Read: Romans 4:13-25

“Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.” – Romans 4:16

Wow! I wonder how my Grandfather, a Pentecostal preacher, would have dealt with this passage. Since we lived half a continent apart, I only heard him preach a few times, and Jonathan Edwards’ sermon title, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” summarizes my recollection of his message. He often quoted John 14:6, “I am THE WAY and the truth and the life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me.” It was THE WAY – and no other.

I grew up hearing and believing that message in a Christian home, and, mostly, a Christian small town. But Paul’s message in Romans tells a different story: Grace is guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring, including Greeks, and by extension Gentiles…”He is the Father of us all.” Hmmm…. Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, tribal cultures, those who are spiritual, but not religious? It sounds like Paul is saying that the answer is “YES,” if we have faith in God. Interactions with many people of various cultures and beliefs over the years have helped redefine my belief system. Many differences define our faith journeys, but our commonality far outweighs these differences.

So, Grandpa, you were right as far as your faith allowed you to go, and you were right in terms of my recognition of Jesus as the way for me. And I will continue to connect with my other brothers and sisters who are Abraham’s children as well!

Dear God, grant us your wisdom and understanding to seek to know ALL of your children and their faith journeys. Amen.
-Cathey Frederick

Read: Romans 4:13-25

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed. . .” – Romans 4:18

How many times in our lives have we faced trials and tribulations for which we have little or no hope? Once? Twice? More?

For me, many times.

For many years in my first marriage, I pleaded with the Lord: When will this abuse/addiction/adultery ever end? Do I forgive and forgive and forgive again? For how long? And at what cost? Until there is nothing left of me, or at least nothing recognizable?

Or do I risk a new life?

With little more than a pocketful of faith, I left my 28-year marriage with the clothes on my back and a few mementos, walking into the unknown.

Slowly, through prayer and counsel and reflection and time, I rose to the surface anew, raised to life again from the proverbial dead.

Did I do this alone? By no means! There were sisters, friends, and even strangers. Late night phone calls and time alone in nature. Tears and more tears before a hint of a smile (the laughter came later). And through it all, Christ.

“Without weakening his faith,” Abraham believed. Let it be so for all of us as we face insurmountable odds. May we be strengthened in our faith through our inevitable trials and tribulations—and give all the glory to God for seeing us through.

Dear Lord, in the midst of our troubled lives, thank you for shouldering our burdens. Soli Deo Gloria. Amen.
-Ashley E. Sweeney

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“For Christ also died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…” –1 Peter 3:18

The question that I have asked all of my reflection writers is “Where do you find hope in this passage?” I find hope in these words written by the author of 1 Peter to persecuted churches in Asia Minor, an area of modern-day Turkey. I’m a convert, so I appreciate these words to churches full of converts to Christianity.

Unlike some claims of evangelical Christians in the USA, these churches were facing active persecution where they faced loss of family, livelihood, and frequently their lives. The Roman emperor Nero blamed the Great Fire of Rome on Christians, according to the Roman historian Tacitus, and had Christians burned alive for it. These churches were living in scary times, and the reminder that Christ died for them to bring them to God would have given them a measure of hope. They would have known well how violent and horrible crucifixion was, and someone voluntarily suffering it on their behalf would have been a compelling act of love. Almost 2,000 years later, that act of love serves to bring me closer to God.

Thank you Jesus for suffering once for my sins. Amen.
-Jen McCabe

Read: 1 Peter 3:18-22

“…when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.” – 1 Peter 3:20

When considering Noah’s ark, I think about sailing towards a particular port or destination. As sailors, we try to prepare for all eventualities – topping off drinking water and fuel supplies plus traveling with up-to-date maritime charts, life jackets, and proper foul weather gear. We enjoy having our first meal prepped and ready for reheating. Shep and I have sailed with our children, grandkids, friends, and, back in the day, our racing crew. We’ve even sailed with our pet cats.

Among all my memories, one stands out above all the others. We were sailing from the Everett Marina towards Hat (Gedney) Island and checking out everything on our fairly new sailboat. The day was lovely. Randy, one of Shep’s students, was aboard as our “deck ape” crew. Kelly, our young daughter, and Geoff, her tagalong 3 year old brother, were also aboard. Our children knew the drill. If they were anywhere other than the cabin, life jackets were required. So there we were – the sun was shining and we were kicking back and living the good life; the kids were below deck in the cabin. Suddenly Randy shouted that Geoff was overboard and Randy jumped in right after him into that very cold water. Suddenly, “man overboard” was no longer a safety drill. Shep managed to wrestle the boat around and we headed back the way we’d come.

When we reached them, Shep dealt with the tiller and our position while Randy lifted Geoff up to me and I got him on board. Then I hauled Randy up and out; the average water in Puget Sound averages somewhat under 50°F. Randy was a grown man and my ability to pull him on board is still something of a mystery. Did I mention neither Geoff nor Randy was wearing a life jacket? Did I mention a sailboat doesn’t spin on a dime? Did we realize that the kids would figure out how to climb up through the forward hatch and we wouldn’t notice? Let me tell you about ‘hope’ as we circled back to search for and retrieve Randy and Geoff. The time it took for the rescue still seems elongated – taking days, not minutes. Would we find them? Were they underwater? Were they alive? Hope, fear, and dread were my companions.

On this day, hope overcame all. This was a short afternoon sail – not a sail for 40 days. We had no menagerie, not even a kitty. We didn’t have to have enormous amounts of food on board. Yet I’m left with a glimmering of what that long-ago ark voyage was like and how it succeeded. I think I understand some of the worry and fretting that was present among all the passengers. I know about desperately hoping and then discovering that ‘hope’ is a more faithful companion than ‘fear’ or ‘dread.’ Imperfect know-it-alls that we sometimes are, God lifts us up through hope and that’s when we truly discover the ‘good life.’ I agree with Father Paul who said when “there’s a rough spot on the sea, there’s smoother sailing ahead.”

Thank you for the hope that there is always smoother sailing ahead. Amen.
-Sue Shepherd