The Measure of Our Faith

October 5, 2025

Opening Thought

Have you ever found yourself in a difficult situation, praying for a sign, for a sudden surge of confidence, for a lightning bolt of faith to make everything clear? We often treat faith as a quantity, a resource that can be increased or replenished. In moments of doubt or despair, we think, "If only I had more faith, I could handle this." It’s a deeply human impulse, one that was shared by the apostles themselves when they made a direct, heartfelt plea to Jesus: "Increase our faith!"

I don't know about you, but I can be incredibly impatient sometimes, especially when I'm supposed to wait for God to answer my prayer or increase my faith in something or someone. How many times have you cried out, "God, are you even listening to me? Have you even heard a word I've said?" It is difficult, and I don't always have the answers. All I know is that God enters into my path when I least expect it, and I often say to myself, "If I had just kept the faith a little while longer, I wouldn't have worried so much." To worry is to be human, to doubt is to be human; God knows this. I believe he is trying to equip us with the tools necessary to keep the faith. The struggle is real, and it is everyday for some, or at least at times, but if we keep our eye on what matters, we might just be okay.

This Sunday, our lessons wrestle with this very request and these very struggles. The answer we receive from God, through the prophets and Jesus himself, is perhaps not the one we expect. We are not given a formula for acquiring more faith, but are instead invited into a deeper, more challenging understanding of what faith truly is. It's not a feeling to be measured, but a duty to be done and a treasure to be guarded, even when—and especially when—we cannot see the way ahead.

As we enter into this profound mystery, may the Word and the music of our liturgy re-calibrate our understanding, moving us from a desire for quantity to a trust in the quiet, mustard-seed power of a faith that endures.

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Engaging the Word

Our journey begins with the raw and anguished cry of the prophet Habakkuk (1:1-4; 2:1-4). "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?" he laments, seeing a world saturated with violence, injustice, and strife. His is the honest cry of every person of faith who has looked at the brokenness of the world and wondered where God is. God's answer is not to immediately fix the problem, but to give a command and a promise: write down the vision, and wait for it, for it will surely come. The foundation for this waiting is one of the most powerful statements in all of scripture: "the righteous live by their faith."

The apostles’ plea in Luke’s Gospel (17:5-10) is the New Testament echo of Habakkuk’s cry. When they ask, "Increase our faith!", Jesus responds not with a gift of more, but with two illustrations. First, he tells them that faith as small as a mustard seed is powerful enough to uproot a mulberry tree. Second, he tells a parable of a servant who, after a long day’s work, does not expect praise or reward, but simply does what is required. The message is startling: faith is not a measure of our emotional certainty or spiritual power. It is the simple, steady, and dutiful trust we place in God, doing the work we are called to do, regardless of the immediate outcome.

Psalm 37 (1-10) provides the practical wisdom for this kind of dutiful faith. It directly addresses the frustration of seeing evildoers prosper. The psalmist’s advice is clear and consistent: "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him... Refrain from anger... for the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land." It is the soundtrack for the waiting that Habakkuk was commanded to endure.

Finally, 2 Timothy (1:1-14) shows us this faith in action. Writing from a place of suffering, Paul encourages Timothy not to be ashamed but to "guard the good treasure entrusted to you" through the Holy Spirit. He points to the legacy of "sincere faith" passed down from Timothy’s mother and grandmother. Here, faith is portrayed as a precious inheritance to be guarded and a source of strength in suffering, not an escape from it.

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A Journey in Song: Our Musical Guides

Our music this week provides the emotional and spiritual landscape for this deep dive into the nature of faith, moving from gentle trust to glorious faithfulness, and ending with a cry for personal devotion.

Our Opening Voluntary, Harold Darke’s Meditation on Brother James’ Air, immediately sets a tone of quiet trust. The melody, famously associated with "The Lord's my Shepherd," envelops us in an atmosphere of divine care before the difficult questions of the day are even asked. It is a musical affirmation of faith before the test begins.

The Entrance Hymn, "All creatures of our God and King" (#400), lifts our personal struggles with faith into a cosmic context. By joining in this great hymn of praise, we place our individual doubts and the world's injustices against the vast backdrop of God’s sovereign and good creation, helping us to gain a right perspective.

The Gloria, "All glory be to God on high" (#421), sung after the opening prayers, elevates our worship to the angelic chorus. This ancient hymn of praise reminds us that even when we struggle with our own faith, the heavenly host never ceases to adore God, confirming His unchanging glory and peace on earth to those on whom His favor rests.

Placed just before the Gospel, the Sequence Hymn, "Great is thy faithfulness" (#189, LEVAS II), is perhaps the most direct musical answer to Habakkuk's cry of "How long?" When our own faith feels small, this hymn turns our focus to the unwavering and unchanging faithfulness of God. It is a powerful declaration that God's compassion never fails, providing the reassurance we need to hear Jesus's demanding teachings on dutiful faith.

The Anthem, "Teach me, O Lord" by Thomas Attwood, becomes our humble response. Just as the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith, we ask God to teach us His way. It is a prayer for guidance, for the clarity to follow the path of righteousness, even when it is difficult—the very path of the "unworthy servant" who simply does their duty.

Our Presentation Hymn, "From all that dwells below the skies" (#380), offers a moment of communal thanksgiving as we bring our offerings. This doxology reminds us that all good things come from God, and our response of giving is an act of faith and trust in His continued provision, echoing the theme of stewardship and dutiful service.

As we come to the table, the Communion Hymn, "My faith looks up to thee" (#691), shifts the focus to an intimate and personal devotion. It is the song of the single mustard seed. It is a prayer of pure trust, asking the "Lamb of Calvary" to be our guide and strength. This hymn is the quiet, heartfelt enactment of the faith Jesus describes.

Finally, we are sent out with the Post-Communion Hymn, "Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim" (#535). This hymn is our commissioning. Having wrestled with the nature of faith, we are now named "servants of God," directly echoing the parable in Luke. We go forth not because our faith feels large or heroic, but because we have a Master to proclaim and a duty to perform, trusting in His ultimate victory.

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A Closing Note on Our Journey

The measure of our faith, it turns out, is not its size. It is not a feeling we can conjure or a power we can stockpile. Faith is the choice to be dutiful when we feel doubtful. It is the courage to wait patiently when we want to cry out. It is the strength to guard the good treasure of the Gospel, even in the midst of suffering. This week, let us worry less about the quantity of our faith and focus more on the small, simple, and powerful acts of faithful duty to which God is calling us.

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A Prayer for the Week Ahead

Let us pray for the Church and for the world.

For all who cry out "How long, O Lord?" in the face of violence and injustice, that they may be sustained by a faith that waits for your promised vision of peace, 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the Church, that it may be a community of dutiful servants, faithfully performing the work of the Gospel without seeking praise or reward, 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For an increase in our faith; not in size, but in sincerity and perseverance, that we may have the trust to move mulberry trees (well in our case, walnut trees), and the strength to guard the good treasure entrusted to us, 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

For the grace to be still before you and wait patiently, trusting not in our own understanding but in your great faithfulness, which never fails, 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

That, like a mustard seed, our small acts of faith may grow into powerful signs of your coming kingdom, 
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 
Amen.