We have named our Capital Stewardship Program Faith in Action because this title holds together one of the great polarities of Christianity, faith and action . Individually these two tenants of Christianity can cause great pastoral pain and hardship. Faith without action sends one to church all your life without ever experiencing the blessing of God's loving intrusion in your life because you have stepped out in faith. While action without faith sends one to work all your life without ever experiencing the blessing of fulfillment and contentment. Individually these two tenants of Christianity are lifeless and flaccid, but together they create a symbiosis that is infinitely larger than their sum.
Faith needs action just as action needs faith.
One without the other is like Rodgers without Hammerstein. Individually Richard Rodgers was a good pianist and musician and Oscar Hammerstein was a wonderful writer and lyricist. But, together, the symbiosis of their talents created something much larger than the sum of their abilities. The symbiosis of their talents created some of the greatest Broadway musicals ever, such as Oklahoma, South Pacific and The King and I. Millions enjoyed these musicals. This fall, as we participate in and experience Faith in Action we will reap the benefits of the symbiosis.