The Faith We Already Have (Ashtabula)

I. The Gathering

Welcome & Announcements (Liturgist shares announcements. Pastor offers personal welcome.) Pastor: Good morning, everyone, and a warm welcome to Ashtabula First United Methodist Church. Today is World Communion Sunday, a day when we join with Christians across every nation, language, and culture to share in the Lord's Supper. Our theme is "The Faith We Already Have"—a call to fan into flame the gift of God that is in us. Now, Let us rise in body or spirit as our prelude begins, I invite our acolyte, Jeff, to bring forth the light of Christ to our altar as we begin our worship service.

Prelude (Acolyte brings in the light of Christ.)

Call to Worship

Leader: Grace, mercy, and peace are given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.

People: The Holy Spirit has kindled a gift of sincere faith within us.

Leader: We gather with all believers across the world, from every time and place.

People: We come not to ask for more faith, but to use the faith we already possess.

All: Let us worship the God who gives us power, love, and self-discipline!

Opening Hymn "The Church's One Foundation" (UMH 545)

Opening Prayer

Holy and Triune God, your Table transcends time and space. We thank you for the gift of the sincere faith that already dwells within us. Yet we confess that, like the disciples, our hearts cry out, "Increase our faith!" when we are faced with suffering and injustice. We hold before you the anguish of the world—the lonely cities, the mourning people, and those who suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Fan into flame the gift that is in us! Give us courage to trust the power you have already given and to live a life of humble, faithful service. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior, we pray. Amen.

II. The Word

Scripture Reading 1: Lamentations 1:1–6

Lamentations 1:1–6 NIV

How deserted lies the city, once so full of people! How like a widow is she, who once was great among the nations! She who was queen among the provinces has now become a slave. Bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. After affliction and harsh labor, Judah has gone into exile. She dwells among the nations; she finds no resting place. All who pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her distress. The roads to Zion mourn, for no one comes to her appointed festivals. All her gateways are desolate, her priests groan, her young women grieve, and she is in bitter anguish. Her foes have become her masters; her enemies are at ease. The Lord has brought her grief because of her many sins. Her children have gone into exile, captive before the foe. All the splendor has departed from Daughter Zion. Her princes are like deer that find no pasture; in weakness they have fled before the pursuer.

Scripture Reading 2: 2 Timothy 1:1–14

2 Timothy 1:1–14 NIV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Sermon: The Faith We Already Have

The Faith We Already Have

Let us pray. Holy Spirit, stir up the gift of God that is within us. Quiet the voices that tell us we are not enough, and replace them with the truth that in Christ, we already have everything we need. Amen.

Last week, some of you rightly noticed I got creative with our scripture order. I explained that I like to use one reading to pose a question and the next to provide the answer. Today, that creative approach is back, and our first reading from Lamentations (Lamentations 1:1-6) sets a challenging stage. It paints a picture of deep suffering—a city so desolate, a grief so profound that words seem useless. It immediately reminds us that life is heavy, and sometimes, life can suck.

Now, while Lamentations asks many painful questions, I want to find our central question for today in a different place: the Gospel of Luke. I want to read the few verses that immediately precede our core text in Luke, chapter 17:

17 Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

That is heavy stuff. Jesus is demanding a radical, superhuman level of moral purity and unending, bottomless forgiveness. In the face of that impossible demand—that radical call to service—the disciples had only one honest answer. They cried out, as we often do:

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”

It is such a human, vulnerable plea, isn't it? We look at those great challenges—the struggle to forgive a deep wound, the enormous task of loving a broken world—and we know we don’t have the internal reserves. We need more. We are asking for a spiritual bonus, a sudden upgrade to make us capable.

Now, before we move on to Jesus’s answer to them, we must resist the urge to hear a scolding here. Many people read this and hear Jesus shaking his head at their spiritual weakness. But that is not the voice of the Master who would soon wash their feet and die for them. Jesus responds to their heartfelt plea not with a scolding word, but with a gentle smile and a profound word of encouragement that changes the whole question. The answer we receive from Jesus and the Apostle Paul is this: You don't need more faith; you need to use the faith you already have.

I. The Faith We Have is Sufficient

When the disciples ask for a spiritual upgrade, they are operating under the mistaken belief that faith is a kind of spiritual currency—the more you have, the more you can do. Jesus gently corrects this fundamental error by pointing them to the smallest, most insignificant thing imaginable: a mustard seed. Listen to his words from Chapter 17…

6 The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

The point isn't the landscaping miracle; the point is the seed.

