Church Board Prayers - Week 4

Confessions of a Scoffer

There is a line in a hymn we sing regularly in church that always puts a lump in my throat: “Ashamed I hear my mocking voice / call out among the scoffers.” I have a confession to make: I am a scoffer. It’s a habit of the flesh I’m still working to overcome; occasionally, I find that my skeptical mind has moved my doubtful heart to join in with the chorus of scoffers.

There are actually quite a few of my kind sprinkled throughout the Biblical narrative, the most famous being Thomas, who scoffed at the idea that anyone could rise again after a crucifixion like that. The Samaritan woman scoffed at Jesus’ claim of possessing living water. There’s also Naaman, who scoffed at Elisha’s cure for leprosy. Even Moses took a few turns as a scoffer; first at the idea that a man slow of speech could be God’s messenger, and then later at the idea that speaking to the rock would draw water out of it, when striking it with his staff worked pretty well the last time.

But do you know what I think is amazing? God spoke through and used each one of those scoffers I mentioned above. Jesus met Thomas where he was in his state of doubt; the Samaritan woman went on to convince most of her town to follow Jesus; Namaan was healed when he came to his senses. And although God would punish Moses, God still miraculously brought water out that rock in spite of Moses’ disobedience!

I’m reminded of an apocryphal story of Nobel Prize winning physicist Niels Bohr. A visitor expressed surprise that a scientist like Bohr would have a lucky horseshoe over his door, and asked him if he actually believed in superstition. Bohr replied “Of course not, but I’ve been told that it works even if you don’t believe in it.”

And while my belief in the power of Jesus is much more than a superstition, I find similarity in the idea that like Bohr and his lucky horseshoe, God can use me and work through me even in the midst of my doubt. So while I find myself regularly praying the plea made to Jesus in Mark 9 “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief,” I also know that God’s not waiting on me to clear up all my unbelief; he can use me regardless. Our God is bigger than our doubts; He’s bigger than a chorus of scoffers.

I’m inspired by the question that if God can speak through the scoffers mentioned above, what more can He do with a united church body? As we move forward from last week’s vote to confirm Pastor Ken, I pray that our church would continue to Love God, Serve Others, and Journey Together. And as God unveils new ways that our church can and should be doing those things, I pray that I won’t scoff, knowing that God will find a way to work in and through me regardless.

With grace and peace,

Justin Brown