You of Little Faith

August 13, 2023 Matthew 14:22-33 You of Little Faith 11th Sunday After Pentecost Year A Prelude Welcome Call to Worship [Lyrics are from UMH #512 “Stand by Me”, Charles Albert Tindley, ca. 1906] L: “When the storms of life are raging, stand by me” P: Lord, hear my cry and rescue me! L: “When the world is tossing me like a ship upon the sea” P: God who rules wind and water, stand by me. L: God stands with you in bright sunshine and deepest storm. P: God gently guides us to safety and peace. Thanks be to God. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Here I am Lord UMH 593 Children’s Sermon Two eggs - ASK (a.k.a The On-Ramp) • Good morning! • I have a plastic egg here. Nothing is in it [crack it open and show everyone; then close it again] • And I have a container with water here. • I was thinking of putting this plastic egg in the water. If I put this egg in the water, do you think it will float or sink? [listen to their answers] • Thank you for sharing! Now, let's find out if the egg will float or sink! [put egg in water] • Well look at that – it floats! [leave the egg floating in the water, because you're going to come back to it] TELL (a.k.a. The Freeway) • In today's scripture story, we hear about two people staying above the water, just like this one egg is staying above the water. • Those two people were Jesus and Peter. • The story starts with Jesus praying by himself. And then, he goes out on the water and stays above it. • When Peter sees what Jesus is doing, Peter wants to do it, too. • So Jesus tells him to go ahead and do so. • At first, Peter is able to stay above the water just like Jesus did. • But then Peter looked at the waves and the storm and it made him afraid. • And, once he's afraid, that’s when Peter starts to sink into the water. • By looking at the storm and waves and being scared by it, Peter let the storm and the waves get inside of his heart and mind. • [point to the egg in the water] If we pretend this egg is like Peter, we can then see what happens when we let water inside of it. • [crack the egg open to let water in, and then close it back up] • What happens to the egg once it gets water inside of it? (it sinks into the water) • Which is exactly what happened to Peter, isn't it? Once the storm gets inside of him, it causes him to sink into the water. SHARE the Good News (a.k.a. The Destination) • But why didn't Jesus sink, too? • I think it was because he had been praying beforehand. • While praying, Jesus was filled with God's breath and God's Holy Spirit. • By being filled with God's Holy Spirit instead of fear of the wind and waves, Jesus was able to stay above the water [put second egg into the water so that you have one floating egg and one sinking egg], even when there were stormy seas and waves around him. • And, just like Jesus spent time in prayer to receive and be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, so can we. • When we spend time in prayer like Jesus did, we too can receive and be filled with God's spirit, love and peace. • And, when we are filled with God’s spirit, love, and peace, there’s a lot less room for the storms of life to get inside of us. • Which then allows us to help others during those stormy times, just like Jesus was able to help Peter in the storm in today’s scripture story. • And that's the good news for today. Let’s pray. CLOSING Prayer • This is a repeat-after-me prayer. Dear God, Thank you for Jesus… …who shows us… …how to receive and share… …your help during stormy times. Thank you and Amen Originally posted August 5, 2017Updated on July 13, 2023 Written and edited by Nathanael Vissia Prayer for Transformation and New Life God our gentle parent, bring calm to the storms that batter us and blow us off course. We do not need to walk on water; we need only walk through our lives as whole and holy children who recognize that your love unites us, buoys us, and carries us forward to face miraculous challenges in a complex world. Help us to see through the clutter of daily existence in order to focus on what is most important: love, compassion, faith, and connection. Amen. Words of Assurance Even when we doubt, God is with us. God walks beside us, through us, with us, in all that we do. Miracles are among us if we see ourselves with God’s loving gaze. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Dr. Sherry Warren) Scripture Matthew 14:22-33 Sermon You of Little Faith We all need a lot of things in order to live. We need food, we need community, we need to feel useful. We need to take care of ourselves. But most importantly, we need to feel safe and the assurance that things will be okay. No matter who we are, we all need salvation. It is Jesus who saves. Our scripture for today is a classic story of salvation. Salvation in the midst of the storm. As we have been reading through the book of Matthew, Jesus is teaching his disciples to go out on mission and to reach more people. Jesus is giving them lessons that they need in order to be prepared. Jesus reaches the point where he is tired, and dealing with the death of his cousin. Jesus gets his disciples away from the crowd and gets away so that he can take a break. Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him on a boat on the lake. In his absence, a storm appears – his disciples cry out to for Jesus to save them. Jesus comes – this time he does not calm the storm, he calms the disciples. When they calm down, they are able to continue the journey to reach the gentils on the other side. This story will always appear with the story of the feeding of the 5000. – perhaps as a way to renact the jews wondering in the desert and God providing for them in their time of need. The feeding of the 5000 appears in all four gospels. This story appears in Mark, Matthew and John, but not in Luke. In this story, it is Jesus who provides for the needs of the people. Matthew is the only story where Peter jumps in the water and attempts to walk on water also. Usually, Peter serves as an example of discipleship for the rest of us. I will talk about that a little later. Let us focus on Jesus for a minute. At the end of this story, the disciples declare that surely this must be the son of God. God is the one who provides for our needs. Jesus does whatever God does. The bible talks about God walking on water twice. Psalm 77 says that God walks on water without leavening a footprint. Job 9 speaks of God walking on water and controlling nature. The Miracle Dog As you know, there are probably hundreds of walking on water jokes around. My favorite is about a duck hunter who bought a new retriever. Besides being a beautiful dog, it was guaranteed to be the best retriever anyone had ever seen. He couldn't wait to show off his new dog to his buddies. And then he couldn't say enough about his dog. All through the trip down to the camp and all evening long, he talked nonstop about his dog and how good it was going to be. Opening day came. The hunters were all sitting in the duck blind early in the morning. The owner of the new dog was filled with excited anticipation. The dog sat next to him, ready. A flock of ducks flew over; the dog began to tremble in excitement and anticipation. A shotgun fired. At a signal from his owner, the dog took off after the duck like a streak of lightening. It jumped out of the blind, over the cover and onto the water. That's right, it didn't swim, it ran right across the water and retrieved the duck. They couldn't believe it. Everybody was flat out amazed. This went on a couple of more times. A duck would be shot and the dog would run across the water and retrieve the duck without ever getting its feet wet. The owner was beaming. If he had grinned anymore his face would have split in two. He couldn't stand it. "So what do y'all think? What do you think of my new dog?" One of the guys who was tired of hearing how wonderful this dog was, said, "Well, he's good looking all right. But I don't know if I'd want a dog like that or not. The dad gum thing can't swim." Billy D. Strayhorn, Great God I have preached this story numerous times, but this time I am taking a different approach. Usually, I focus on the miracles of the story and how Peter was brave and took a risk. Today I want to talk about miracles being a part of our every day life. Tourist Walk on Water Some years ago some enterprising capitalist was planning to build a bridge on the Sea of Galilee at the site of today's reading. What makes this project unique is that it is not being built OVER the water. It is being built UNDER the water. A 28th foot long floating bridge will be submerged 2 inches below the surface so that pilgrims and tourists will be able to "walk on the water" just as Jesus did. Perhaps their next project should be to build a hot air balloon on the Mount of Olives so that tourists will be able to imitate Jesus' ascension into heaven! What the bridge builders do not understand is that this gospel is not about Jesus trying to impress anyone with his ability to walk on water. It is about his willingness to overcome any obstacle to reach out to those in need of him. Jerry Gentile Everyday Miracles Kentucky farmer and philosopher Wendell Berry is a poet who consistently invites us to look again at the everyday, common things of life. He makes the case that turning water into wine is a relatively small miracle compared to turning water (and soil and sunlight) into grapes. Many times we are so transfixed by the humongous miracles God is capable of that we forget the humble, everyday miracles that go on all around us. Wendell Berry's way of putting this is: "We are alive within mystery, by miracle." (Life is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition [Washington, D.C.: Counterpoint, 2000], 45). Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Water Walkers I'll bet every one of us this morning can think of some remarkable water-walkers we have known. We all have watched simple, straight-forward, hard-working men and women, little toddlers and tormented teens, the shut-in elders and the shut-out homeless, perform acts in their lives that defy the limitations of the world in which they live. The chemotherapy patient who gets out of bed, puts on clean clothes, picks up the house, before going for treatment . . . What are they doing but walking on water? The homeless woman who sleeps in a box, gleans food from dumpsters, but still smiles a greeting and laughs at a joke . . . What is she doing but walking on water? The single parent, overworked, overwhelmed, over-extended in time, money, and energy, but makes it to soccer games and school plays and checks to see that homework is done . . . What is that harried parent doing but walking on water? The octogenarian who lives alone, whose family has forgotten him, who counts the postal carrier and the water-meter reader as "company," but still is up and dressed by 8am and sits at the table for all his meals . . . What is he doing but walking on water? Leonard Sweet, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Some of the best miracles in life aer those which happen to us every day. Every day in some way Jesus comes to alleviate our fears, help us to see the important things in life. Every day Jesus comes to help us to navigate through the storms and save us. Staring at the Cross Alexander Solzhenitsyn said that only once during his long imprisonment in a labor camp in the Soviet Union did he become so discouraged that he thought about suicide. He was outdoors, on a work detail, and he had reached a point where he no longer cared whether he lived or died. When he had a break, he sat down, and a stranger sat beside him, someone he had never seen before and would never see again. For no apparent reason, this stranger took a stick and drew a cross on the ground. Solzhenitsyn sat and stared at that cross for a long while. He later wrote, "Staring at that cross, I realized that therein lies freedom." At that point – in the midst of a storm – he received new courage and the will to live. The storm didn’t end that day, but through Jesus, Solzhenitsyn found the strength to ride it out. I don’t know what storm of life will come your way this week, or what storm you may be enduring at this very moment. But I know this: even as the storm rages around you, if you will listen very carefully with your heart, you will hear a gentle voice calling to you, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." And in time the storm will pass. And Jesus will still be there. Johnny Dean, Oh Me of Little Faith, www.eSermons.com In the gospels, Peter represents us as a disciple. Even as a pastor, Peter us much mor our example than Jesus. None of us are intended to be Jesus in the story. Peter is faithful, but not perfect. Peter is trying but still has a lot to learn. In ths story it is Peter who takes a risk and attempts to step out on the water and walk just like Jesus. But I don’t think Peter was ever intended to walk on water. If I am not mistaken, when he falls in the water, Jesus saves him and puts him back into the boat. The boat is actually the hero in the story. In a Jewish story – water is never a good thing.It is necessary for life, but is it is dangerous and chaotic. It cannot be controlled. Jesus is able to overcome all of that – but not us. The boat is the tool for salvation. It transports them through the chaos safely. When you look up at the ceiling, it is made of small wooden planks in order to represent the floor of a boat. The planks are intended to remind us that we are inside of the boat right now. We All Need This Boat Our friend Will Willimon, former Dean of the Chapel at Duke, tells of a visit he made one afternoon to the office of a lawyer in his congregation. It was just a drop-in. Will says he did not know the man that well - his wife seemed to bear the church interest for the family. Listen to the story in Will's own words: "It was at the end of the day. I entered the outer office of his law firm. Everyone had left. All was dark, except for a light coming from the inner office. He called to me. Invited me to come back to his office. "'Didn't expect to see you here, preacher,' he said in a voice that sounded tired. 'Come on in, I was just about to fix myself a drink. Can I interest you in one?' "'Sure,' I said, 'if it's caffeine free, diet.' "He poured out the drinks, offered me a seat, reared himself back in his chair, feet on the disordered desk before him. "'What sort of day have you had?' I asked. "'A typical day,' he said, again sounding tired. 'Misery.' "'Oh, I'm sorry. What was miserable about it?' I asked. "'My day began with my assisting a couple evict their aging father from his house so they could take everything he has while he's in the nursing home. All legal. Not particularly moral, but legal. Then, by lunchtime I was helping a client evade his workers' insurance payments. It's legal! This afternoon, I have been enabling a woman to ruin her husband's life forever with the sweetest divorce you ever saw. That's my day.' "What could I say? "'Which,' he continued, 'helps explain why I'm in your church on a Sunday morning.' "'I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed,' I said, 'thinking what on earth I have to say in a sermon which might be helpful to you on a Sunday.' "'It's not the sermon that I come for, preacher,' he said, fixing his gaze upon me. 