"If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…" says the Lord.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith.’"

Increase our faith. This sounds like a reasonable request, doesn’t it? At least it sounds familiar; I’ve asked this or something like it of God I-don’t-know-how-many times. "Increase my faith, Lord," when a deadline is looming or an exam is upon me. "Increase my faith, Lord," when a tough decision has to be made or temptation lurks nearby. "Increase my faith, Lord," when the diagnosis isn’t good or the towers come crashing down. It’s another way of asking God to reveal himself, isn’t it? It’s another way of saying, "Father, I’m having a hard time; I need to know that you here with me; I need to know that darkness won’t overcome me. Lord, increase my faith."

Yet that cry, even though made in innocence and with all sincerity, that cry is a request that God simply doesn’t grant. "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed…" Jesus says in reply. "…faith the size of a mustard seed…"

This is tough medicine to take, especially when we are in the midst of encircling gloom. One might say, "You mean, all I want is more faith, and God won’t even give me that?" Well, no, he won’t. And why not? God won’t increase our faith because we don’t need more faith. We don’t need more faith; the amount faith we have is sufficient, for it would seem that even the tiniest bit of faith, real faith, true pure faith is enough not only to get us through hard times, but also to empower us to work wonders.

You see, this miraculous precious gem, this mysterious little seed known as "faith" is planted in the hearts of Christians in baptism. Therefore, the faith that we receive in baptism, which enables us to recognize the presence of God, who is always present to us, this is really all the faith we need, in good times and in bad. So in the dark moments when we cry, "Lord, increase our faith," in an attempt to find some confirmation outside ourselves that God is and God is almighty and God is love, perhaps those dark moments are actually our greatest opportunities to look inside ourselves, to examine our hearts and find anew that tiny, powerful, glorious mustard seed of faith. That little interior star beckons and reminds us of what we already know: that, yes, God rules in Heaven, yes, God lives on earth, and yes, God renews all creation. Furthermore, that precious gem confirms that we know this is true because we know God, we have a relationship with him, we are in relationship with him: our life and his life are lives lived in communion.

Well, the light of that truth scatters the darkness, doesn’t it? In fact, in the light of that truth, what can’t we do? Now, I have no idea why anyone would want a mulberry tree to be planted in the sea, as our Gospel tells us we can command by faith, but stranger things have happened. Not far from here, a school stands where by rights there should be bog. In our midst, teenagers – an age group now called the Millennium Generation, a group which is said to be cynical, materialistic, and immoral by those who study such things - yes teenagers in our very midst are stretching forth their hands to feed the poor, bursting into spontaneous praise of God, and respond readily to this church’s call to them to become ever more a part of the Christian Community. Yes, Faith working wonders. Gosh, Christ Church is growing and thriving despite the fact that we aren’t located on a major highway with an enormous parking lot out front. Wonders to behold!

I’m sure we could spend all day talking about the wonders we’ve seen and experienced at Christ Church. My guess is that many in this room right now are champing at the bit, eager to recount tales of the healing, renewal, and belonging that they’ve experienced here, and we should, we really should share these wonders with each other…after the service of course. But what this morning’s Gospel makes crystal clear is why Christ Church is a place where wonders happen. Wonders are worked at Christ Church, not because we work so hard, not because we stay so busy, not because we deserve or have earned them. Christ Church is a place of wonders because at the heart of this parish, planted in the heart of this parish is a tiny mustard seed of pure, unadulterated, child-like, faith in the living God.

And now please rise and turning to page 358 in the Book of Common Prayer, let us confess that faith in the words of the Nicene Creed.

I / We believe in one God.