Some of you will remember the story about the church that had difficulty completing their building and so worshipped in the basement for quite awhile. The basement was a dark place with totally inadequate lighting. A new young minister came to the congregation and decided that he would have a motion from the congregation to buy a chandelier for the basement. He proposed a motion and then called a congregational meeting to request approval. 

At the meeting, one old farmer stood up and said, “You know, I am apposed to this motion. I am apposed to it for three reasons. First reason is that no one knows how to spell it. The second reason is, if we did get one, nobody would know how to play it. The third reason is, what we really need around here is more light.” 

Some will say that what we really need in the church is more faith. Some of you will say, “What I really need is more faith.” Wouldn’t you like to have more faith? Wouldn’t you like to have a faith that could stand up against the news of a tragic accident or a natural disaster? A faith that could stand up against uncertain medical reports from your physician? A faith that could withstand the hurt or a broken promise or a broken relationship?  

Wouldn’t you like a faith that could stand up against the challenge from a very articulate atheist? One of the books on the New York Times best seller list right now is a book by Sam Harris entitled “The End of Faith”. He has also written another book entitled “Letter to a Christian Nation”[I] Sam Harris essentially says, “There is no God and faith is an illusion. How do you deal with faith in that kind of challenge? I remember that challenge that came my way years ago. First in a philosophy class in college and later with the late Carl Sagan and his view of the universe. 

Wouldn’t you like a faith that could stand up to the news flash that someone discovered the bones of Jesus and the grave of Jesus, his wife Mary Magdalene, and their son Judah? 

A whole bevy of challenges come our way regularly. Wouldn’t you like more faith? Wouldn’t you like a faith that could meet any and all challenges head on?  

People come into my office for consultation. Frequently, we will move through one of several topics. Perhaps it is a job loss or job demotion. Perhaps it is simply a house that won’t sell. Perhaps it is a very disappointing letter that someone receives in the mail. But frequently the conversation usually draws to a close with the person who is sitting across from me saying something like this, “Well, I guess what I really need is more faith.” 

Notice in our text for today that it is not outsiders who came to Jesus with this question. The question came from the inner circle of his closest disciples. They are the ones who said, “Lord increase our faith.” (Luke 17:6)

“Lord, please give us an extra helping of faith.” These are not strung out seekers, but Sunday school teachers. These are not curious unbelievers, but committee chairs and choir members. These are not people stuck in the secular, but regular worshippers – people who are in church week after week after week. The request comes from those who know what faith is, know that they lack it and want more. 

The disciples knew and we know that we can not attain the level of Jesus own faith. Still we want a greater faith. “Lord, increase our faith.” 

Some years ago, James Fowler wrote a book about the stages of faith. He said that there are six different stages of faith that move from a very childlike faith to what he calls “universalizing faith.” I have seen some extraordinary high levels of faith in my day. I have been around people who seem serene, secure, solid and stable in their faith. They maybe very close to James Fowler’s stage 6. 

Fowler says that stage 6 is very rare. He says, “They enliven our excitement and kindle our imagination. They are ready to spend and be spent to make the Kingdom of God real.” The disciples saw that highest level of faith in Jesus. They wanted some of it. “Lord, increase our faith.” 

On one occasion Jesus responded to them by saying, “Your faith is too small.” (Matthew 17:20)  

More often, Jesus’ response was much different. At least five times in the first three Gospels Jesus says something like this, “You don’t have to be me. You just need a seed. That is all you need. You just need a mustard seed’s worth of faith. A tiny bit will see you through, will keep you going, will keep you pressing on. A small seed of faith will capture and captivate you. That small seed will take you into the deeper world of the soul and spirit. Just a small seed will suffice.” 

I remember reading about a father who said to his daughter’s financé. “You can not marry my daughter until you have at least $10,000 in the bank.” The daughter was furious. She was angry and was getting angrier. Finally the father realized he might loose his daughter over this whole issue. So, one night he met with the financé again and he said, “How much have you saved?” The young man answered, “$112.18.” Replied, the father, “That is close enough.” 

Jesus is not asking you to be a super hero of faith, but to simply have a mustard seed’s worth. I like the lines from one of our hymns:           

I ask no dream, no prophet ecstasies.

            No sudden rending of the veil of clay.

            No angel visitant, no opening skies.

            Just take the dimness of my soul away. (UMH #500, v.2) 

Is that your prayer? That is what Jesus’ disciples asked. That is what they wanted most from Him. “Lord, increase our faith.” 

How do you grow a faith that will sustain you? 

BE INTENTIONAL 

First, be intentional about it. I wrote recently about hearing the Bishop of Missouri. He talked about what makes a vital church. What makes a Christian a vital Christian? #1 he said was radical hospitality. #2 passionate worship. But, #3 catches my attention this morning. He says, “A vital Christian is one who goes about intentional faith formation.” 

