Well next week came, but where was Rachel? Andy was disappointed but Sandra was somewhat relieved that Rachel wasn’t there. The group began talking among themselves when Sandra quietly said to Andy, What did you think of Rachel’s questions? Her questions were provocative for sure. I wish she was here to speak some more – she made sense. Andy replied. Rachel made me uncomfortable Sandra said. Andy glanced at Sandra and asked WHY? Her questions seemed to question what I have been taught about prayer and faith. Andy had a question of his own for Sandra so he asked it. Did Rachel’s questions indicate anything different than what we actually experience? We do invent back stories to prop up our desired beliefs. You do, I do and perhaps the people who wrote the Bible did too. You said God answered your prayer for a job. You didn’t really know that but it makes you part of this group because that is what the group wants to hear. The way I see it, if the scripture is God’s word to us then the promise of healing as a result of a prayer of faith is just that. So when healing doesn’t occur it must mean the prayer was not of faith or else scripture is not God’s word to us but just someone’s back story. Sandra was shaken, What? You think the scriptures may not be God’s word?
No one noticed but Rachel was standing behind the group listening to Andy and Sandra’s conversation. Andy was the first to see her, but she put her finger to her lips to silence him. Sandra continued speaking more loudly now so the rest of the group could hear. The scriptures are our way of knowing God and following his ways. They are true every word of them. Praise the Lord, blessed Jesus, the group responded to Sandra’s loud declaration.
Rachel cleared her throat and Sandra jumped. Last week I think we left off with some uncertainty about faith. Rachel said and the group turned. You seem to have a lot of faith in the scriptures. Remember what James said about faith and prayer. “But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from God.” Elijah prayed in faith for no rain and then rain and it happened both times. He did not have to say, Well God I guess you wanted something else. In the verse about healing James talks about a prayer of faith. So it seems that faith without doubting is the recipe for getting what is asked for. Salvation is talked about in scripture as being by faith and through faith. So how much faith do you need? And what is this thing called faith the scripture talks about? The room was silent.
Sandra! Rachel said, Do you ever have any doubt about God or salvation? Sandra replied emphatically, No I don’t. She knew she was lying but she had to keep up the façade in front of the group. Rachel seemed to know she was lying as well. According to James, you cannot expect you will receive anything from God. Rachel continued. Everyone has doubts, the future is unknown. That is why back stories are easy and forward stories are hard. Faith is a forward story, not a back story. You can always fit a narrative to a back story, but it is impossible to fit a narrative to a forward story unless you know the future. Sandra? Did Elijah know the future when he prayed that the rain would stop? Then did he know the future when he prayed the rain would start? Sandra hesitated then said. I guess he did.
Rachel then asked the group, Do you remember the puddle of water and the ice cube from last week’s lesson. Just seeing a puddle of water on the floor doesn’t tell you how it got there but you can make up a back story that may or may not be true. However if you set an ice cube on the floor you can create a forward story that is likely to be true – in an hour or so you will have a puddle of water there.
Faith is a forward story. You can have faith that the ice cube will melt because of God’s physical laws. But even that is a little faith because someone might open the door and a cold blast from a winter storm might prevent the cube from melting. Suddenly Andy understood. His granddaughter wasn’t healed because the prayer was not offered in faith. The elders did not know the future. There was only one way to know the future for certain and that was for God to tell you – no amount of positive thinking, earnestness or hoping constitutes faith. Rachel looked at Andy as if she knew his thoughts and smiled.
A few moments later Andy looked Rachel in the eye and softly said, if salvation is by and through faith and faith is a forward story …..? Rachel smiled again and said, that is next week’s topic. Again, Andy couldn’t wait.
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