Jesus is telling them that faith is not about quantity. It's not a stockpile of goodness you run out of, nor is it a measurable asset on your spiritual balance sheet. If you have any faith at all, it is already enough. Think of it not as a giant reservoir of water, but as a single fiber-optic cable plugged directly into the limitless power grid of God. The size of the cable doesn't matter; the connection is what counts. Even the smallest amount—the smallest seed—is enough to plug you into the infinite power of God.

The miracle of the mustard seed points us directly to the source of this quiet, limitless power. Where does this strength come from? We often look outward, searching for a new formula or a great revelation. But the Apostle Paul, writing to his young protégé Timothy in 2 Timothy, chapter 1, reminds him of what is already inside him: a "sincere faith that already dwells in you, first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now, I am sure, in you."

Paul confirms that faith is an unearned gift of God, a divine spark. It is a spiritual heritage passed down through generations of faithfulness and sealed by the Holy Spirit. Paul states plainly that the Holy Spirit has not given us a spirit of timidity or cowardice—that feeling of being afraid to serve, to speak up, or to love boldly. Instead, the Spirit has given us one of power, love, and self-discipline.

This is a critical distinction. The Holy Spirit has not given us a spirit of timidity or cowardice, but one of power, love, and self-discipline. The call of the gospel is not to acquire something you lack, but to acknowledge and courageously steward the powerful gift that God has already placed in your heart. The true work of faith is simply to "fan into flame the gift of God that is in you." It is a gentle, daily act of tending to the spark that is already lit, trusting that the power, love, and self-discipline you need for this difficult life are already yours.

II. The Faith We Have is for Service

If the smallest faith is sufficient, what is it for? Jesus shifts the focus immediately from spectacular displays (moving trees) to the quiet dignity of humble service. Listen now to the parable he tells about the master and the slave, found in Luke, chapter 17, verses 7 through 10...

The New Revised Standard Version Some Sayings of Jesus

7 “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? 8 Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? 9 Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!’ ”

This parable is not meant to scold us; it's a description of a true, trusting relationship with God, where the emphasis is on sufficient devotion rather than earning praise. The servant's life is defined by duty: they are expected to work all day and then prepare the evening meal without expecting a "thank you" or a special reward. They are expected to say, "We have done only what we ought to have done."

This parable strikes at the heart of our performance-based anxiety. We are constantly seeking spiritual bonus points or favor from God, hoping to measure up. But Jesus is telling us that our faith is not a tool to earn spiritual currency. It is meant for the simple, joyful work of daily faithfulness and humility, because our worth is already secured by the Master's love, not by our performance.

The faith we already have is meant for the heavy, beautiful work of the Kingdom.

It is meant for Forgiving the one who trespasses against us, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. It is meant for the courage to look at a relationship that has deeply hurt us and choose reconciliation anyway, drawing on a well of grace we know we didn't fill ourselves.

It is meant for Seeing the suffering at our gate and acting with justice, not indifference. It's the faith that empowers you to look past your own comfort, to notice the lonely neighbor, the struggling family, or the systemic injustice in your city, and to respond with God's power and love.

And finally, this faith is meant for Enduring the setbacks and pain of life without giving up hope. This call to humble faithfulness is heavy, and it’s what leads us to our third text, Lamentations, chapter 1. The writer of Lamentations gives us permission for the deepest expression of human pain—the anguish of suffering and injustice. When we hear the voice of the prophet crying out, "How lonely sits the city!" we hear the anguish of a soul that has seen too much and felt too much, echoing the loneliness and grief in our own hearts today.

When we are faced with this kind of profound suffering, when our world feels broken and our hearts ache, we cry out for more faith. But the faith we already have is precisely what allows us to look at the world’s brokenness with courageous truthfulness. It is the faith that allows us to grieve honestly, and then, strengthened by God's promise, to refuse to give in to despair. Our faith is meant to endure this pain and still show up for the next day of humble service.

III. The Faith We Have is Sustained at the Table

This call to enduring service, especially in the face of profound suffering, is why we need the Communion Table. It is no coincidence that the Church celebrates this meal on the same day we hear these demanding scriptures.

We come to this Table knowing we are not perfect servants; we are a people who constantly fail, whose faith often waivers. We come here, like the broken prophet of Lamentations, bringing our grief and our desperate need for solace.

