Inspiration for Faith

By Rev. Wayne K. Shontz Jr

During his years in ministry Wayne shared his deep and abiding faith with his congregations thru poems, sermons and weekly newsletters. Many times he wrote about his love of the natural world and God's creation of it. These feelings were strengthened by his many hiking and camping trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He expresses his feelings in the "God's Natural Order and Symbolic action poems". Wayne wanted to give others a sense of how faith could become a reality in their lives through an understanding of biblical events such as the Holy week series and how vital faith is when faced with personal loss, as in the poem "Moments of Acceptance" May your faith be strengthened and renewed by these words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781098094911

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Inspiration for Faith

Rev. Wayne K. Shontz Jr

ISBN 978-1-09809-490-4 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-09809-491-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2022 by Rev. Wayne K. Shontz Jr

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

From the Pastor's Desk

A Pastor's Thoughts

The Good Old Days

I Thirst

Miracles

Last Year

Holidays

Meaning of the Resurrection

Advent

Advent Meditation

First Week: Advent Begins

First Week

The Second Week

The Third Week

The Fourth Week

Christmas Verses

Come, Let Us Adore Him

Christ Child, Welcome

Yesterday and Today

Faith Verses

A Word from the Cross…Pardon (Luke 23:43)

Why

Days of Controversy

Silence

Life in Faith

Faith

God's Natural Order

Bible Verses

Winter Woods

Sunsets and Shadows

Just Below the Surface Is a Whole New World

Enabling Faith

Symbolic Action Building on God's Plan

Soil

Soil-Planting Faith

Seed

Seeds and Faith

Moisture

Moisture, The Water of Life

Root System

Root System, Anchors of Faith

Stems and Leaves

Stems and Leaves, I Am the Vine

Flowers and Fruit

Flowers and Fruit, The Fruits of Faith

A Children's Story

Lent

A Lenten Meditation

Ash Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

(A Guide As You Read through Galatians)

First Sunday of Lent

Monday

Tuesday

Apostle

Wednesday

Thursday

Grace

Friday

Peace

The Second Sunday of Lent

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

The Third Sunday of Lent

Faith

Monday

Tuesday

Part 2 (A Doctrinal Statement)

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

The Fourth Sunday of Lent

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

The Fifth Sunday of Lent

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Part 3 (Practical Applications)

The Fifth Sunday

Freedom

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Easter Sunday

Words from the Cross

Father, Forgive Them

Today

Beneath the Cross

I Thirst

It Is Finished

Holy Week

Palm Sunday: Entrance

Entrance

Wednesday: At the Temple

At the Temple

Thursday: The Evening Meal

The Evening Meal

Friday: The Cross

The Cross

Saturday: The Tomb

The Tomb

Sunday: Easter Dawn

Easter Dawn

Resurrection

Personal Reflection

The Moment of Acceptance

Restlessness

Illusions

Time

About the Author

Section 1

From the Pastor's Desk

A Pastor's Thoughts

In the history of religious thoughts, we read of those who witness to the tremendous new power and vitality they have discovered, because in the midst of their busy life, they have taken the time to be quiet with God. It turns out that this is not just one more demand on an already busy schedule, but it is the one period of time that brings all the other demands on their time into perspective.

*****

There are many reasons we fall away from the worship experience. However, these reasons pale into unimportance in the light of the tremendous possibilities and power available to us as we celebrate the resurrection together in worship. We invite each one to join us as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and open our hearts and minds to him that we might receive the gift of new life.

*****

I believe in the possibility of miracles,

Because without that possibility,

there can be no hope.

If all we can look forward to is more of the same,

then hope is not an option.

The very presence of hope in my life means

new life is possible.

Every day we are confronted with miracles,

miracles of faith, of love, of birth

and new life in the natural world.

Those who have eyes let them see,

all others are blind.

*****

I believe, oh Lord, because I must,

Else, everything will turn to dust.

But when tenacious tentacles of doubt

Reach out to snare my faith,

I ask, O Lord, a deeper courage

To let go of faith,

For just a moment,

That it may stretch to encompass death

And there find,

Not the end,

But firmer ground.

The Good Old Days

We look back to a time when life was less complex. We idealize it and invest it with characteristics that are mostly not true, such as we had more time to fulfill our commitments, the church was the center of community activity, people were more neighborly, or there was less pressure and less materialism.

