Please read the scriptures from the weekend: Romans 3:21-28

As I contemplated Pastor Sarah’s message, it became a roundabout of avenues, I could take surrounding faith. Where did my faith come from? What was I doing with my faith? How was I sharing my faith? Am I teaching my faith? This circle was endless. The circle was endless, too, in that our faith is being grown and nurtured by God and returned to us in a joyful endless circle as well. So much to dwell on and in.

My cousins at church can verify there was never a time we visited or just spent Sundays together that we weren’t in church together. I lost track of the times I accidently dropped the offering basket on the shining wood floors to my embarrassment and their laughter and the noise of coins dropping on the floor. To watch my grandfather and their dad and mine sit on the “men’s side” while we sat on the “women’s side.” The Sunday School medals for 8 years my mother saved from her childhood years. They didn’t share their faith much but we all knew where they stood on the “faith issue.” And I, in turn, missed very few Sundays growing up at Sheridan. In fact I’m blessed to still have many of my Sunday School teachers from those years still present in my life.

But, for me, faith has grown over the years into a joy at being present body and soul and witness that my “church family” feels the same way. The experiences over the years from Faith Builders to the Bible Recap (reading the Bible in one year) and writing my Christian children’s book that I feel God has a path for my life as well as all of us. We will not always and maybe never know where that path will take us, but the joy of the ride and that path getting there is part of what makes faith possible. The knowledge that God loves us so much is the blessing sustaining us. That precious circle.

We have a new opportunity to share our faith with others daily. It can be something as simple as a smile to a stranger or as mysterious as taking the chance to visit with someone in our church family you haven’t seen in a while – asking if they’d have a minute to share in what ways God is surprising you. Perhaps it can be joining an adult class on Wednesday nights or the Adult Sunday School class on Sunday mornings for laughter and sharing the Scriptures. Each day presents us the chance to change our life of faith for God’s desired future.

Let us pray: Thank you, Lord, for the amazing circle of our faith path. Your gifts are never ending! Please let Christ be seen in me today an always! Amen

Written by Fran Baatz

Fran has been a lifelong member of Sheridan as the first baby girl to be baptized back in 1953 as her parents were charter members. She loves to serve as a part of the Hospitality team as well as one of the Sheridan quilting teams. She is also a member of Lydia Circle. Fran has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren she adores as well as her two daughters.