Recent Notes from Deacon Erik Soldwedel

Notes from Rev. Willie J. Smith

Notes From Deacon Erik Soldwedel, August 9th, 2026

Each time Jesus is recorded turning water into wine; giving sight to the blind; making the lame able to walk; restoring the dead to life; and walking on water. The Apostles witnessed these miracles and shared them with people as an oral history.
The followers of each Apostle chronicled these stories in narrative form, which we know as the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel passages we read each week are the highlights of a life that has transformed society for over two thousand years. Jesus is considered a Prophet in other Abrahamic traditions. For Christians, he is the Savior who taught everyone with ears to listen and to dream. Yes, to dream of a world that has limitless opportunities. This is a world where all people are treated as equals. This world is more than a passionate embrace but an authentic way of life.

Jesus modeled in his mortal life respect for all of God’s creation. That is why sharing the story of his life and our own stories is essential in how we practice our faith. Each time we tell his story, he lives. Each time someone tells our story, we are alive in new and different places.

Jesus has invited us to dream and create a world free of anger and deceit. The more time we spend thinking of the wrong and treachery in our lives leads to corruption and disintegration of our faith. I suggest we have been given a commandment not just to love one another but to dream of ways to make love conquer fear and injustice.

There is a great story that we tell every time we come together, and that is the story of the love exhibited by a single solitary life. Tell that story with your own and share your dreams. Each time you share a dream, big or small, it is closer to becoming a reality.

Each of us is capable of walking on water. Each of us made living life out of bed a reality for someone. Each of us has given the lonely or destitute a life-giving experience. We need to remember all is possible with faith. Live your faith and your dreams will be a reality.