The Communion Table is God's ultimate act of stewardship over the faith we possess. Here, we don't ask for more faith; we ask for sustenance.

The Bread reminds us that Christ is the true source of our strength, nourishing the small, mustard-seed faith within us.

The Cup is the promise that the cost has been paid, the chasm is crossed, and we are forgiven—freeing us from the burden of earning God's favor so we can focus entirely on serving our neighbor.

I want to invite the choir to come up as I finish up my final thoughts.

Today, as we gather around this Table with Christians across the world—a family bound not by success, but by shared faith—we are reminded that the gift of God is enough. We receive the strength we need to walk away from the table and courageously fan into flame the gift of God that is in us, living out our faith in simple, humble service, day by day.

Amen

Anthem

III. Response and Intercession

Before we come to the Lord’s Table, we pause to lift up the needs of the world in prayer. I invite you now to enter into a moment of silent intercession, gathering the joys, burdens, and unspoken concerns of your own heart and the needs of Christ's church across the globe.

(Silent reflection.)

Pastoral Prayer & The Lord's Prayer

Holy God, our source of power, love, and self-discipline, we gather now all the prayers of our hearts—the unspoken longings and the burdens of the world. We thank you that the smallest faith is enough to be connected to your limitless power. We lift up the people of Ashtabula. Give us the courage to face the suffering in our city—the loneliness, the injustice, and the quiet despair that makes us cry out. Strengthen the small faiths here to live in humble duty and relentless forgiveness. Help us to fan into flame the gift of love you have already given us. On this World Communion Sunday, we pray for your Church around the globe. For those who suffer persecution, who are ashamed for the Gospel, and who grieve the destruction of their homes, be their anchor. Sustain the mustard-seed faith of all your children, wherever they gather. Receive these prayers, O God, and sustain us through the gift of your Son, in whose strong name we pray. As members of your one body, we now offer our prayers in the words He taught us...

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Offering and Dedication

Having brought our deepest needs to God, we now bring our gifts. Our offering is our tangible commitment to the prayers we just prayed—a practical act of humble service that funds the church's mission here in Ashtabula and around the world. Will the ushers please come forward?

Doxology

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;

Praise him, all creatures here below;

Praise him above, ye heavenly host;

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Prayer of Dedication

Let us pray. Gracious God, we thank you for the gift of the sufficient faith that already dwells within us. We dedicate these offerings to you, a tangible sign of our humble stewardship and commitment to the one worldwide church. As we fan into flame the gifts you have given us, multiply these offerings to bring courage to the suffering and hope to the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

IV. The Sacrament of Holy Communion

Friends, the Table of the Lord is set, and it is here that our faith is sustained. On this World Communion Sunday, we remember that this is not the United Methodist Church's table; it is Christ's Table. In the United Methodist tradition, we practice an open table. Christ invites all who love him, all who earnestly repent of their sin, and all who seek to live in peace with one another to receive these elements. If you yearn for the love of God, no matter your age or church background, you are welcome here. We come not because we are worthy, but because we need the grace that frees us for service. Now, let us prepare our hearts for this holy meal by singing our Hymn of the Table...

Hymn of the Table "Let Us Break Bread Together" (UMH 618)

The Great Thanksgiving

Now, please turn to page 13 in your hymnal and join us in the ancient prayer of The Great Thanksgiving...

Receiving the Elements

It is our tradition here at Ashtabula First to offer the Elements by Intinction, where you take the bread and dip it into the cup. Our ushers will release the pews starting from the back and working our way forward for you to come down the center aisle and receive communion, where if you feel so led, you can pause and kneel at the alter for a moment of quite prayer or contemplation before returning to your seat by the outer aisles.

V. Sending Forth

Having been fed with the Bread of Life and the Cup of Salvation, the faith within us is renewed. We leave this Table not just with forgiveness, but with the strength to keep the commitment we make to Christ. Let us now stand and sing our closing hymn, using the words as our promise to walk with Him throughout the week.

Closing Hymn "O Jesus, I Have Promised" (UMH 396)

Benediction

Go now, and do not be ashamed of the faith you possess, for God has given you a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline. Go forth from this Table and courageously fan into flame the gift of God that is in you, living out your commitment to Christ. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the enduring fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all, now and forevermore. Amen.

Postlude (The acolyte will carry the Light of Christ out during the Postlude)