Faith, Wildflowers, and a Horse Named Bam-Bam (Hebrews 11)

My wife (Brenda) and I just returned from an amazing week-long adventure in the Bob Marshall Wilderness of Montana. People in Montana know it simply as “The Bob.” We were two of eleven guests, six guides, seventeen horses, and sixteen mules coved over 45 miles of remote, rugged wilderness: from Wrong Creek to the North China Wall, the north fork of the Sun River and Headquarters Pass. We saw bear, elk, red-tailed hawks, towering peaks, and meadow after meadow of the most glorious wildflowers you’ll ever see.

Did I mention we were on horseback, and that I had never ridden a horse until this trip? I was assigned a horse named Bam-Bam. 

Brenda describes him as “a giant, black, half-Percheron draft horse.” Not only did I manage to stay upright and avoid saddle soreness, I also learned something about faith. Today’s podcast is about faith, wildflowers, and a horse named Bam-Bam. 

Hello, and welcome to the Will Preach for Food podcast. I’m Doug, a pastor here at Faith Lutheran Church, based out of Shelton, Washington, a congregation of the ELCA. Faith is a welcoming community: growing closer to and more like Jesus; making Christ known; joyfully serving each other, our neighbors, and all God’s creation. You can learn more about Faith at our website, www.faithshelton.org. Thanks for listening today. Please open your Bible to the book of Hebrews 11:1-6.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

This is the word of the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God.