Lord I believe – help my unbelief.

Mark 9:24

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future

Jeremiah 29:11

I can’t say I had forgotten how cool it is to see Rebekah doing her preacher thing – but I am a little surprised at how completely it made me smile Saturday evening to see her in action again.

It was just Rebekah, standing in front of a roomful of people for a routine wedding rehearsal. But then what many preachers make boring and repetitive she turned into fun, and laughter, and blessings, and joy, and celebration.

Why? Because everything Rebekah does as Minister of Word and Sacrament she also does as a joy-filled, life-affirming, abundantly blessed child of God.

She may not quite turn water into wine, but she does turn everything about faith in God into a celebration – and if that isn’t what the world needs to know about following Jesus then I can’t imagine what could be.

So we are here, in downtown Washington DC, for the weekend, staying the other side of the river in Arlington.

There may be nothing good about driving in this city, but there is everything good about a beautiful, young, enthusiastic couple making this sort of commitment for their life together, and doing it in the foundational context of living faith.

What the world needs now…

In a world beset by conflict and mistrust and oppression and fear, it is refreshing to be focused on belief, and promise, and light, and optimism for a future with hope.

The bride – Lauren Goodacre – chose a scripture passage that’s unusual for a wedding. But I believe it comes from a place of understanding that even belief is not enough to secure tomorrow; instead it must be our belief coupled with hearts open to God’s help.

More about this tomorrow. A Sunday afternoon wedding in DC. – DEREK