Faithful Endurance - January 30, 2026

Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51; Gen. 17:15-27; Heb. 10:11-25; John 6:1-15

Currently, I am reading “The Book of Longings” by Sue Monk Kidd. Published in 2020, it is a fictional tale of Ana, a young woman in Israel, who meets a young man named Jesus – who turns out to be THE Jesus! She accompanies him to the Jordan River. John dunks her under the waters and she emerges refreshed and shivering. As Jesus is submerged under the water and rises again, she sees streams of light peeking out of the sky with the setting of the sun – and she sees the likeness of a dove. Ana is accustomed to ritual cleansing in a mikvah, but this experience in the river, and being called to repent, is a deeper level of being washed. It is a means of transformation. Ana is nourished to face what is ahead.

Grounded in faith, Kidd’s work of fiction illustrates the power of baptism, and how those pure waters prepare the disciples of John and Jesus to do good and meaningful work. Today in Hebrews, we read a plea to the priests for faithful endurance when ministry gets hard. “Let us approach with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water,” we read. The priests cannot move forward until they are wholly re-set upon God, and the leadership of Jesus as the High Priest. Only then can they receive the faithful promise of hope and tell others about it. Only then can the ministers “provoke one another to love and good deeds” and encourage each other day in, day out.

Isn’t the word “provoke” an ironic one here? Can you be irritated into demonstrating love and virtuous acts? Maybe we are a bit grumbly sometimes when we are being nudged to do what we know is the right thing to do, as it also removes us from a level of comfort that we are satisfied to inhabit. I think of my son who is quite irritated when he is provoked (sometimes commanded) to brush his teeth. It does not hurt him at all, and yet he really does not want to get up from the sofa to make that beneficial, healthy choice that will freshen his breath and clean his gums. Why would he not want to have a clean mouth? And to the point of today’s epistle, why would faithful followers of God not want to demonstrate love in a world that is yearning for exactly that?

Like healthy lifestyles, faithful living has benefits – and part of our Christian discipline is to keep choosing the path of faithfulness and making a habit of it, so that we intersect with others who need to see our shining faces. Others need us to encourage them, and in turn, we will be encouraged – in intrinsic and extrinsic ways. We are called to faithful endurance, whether ordained to serve in the church or welcomed through the rite of baptism as a priest in God’s Kingdom. We are invited into a new way of living in Jesus. We are forgiven. We are welcomed with grace upon grace, and we extend it to others as we gather for worship, as we pass in the grocery store, and even as we disagree. We will be helped and healed through God’s transforming love, so let us endure with faith in Christ today.

With God’s help,

Katherine+

Reflection and Challenge

What does faithful endurance look like to you? Spend a few moments praying about that. Journal about how you see God’s promise and hope in your life. Where is Jesus being revealed to you in this?

Pray for the strength of the Holy Spirit to deepen your faith and expand the ways you live faithfully.