'It's the music. I go a whole week sometimes with nothing beautiful, little good, until Sunday. Sometimes, when that choir sings, it is for me the difference between life and death.'" Why are YOU here? You don't have to answer. The fact that you ARE here is enough. You NEED this ship. We all do. Stay in the boat. Because it is here we hear, "Take heart. It is I; don't be afraid." David E. Leininger, Stay in the Boat! ____________________________________ What brings you hear this morning? What is it that keeps you hear? Whatever it is that makes your boat float, its okay. We are all in need of some salvation. The miracle in this story in is the journey ahead. Jesus has already told them the he is sending them on a mission of a lifetime. And they will need lots of support in order to succeed. They are going to reach a whole new group of people and tell them the good news of Christ’s salvation. One of my favorite stories to read for my morning devotions comes from the book – His in a life of Prayer. George Muller was making a voyage to America from England in the 1800’s. He was a missionary and had made friends with the captain on the long journey. The captain came to his room one night to tell him that their journey would be delyed. They had run into some dense fog and it was impossible to move forward. The captain had been in deck for the last 24 hours and there was nothing that could be done. The passenger told the captain that was unacceptable. He had an appointment to next day and he has never in his life been late for an appointment. The captain apologized, there was nothing to be done. My Muleller said that he was going to his room to pray. The captain volunteered to come and pray with him. My mueller refused. First because the captain was not a Christian, and his efforts would be disingenuous, and second because he knew that God had already granted his prayer. After his session he went to the captain and told him that the fog had cleared. Sure enough it had, and Mr Mueller made it to his appointment. Prayer is talking to someone who can do something about the problem. The disciples has a mission. It was Jesus who called them to the mission. It was Jesus who would see them through to fulfill this mission. We are the church also have a mission to fulfill – make disciples of all nations. Peter’s lesson was to trust Jesus. The point of the story is not that Jesus walked on water, but that Jesus invites us to trust him as we too go on a mission. Some say that today the church faces one of the greatest challenges in 500 years. The world is changing, people are getting further and futher away from God. Most people are convinced that they don’t need a boat to navigate the turbulent waters of life. Our challenge is not to step out and walk to Jesus. It is to stay in the boat. So that we can get to our mission safely. God called us on this journey, God will see us through. Dancing in the Wind - Matthew 14:22-33 We live in an embattled time. Conflicts in politics, problems with economics, and a global pandemic have put the icing on the proverbial cake of usual issues. Most of us already feel we are up to our necks in alligators. Now we have entered hurricane season to boot. How much more can we take? How much longer can we fight? Let’s face it. We are a tired, fatigued, tense, and nervous bunch right now. Just when we think we’ve ridden the final wave another rises up and heads right toward us. What shall we do? When I think of prepping and preparing for adverse conditions, I think of athletes. Athletes train themselves not only physically, but mentally and spiritually, in order to accomplish ever more rigorous feats. Runners in particular have an entire body of literature on how to excel in this endorphin-boosting sport. I like to call their oeuvre “runners’ wisdom.” A lot of runners’ wisdom is simply common sense. Drink water before you run. Warm up and stretch. Push harder every day but don’t overdo it. Wear good shoes. Trust what your body is telling you. Let your instincts guide you. But one of the best articles I found written by Jonathan Beverly of “Runner’s World” is about how to run in a headwind. Beverly explains that most of us, when we are running against the wind, tend to work harder, push more, bear down, tense up. This causes tension, fatigue, and exasperation. Instead, he explains, we must do exactly the opposite: lean in, relax, and allow the wind to dictate the pace. We must “dance in the wind.” Beverly learned this lesson not from other runners but from hawks he saw flying above the fields. He noticed that the raptors did not struggle against the headwinds, but they used the wind to do a kind of mid-air dance. They circled, they swooped, they twirled, they dove. They relaxed and played in the wind. Their goal was not measured progress but play and enjoyment. They were masters at seizing the moment and “going with the flow.” Adapting to the wind. Adapting to life. Like Jonathan Beverly, we too could learn some lessons from the birds when it comes to dealing with the hurricanes and wind-gusts of life.... Swimming in the Deep End As a Boy Scout, I attended summer camp every year. And, as usual, the first day brought the required "swimming test." This requirement was necessary as it divided us into the appropriate sections of the pool. For the last 3 years I had tested into the shallow end, because I was too afraid of the test, which required jumping into the deep end of the pool. This year, however, I was resolved to pass the test. The hour of the test arrived and the lifeguard, who knew of my fear, agreed to jump into the pool with me. We agreed that on the count of