Good morning, St. Paul’s! It is a real blessing to break open the Word with you this morning. For those of you who are new to St. Paul’s or whom I haven’t met yet, my name is Isaac Martinez and I’m so thrilled to serve as a curate here. But, Jeff, I’m going to have start taking a real hard look at the readings before I agree to any more preaching dates. First Sodom and Gomorrah over the summer, and now today’s Gospel? C’mon!

I park my car in one of the designated spots, check the number of the meter, and get out my phone; putting in the amount of time I plan to leave my car there, I know that my credit card will be charged a certain amount of money. According to what I put in, I receive an equivalent commodity. Quid pro quo.

May only God’s words be spoken.  May only God’s words be heard.

It was ten years ago on this same Sunday in August when I stepped into this pulpit for the very first time.

It is hard to believe that ten years have passed.  And sometimes I can’t believe it’s only been ten years.  So much has happened in this decade; for me, for my family, for you and your families, and for us as a community.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This passage from the letter to the Hebrews is one of the most well known in the Bible, oft-quoted as the classic definition of Christian faith. According to this classic definition, faith is about believing in the existence of realities we can’t see in this world – things like the existence of God, or grace, or salvation, or life after death. Believing, if you will, in things that are impossible.

Before I begin, I want to thank the clergy of St. Paul’s, especially the Reverend Elise Feyerherm, for the generous invitation to be a part of the baptism of my grandson, Birch, and moreover to have the honor of preaching before you, at this important occasion. Again, thank you for including me so graciously and – more importantly --thank you for welcoming Dan, Lucy, and Birch into this community’s care, life, and ministry.

Good morning, St. Paul’s! It is a true joy to be breaking open the Word with you this morning. For those of you I haven’t met yet, my name is Isaac Martinez and I am deeply honored to serve here for the next two years ministering with our children, youth, and young adults.