A Christian can not rest on the laurels of the past. You can not let one past experience nurture your faith for an entire lifetime. Nurturing and growing faith is a lifelong adventure. 

Sometimes it means taking an extra class or reading an extra book. Sometimes it means at least one faith building class a year. Sometimes it means giving up some busy sector of your life so that you can do so. Primarily, you must be intentional. 

LET THE CHURCH HELP 

Secondly, the mustard seed of faith grows when you let the church help.  

I read about a preacher in a church who was pretty dull in his delivery. He seemed to read every word and not be very passionate about what he read. One Sunday he was reading his sermon as usual, when someone in the balcony jumped up and said, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord, Amen.” 

The preacher was so startled that he lost his place in the sermon. He looked up in the balcony and said, “Is the brother up there alright?” Someone shouted down, “The brother just got religion.” Replied the preacher, “Well, he didn’t get it here.” 

This is a place of faith building. 

I saw a cartoon outside a church that said First United Methodist “Faith Boutique.” The minister was saying to his secretary, “Our church growth consultant thinks the term church sounds outdated.” 

But it is not outdated at all. The church is here to form you, to shape you, to mold you into a person of faith. We try to look very closely at what we can offer here. How will this class, this series, or this offering build a stronger disciple? It is one of the two most important things we do.  

My model for the church is both inreach and outreach. Faith building is inreach. It is a shaping of your faith formation. I want you to be resilient and ready Christians. That is priority for us. 

A colleague of mine was really passionate about this in his church. He declared that nothing could happen in his church that did not help form disciples in some significant way. One day he walked into the church and saw an aerobics class in the gymnasium of the church. He asked what was going on and he was told it was an aerobics class. He asked, “Does this have anything to do with making Christian disciples?” “Well, no.” came the response. He replied, “Then this is their last day here.” 

I want you to grow in faith because of this place, because of this community of believers. Let the church help plant a mustard seed of faith in you. 

USE CRISES FORMATIVELY 

Thirdly, the seed of faith is grown when you use crises formatively. In a time of difficulty or stress or struggle or grief or anxiety ask the question: What is God saying to me right now? Where is God leading me with this? What faith development issues are important here? 

How many times have one of you said to me something like this:

  I grew tremendously at the time of my brother’s death.

  I learned so much about God during my unemployment.

  My faith took real shape as I was going through my divorce.

  My time in the hospital was truly formative or me. 

There is an Arabian proverb that says, “All sunshine makes a desert.” None of us wants or seeks crises in our lives. But, we can use crises formatively.

Martin Luther said, “Faith is the yes of the heart, a confidence on which one stakes one’s life.” 

I want that kind of possibility for each of you. A faith on which you can stake your life. I want you to be able to see crises formatively. 

Some of you will remember one of my favorite quotations from my seminary day spoken by a professor of theology in my first semester in seminary. I will never forget it. He said this, “God does not will everything that happens, but in everything that happens God wills good.” God wills some level of faith formation in everything. 

Suzie Ackerman, our worship director for Sunday Night, sang a song a few weeks ago at a Sunday Night service. I liked it a lot. The song is entitled “Hold On.” The chorus goes like this:           

So hold, love will find you.

            Hold on, He’s right behind you.

            Just turn around, He’s right behind you now.

            Just turn around. Love will find you.[II] 

I thought as she sang that night. This is the theme of the New Testament. This is especially the theme of the Gospel of Mark. The gospel writer is saying, “Hold on.  No matter what. Have faith. Maintain faith. Take courage. Don’t be afraid to risk. And God’s love will find you and sustain you. 

The next time you face a crises, ask this question. “How might God be using this formatively and creatively in me?” 

EXERCISE SOME COURAGE 

Finally, to grow a mustard seed of faith you need to exercise some courage. Someone gave advice to John Wesley one time: “Preach faith until you have it; then preach it because you have it.” Taking a courageous step is training in faith. If God is in the mix, you can not fail or fall. 

Former President, Jimmy Carter has talked about this quite a bit. Carter was possibly not a great president but he is quite a good role model for us. He wrote these words;           

“My faith goes beyond theology and religion. My faith requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands – this is not optional – that I do whatever I can, whenever I can, wherever I can, for as long as I can, with whatever I have, to try to make a difference.” 

Clarence Jordan once wrote; Faith is betting your life on the unseen realities and living a life in scorn of consequences. 

Finding faith means living it out with courage, even risk. I saw another cartoon with a minister standing in the pulpit. He was saying this, “I’ve stopped expecting you to make leaps of faith, but it would be nice to see a hop now and then.” 

Building a mustard seed of faith may mean taking some unusual risks. But if God is in the risk, that risk will be a true adventure for you. 

How do you grow a mustard seed of faith? Be intentional about your faith formation. Let the church help you. Use crises formatively. And exercise some courage and some risk. 

Try it. It is a growth plan that really works.