Beyond Belief

  

There is a story told of a famous French tightrope-walker named Charles Blondin.  Blondin's greatest fame came in June of 1859 when he attempted to become the first person to cross a tightrope stretched over a quarter of a mile across the mighty Niagara Falls.  He walked across 160 feet above the falls several times, each time with a different daring feat - once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and once he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet!  On one occasion a large crowd gathered and a buzz of excitement ran along both sides of the river bank.  The crowd “oohed” and “aahed” as Blondin carefully walked across one dangerous step after another - blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow.  Upon reaching the other side, the crowd's applause was louder than the roar of the falls!  Blondin suddenly stopped and addressed his audience:

"Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?"

The crowd enthusiastically shouted, "Yes, yes! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. You can do anything!” "Okay," said Blondin, "Then get in the wheelbarrow."  There were no takers.  You see, there is a difference between belief and faith.  Belief may be a conviction of something of which you are certain.  But until you act on it, faith has not been demonstrated.

For the last 2-3 weeks the Advisors and Lead Team has been in discussions about going to one service on Sundays.  Our attendance has decreased and we are well aware of how that hampers the dynamic in an auditorium that seats almost 1000.  We also know that going to one service would allow us to set up an hour later in the morning.  That’s helpful when volunteers are showing up at 6:30 AM to set up when it’s dark and cold.  But making such a change would come at a price.  Our children’s volunteers would not have a service to attend if they were serving on that day.  We also have just launched a BASICS class that meets during first service, allowing participants access to the childrens’ programs and then attendance of the second service.  BASICS, a workshop for new believers, is important to our Growth Path at BridgePointe.  And at the end of the day, lets face it - It would be an additional downer to our present challenges.

I got what I needed to make a decision this past week.  There was an affirmed and profound belief in what we are doing at BridgePointe through the Advisors, Lead Staff, and the leadership community of volunteers with which I am privileged to serve.  BridgePointe is fortunate with spiritual leaders who believe in what God is doing in and through BridgePointe.  I am one of them!  In tangible ways, I saw our team of leaders willing to put their belief into action.  By staying with two services, I am affirming my faith in who we are, what we are doing, the resiliency of our people, the faithfulness of our volunteers, the lives that continue to be changed, the unity of our leaders, and the greatness of our God.  My faith is greater than my fear of our present attendance.  Risky?  Yup!  Am I scared?  Well, it would not be courage if I wasn’t.

It is time to move beyond belief… to faith.  If you believe in what God is doing in and through BridgePointe, I invite you to act on it and get into the wheelbarrow with us.  I am all in!