I have never been fond of the term, “Debbie Downer,” especially when it applies accurately to me (ha-ha). Admittedly, this is not an uplifting start for an article to be read soon after Easter—but here we are. As I write this, we are in the midst of the solemnity of Holy Week, as well as various unsettling events that seem to happen daily.

Holy Week, of course, will proceed in a fairly predictable pattern through the Triduum. Thank goodness for that! I recently read a description of the Easter Triduum, the three-day period from the evening of Maundy Thursday to the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil, as “the summit of the Liturgical Year.” A point that is higher than all points adjacent to it is a vivid image.

And we’re not simply anticipating the celebration of Christ’s resurrection; at St. Luke’s we’re actively preparing for it. Flowers and Brunch have been ordered, the Garden and Altar Guilds are enacting their plans, the choir has prepared triumphant music, Ushers and Worship Servers are scheduled, and Easter eggs have been sweetly filled. Such readiness indicates our assurance that Easter will come.

All this activity reminds me of Bishop Mariann’s discussion of “Faith Set in Motion.” In this article, the bishop shares her difficulty with the idea that we are saved or healed entirely by our faith. Her discomfort lies in the potential for negative pressure—for us to question if we have enough faith, or the right kind of faith. As humans struggling to resolve such dissonance, the result may be a feeling of spiritual inadequacy, or a dangerous sense of self-righteousness.

Alternatively, Bishop Mariann offers a different, nuanced understanding of faith. Faith, she proposes, is “a response to an encounter that God initiates.” By that interpretation of faith, the Baptismal Covenant, renewed as part of the Easter liturgy, also takes on new meaning. In this covenant, we name five actions in which we will engage: to continue in Christian community, to acknowledge when we fail and ask for forgiveness, to live with integrity, to treat others with dignity, and to strive for justice and peace. When we try to do these things, we are responding to an encounter that God initiated.

Personally, I know the experience of questioning my faith outside of worship, particularly during the unsettling events currently taking place all around. I am buoyed by the understanding that treating others with dignity, or striving for justice and peace, are responses of faith. If God is ineffable, why would God limit our ability to respond with faith and love?

Happy Easter!