Worship

Sundays

11:00 AM

5103 Central Ave.

Tampa, FL  33603

(813) 239-3113

Three Little Words.  It is a prayer for every moment, every season, every place.  The apostles pray, "Increase our faith!" directly to Jesus' face in response to Jesus' call for extravagant forgiveness (Luke 17:5).  Apparently, the apostles did not feel equal to the task.

It's just like Jesus to hear an anxious prayer like "Increase our faith!" and then go on to speak of mustard seeds and mulberry trees.  Like a loving parent gently redirecting a child, Jesus points us from our overwhelming fear to abundance and miracles.  We might imagine Jesus' response to the apostles:  "Increase your faith?  Ha!  You have plenty of faith.  Look what even a tiny speck can do!"

Martin Luther spoke of faith primarily as simple trust in God.  Jesus' response to the

apostles tells us that Jesus is deeply

concerned about their sense of trust in God.  This simple three-word prayer could be a powerful practice for twenty-first-century followers.  As we consider the state of our planet, our prayer can be "Increase our faith!"  As we wonder what it will take for peace to come:  "Increase our faith!"  When we call ourselves unkind names:  "Increase our faith!: When we are striving to do justice:  "Increase our faith!"  And when we are feeling confident enough for our egos to begin taking credit for the goodness that has arrived:  "Increase our faith!"

In the winter we may be unsure about stepping out onto a frozen lake.  Will the ice be strong enough to hold us up?  Whether our trust is small or large, it's the strength of the ice that counts.  Beyond our assessment of how great or small our faith is, may we simply trust the one who is holding us.

Our Minister

Rev. Ray Strawn

St. Paul is a congregation of the ELCA