The garden of Eden was the Old Testament's portrayal of the good old days, yet it does not become part of the later prophetic concept of a utopian society. It is there in history, but the literature does not indicate a backward look. Rather, in Old Testament stories, there is a forward look—a vision of life's possibilities in the midst of faithfulness to the call of God and in his presence. These visions seek to overcome that which is wrong in the current society by calling the people of God to faith.

We are called to faith with a vision of hope for the future rather than the backward look and longing for the past. We are pretty heavy into nostalgia, and we need to be careful about that. Looking toward the past with a sentimental longing does not empower the present. Hope empowers the present, and looking back, longing or wishing for the good old days doesn't even help us see the future because it avoids confronting the problems of the present.

Hope and faith, on the other hand, provide a statement about what we want to happen relative to the problems we face today. They empower a vision, that if fulfilled, directs our attention toward goals for the future and avoids the mistakes made in the good old days that nostalgia all too often forgets.

May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13 KJV)

I Thirst

From the cross, in the heat of the midday sun, barely audible, the words I thirst. What do they mean beyond their being the expression of a physical need? Because they are this kind of expression, they point to the humanity of Jesus Christ. We must never forget that we share our human nature with Jesus Christ. It is through this bond that he is accessible to us, and we are available to him. The author of the book of Hebrews wrote:

For we have not a High priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like we are, but without sin. Hebrews 4:15 (KJV)

That human nature, expressed in the words I thirst, binds us closely to the life of Jesus. And it binds us closely to the life of God because God was present in his life more fully than he had ever been present in the life of any other person. So completely present that the author of the gospel of John could write,

In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14 KJV)

And Paul would write,

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.

It is a frightening thing to contemplate the humanity of Jesus. It says, God can dwell in my life, too. He can become flesh in me. And what can this mean except that my life becomes as his life was—obedient, healing the sick, comforting the poor, confronting the self-righteous, feeding the hungry—a life given to and for others.

I want also to relate the words I thirst to some words spoken to Peter, who, with his sword, has just cut off the ear of a high priest's servant in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus said,

Put up thy sword into the sheath' The cup, which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? (John 17:11 KJV)

In the words I thirst, hear the longing that he might drink deeply of the cup. He has fulfilled his ministry. There is nothing left for him to do. I would suggest that these words express an acceptance and longing for death. The cup has been given to drink, and now he is ready to drink from it.

To someone who has lived a full life,

Now toward the end of their days

With failing health, pain and debilitating limitations,

Sensing that their life is now complete,

I thirst

May become a prayer for death.

The cup, a symbol of the humanity that binds us to Christ,

Has been given to them to drink.

When life is finished,

Let it be finished without lingering regrets.

I thirst.

The cup has been given by my father.

Let me now drink it.

Miracles

Some people spend all their lives searching for miracles in order that they may believe in God. Jesus was once asked by some folk to produce a miracle so that they might believe. He refused. He knew a faith that is caused by a miracle does not last. The memory of it fades, and faith falters with the fading. This kind of faith must continually be nourished by miracles. It is never satisfied with just one (like the potato chip commercial bet you can't eat just one).

The problem with faith based on miracles is that it is always my faith being present at a miracle, and my remembering the meaning of the miracle, God provides the miracle. I provide the faith.

But what happens when there are no miracles? Are we then condemned to a life without faith? We are, if this is the basis of our faith. No miracle…No faith.

Unfortunately, this is where many folks are in their personal faith journey. We are waiting for a miracle so that we can take the next step. And we keep waiting. But all the time, faith is there as a gift God has prepared for us.

All that is needed on our part is to accept the gift, and our whole life can be changed. This faith enables us to discover comfort and joy even when we are passing through the shadow of death. To have this faith is the miracle we need when we are wrestling with uncertainties surrounding sickness or surgery. It gives us the ability to experience peace. Even when we are caught in the midst of conflicting opinion, we can find vision and direction.

The point of all this is that it is faith that moves mountains, not moving mountains to create faith. Don't wait for a miracle so that you may believe. Faith itself is a miracle. Believe that there may be a miracle in faith so that you may live. The gift of faith has enabled me to live through the most devastating experience of my life, and it sustained and comforted me, and helped me to rediscover joy and cope with loneliness, and I thank God for that gift every day.

Last Year

I wonder, whatever happened to last year; to the twelve months; to the fifty-two weeks; to the 365 days; to the 8,700 hours; to the 525,600 minutes; to the 31,536,000 seconds? Some of it slipped by while I was sleeping. Some of it was consumed in work-related activities. The time passed as I worked, played, slept, etc.

I wonder