Slideshow image

     In the British comedy series “Rev.”, the actor Tom Hollander portrays the Rev. Adam Smallbone, an anxiety-driven, but well-meaning, Anglican Vicar who is charged with oversight of the struggling St. Saviour’s in East London. Riddled with doubt and a sense of inadequacy and guilt, Rev. Adam can at times slip into the darkness and despair that unfortunately all too often plague pastors. During one of these times,  which happens to fall in Holy Week, Rev. Adam finally reaches the end of his rope. So on Good Friday, Rev. Adam elects to conduct his own solo Good Friday Stations of the Cross. It’s at this moment when Rev. Adam encounters a mysterious stranger. (Click here to see how the scene unfolds).

      If you haven’t figured it out yet, the theme of Emmanuelis the one theological maxim I return to over and over again. There is much that I question about the life of faith, but Emmanuel, God with us, is for me the one truth to which I cling.

     Over the course of this Lent I have raised questions, sought for the roots of the faith, wrestled with some of the basic tenets of the Church, and pushed back at some of the “sacred cows” of Christianity.  I hope you have too. But more so, I hope you’ve received from this Lenten practice a strong sense that God is with you, come what may. I hope you’re beginning to consider that doubt is truly not the opposite of faith and that your faith is not what saves you. It’s Christ’s faith that saves. Finally, I hope you will hold to the promise that God loves you with an everlasting love that depends not on you, but on the fact that God chooses to love you and that God wants for you, life. Truly human. Fully-alive. Life!

      Thanks for showing up for your practice. I know this is the 40th day of Lent, but this isn't the end...of your practice, that is.  Our faith practice is a life-long, constantly evolving effort. So, keep showing up. Keep practicing. Oh, and speaking of ending. I can't end this devotional on the day between Good Friday and Easter, between death and resurrection. Tomorow seems like a much better day and I happen to have ONE more writing to share with you...This isn't the end.

Grow
Adults