepted evidence of its effect in the behaviour of the universe. These two of many examples confirm that we do believe in invisible realities. So why is it so difficult to believe in God when God’s effect is also visible?
We have extensive evidence of God’s effect through history. It is visible for everyone to review: in the history of the Jewish people; in the written documentation of the Bible, much of which is being confirmed as authentic through modern archeological science; in miracles which many of us experience but do not always recognize or acknowledge; in documented testimony of healing; in the infinite magnificence of creation that was not a one-time event but an ongoing process of our expanding universe; in science and mathematics which clarify our understanding of the complexities of life; and in morality as we experience the tension between Good and Evil. We can trust our belief in God because of these varied, extensive, real, and measurable sources of confirmation. Trust is always an essential component of belief.
And so Faith is based on evidence of things we cannot see, and God has given us enough evidence to make our own choice, to offer us the certainty of the effects we can see. We have to be willing to be open to them and then to live our Faith with trust on a day-by-day relationship with God.