three we would both jump into the pool together and together swim the entire length of the pool. We began . . . ONE . . . TWO . . . THREE . . . SPLASH . . . the lifeguard was in the pool and I was still standing on the side of the pool. He got out and encouraged me to jump in with him. ONE . . . TWO . . . THREE . . . SPLASH . . . there I was again on the side of the pool and he again was in the pool. Again, he got out and encouraged me and reiterated that he would be there along side me as I jumped into the pool, and swam to the other end. We began again . . . ONE . . . TWO . . . THREE . . . SPLASH . . . SPLASH . . . we were both in and swimming toward the other end. Half away across I realized what I was doing and became scared, but the lifeguard continued to reassure me as we swam across the last length of the pool. Like the lifeguard, Jesus goes before us encouraging us and companioning us even in the most difficult moments in life. Mike Bayard We don’t need to learn to walk on water, we are not Jesus. Jesus is with us every step of the way, encouraging us to stay in the boat so that we can safely reach our mission and bring others in. Amen. Song Stand By Me UMH 512 PRAYER FOR THE DAY Lord, if it’s you, we need to hear from you. When we are alone. When we go away to pray. When we have little faith. When we are battered by the waves. When the wind is against us. When we get in the boat. When we’re terrified by our ghosts. When we seek you on the mountain. When we cry out in fear. When we start walking on water. When we begin to sink. When we are far from land. Lord, if it’s you, speak to us, calm our fears, calm our storms. Strengthen our resolve. Remind us who you are. Walk to us, Call to us, Save us. Reach out your hand and catch us. Quiet the wind around us. Lord, if it’s you, we worship you for “Truly you are the Son of God.” Amen. Written by Tony Peterson, The Africana Worship Book, Year A (Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 2006), 91. Affirmation of faith (from A Declaration of Faith) We believe Christ gives us and demands of us lives in pilgrimage toward God’s kingdom. Like Christ we may enjoy on our journey all that sustains life and makes it pleasant and beautiful. No more than Christ are we spared the darkness, ambiguity, and threat of life in the world. We are in the world, but not of the world. Our confidence and hope for ourselves and other people do not rest in the powers and achievements of this world, but in the coming and hidden presence of God’s kingdom. Christ calls each of us to a life appropriate to that kingdom: to serve as he has served us; to take up our cross, risking the consequences of faithful discipleship; to walk by faith, not by sight, to hope for what we have not seen. (Presbyterian Outlook, Philip Gladden) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Most of us, if we’re honest, can name things which make us afraid. We may not sing out “lions and tigers and bears, oh, my!” but down deep, we might name fear, fire, storms, drugs, alcohol abuse… or think of sharks, spiders or separation from those we love. Matthew tells of the time Jesus’ disciples were in a boat on the sea, with the wind kicking up. Then, the disciples saw something, or some ONE, walking on the water. A ghost? FEAR! Jesus! Appearing out of the midst of the wind and the waves, inspiring Peter to call out “If it is you, command me to come to you”. Jesus responded. Peter stepped out onto the water, and began to move toward Jesus…until fear overtook him. Jesus’ gift to Peter was to go with him into the boat, with the other disciples. As we come to this time of offering, I wonder if you can name a time when you’ve experienced Jesus (or the Spirit/or God) at work in you in the midst of your fears? For me, I think of _____________________ (name your own specific time). In grateful response for the times we’ve known the assurance of the presence of the Holy, we bring our tithes, gifts and offerings. This is our opportunity to acknowledge the ways in which our lives are lifted from fear because of our faith. Let us joyfully share what we’ve brought, rejoicing as we’re set free from our fear. Prayer of Thanksgiving With deep gratitude, God of all life, we offer you these gifts. Accept these symbols of our lives, along with our praise, for we’re confident you desire us to move beyond our fears. Set us free to use these resources, overcoming the fears which hold back so many. Liberate us, that we might celebrate in your presence all the days of our lives. AMEN (Disciples of Faith, Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook As we go forth from this time of intentional community and ministry, let us practice replacing fear with faith and worry with a calm that is rooted in God’s grace. May we more deeply connect with the freedom that comes from trust in something larger than ourselves. Go in peace and do God’s work among all of God’s people. (United Church of Christ Worship Ways, Dr. Sherry Warren) Community Time Joys and Concerns Benediction You have been embraced by the love of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and blessed by Jesus to go into this world to offer healing and hope. Go in peace. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations