OCtober Newsletter We Trust in God

Do we really? When we get right down to it do we really trust in God? Sometimes I wonder about that.

That four word line, “We Trust in God” is at the middle of the United Church Creed (aka the New Creed). I think that this is intentional. Sometimes, not always but sometimes, being in the exact center of a piece of poetry is a telling thing. In our case it places the idea of trusting in God at the center of our faith statement. Does that put it at the center of our faith?

I think trust in God is pretty close to the center of our faith. I think that we trust in the God revealed by Jesus. We trust that God is a work within the world establishing God’s Kingdom as was proclaimed by Jesus. We trust that God is providing for our welfare, giving us life and that in abundance. In theory at least.

To be honest I often think we trust in God in our words, in our statements, in our rhetoric. I also think we often live out of doubt. I think we live as if we trust God, but trust ourselves a bit more. This is, perhaps, most true in the question of whether we trust that God is there to provide life in abundance.

Maybe it is because we have grown up in a society that puts a lot of emphasis on the need to be independent. Maybe it is because many people live with the worry that some day they will not have ‘enough’. Maybe it is because there are so many voices telling us that we have to look out for ourselves – no one else will do it for us. For what ever reason it seems like our first instinct is to trust in ourselves rather than in God.

This year on Thanksgiving Sunday we will be reading a passage from the Sermon on the Mount. In that passage Jesus tells his listeners that they should not worry about things like food or clothing. God clothes the lilies of the field and feeds the birds of the air, Jesus says, so why would God not do the same for you? Whenever I read that passage I am reminded of a piece by Natalie Sleeth I learned many many years ago in Sunshine Choristers (as our Junior Choir was called) named Consider the Lilies. The last verse of it goes:

For more than the lilies that bloom and grow, more than the birds of the air,
Your Maker forever your need will know and feed you with heavenly care.
Through the grace of God above, tending all in constant love,
Every want shall be supplied, for God the Lord will provide.

Can we trust in God that much? Can we truly stop worrying about food or clothing or shelter? Can we simply trust that God will ensure our basic needs are met, freeing us to spend energy on other issues? [As a side note, this is part of the argument for a Guaranteed Livable Income, to take away the worry about basic needs and free up energy for other things but that is a whole other column.] Honestly I am not sure if I can.

I am a worrier. I overthink. I can almost always find the worst possible result to any situation. The idea of simply trusting that my basic needs will be met is a little bit daunting.

I do trust in many things. I trust that God is at work in the world. I trust that God is gracious and forgiving. I trust that some how God is working to bring a Kingdom of Shalom out of this mess we call life. But trusting in the every day provision of needs? That is still a growing edge for me.

What about you? Where do (and don’t) you trust God?
Gord