Even the Winds Obey Him

June 23, 2024 Mark 4:35-41 Even the Winds Obey Him 5th Sunday After Pentecost Year B Greeting Land Acknowledgment Call to Worship (Listen in a state of silent prayer) (Do not print the prayer) We begin in silence, listening. Listen to your breath. Listen to the wind. We are connected through the breath of God. Take deep, grateful breaths, with an awareness that the presence of God is often described as the ruach—the wind, the breath. Your own breath is dependent on the breath of the tree. Slowly allow yourself to relax into this welcoming place. You belong here with this oak tree and the stones and the flies and scrub jays and poison oak. Listen for the water, arteries of life flowing throughout the planet mirroring the arteries of blood flowing through your own body. You are a welcome part of this ecosystem. They welcome us because they have not forgotten that we are related, that we come from the same dust and return to the same dust. Take another deep breath of gratitude to acknowledge that our lives are fully dependent on the healthy functioning of this particular bio-system. Victoria Loorz, Church of the Wild: How Nature Invites Us into the Sacred (Minneapolis: Broadleaf Books, 2021), p. 221. An Invocation in nature ( Print if you are able) We gather together in this wild cathedral where there are no walls or windows to separate us from the land on which trees breathe and plants transform the sunlight where the spirited elements dance and desire, tousle our hair and play on our skin, where everlasting cycles of birth and death, and birth again, are engraved in the seasons’ turnings. With abundant gratitude and openness, quieted hearts and wandering souls, we pay attention as our senses reveal their ancient knowing, and call this sacred. Mary Abma, Wild Edge Offerings, leader of Sarnia Wild Church, maryabma.com. Used with permission. Song Morning Has Broken UMH 145 Sermon for all Ages Have you ever been outside and looked up into the night sky at the stars? Have you ever been on an ocean beach and looked out beyond the waves? It seems that the stars or the waves go on forever, doesn’t it? The stars and ocean waves are so much bigger than we can imagine. This psalm assures us that even though we might seem small, God loves us and has given us very important work to do. God shows us the beautiful creation, full of birds in the sky, fish in the water, and other animals as well. God entrusts each of us to love and care for all of God’s creation. Entrust means that we give care for something else. It means that we are in charge of something. God trusts us to take care of the earth and every living creature on the earth. God's creation is too important to be left to the care of strangers or those who do not worship God. Followers of Jesus are God's hands and feet on the earth! Read Psalm 8:3-6. Questions to ask: • "How do you feel when you think about everything God created and realize that people are God's most special creation?" • "I wonder about God's entrusting care to those who follow Jesus.” • “How do you feel knowing God placed us in charge of caring for the earth and all living creatures?” • “How can you care for God’s creation?” One way we can understand how God entrusts us to care for creation is to plant and grow something. (Provide each child with a seed that over time will sprout and grow based on the child taking care of it. Remind the children that it might take time for the seed to sprout. You could find a location on the church property and collectively nurture and care for the plants.) Encourage children to think of one way that they could become more involved in caring for God's creation. Perhaps the children would want to begin a recycling project or plant a garden. Suggestions might include: • Volunteering at the local humane society. • Beginning a recycling pick up in the neighborhood. • Adopting a stretch of highway as a family and regularly picking up the litter. • Helping other members of congregation to build a home through Habitat for Humanity. Prayer: Maker of ALL things, thank you for creating me and caring for me. Thank you for trusting me enough to give me the important work of caring for ALL creation. Show me something that I can do to make a difference. Help me to take care of your beautiful world. Amen. Questions for family discussion: • Why do some people take care of God's earth while others do not care for it? • How can we help Christians understand that God trusts them to care for all creation? • What are some ways children can make a difference in caring for God's creation? • What is one thing you would like to begin doing to care for God's earth? (United Methodist Board of Discipleship, Kevin Johnson) Profession of Faith We believe in God, who creates all things, who embraces all things, who celebrates all things, who is present in every part of the fabric of creation. We believe in God as the source of all life, who baptizes this planet with living water. We believe in Jesus Christ, the suffering one, the poor one, the malnourished one, the climate refugee, who loves and cares for this world and who suffers with it. And we believe in Jesus Christ, the seed of life, who came to reconcile and renew this world and everything in it. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of God, who moves with God and who moves among and with us today. We believe in everlasting life in God. And we believe in the hope that one day God will put an end to death and all destructive forces. (Gurukul Theological college, India / adapted by Keld B. Hansen 2009) Sharing of the Peace If we are in Christ, we are becoming a new creation. We see God around us. We see God within us. We give thanks to our Creator. Let us show the caring nature you have instilled within us by greeting each other as a sign of God’s justice of peace, love, forgiveness and grace. The peace of our Creator be with you in all things. And also with you. You are invited to care and share peace with your neighbor, and speak a word of peace to the land in which you gather, and the creatures who share this common home. (adapted from Celebrating Creation: Honoring Indigenous People, Kelly Sherman-Conroy, ELCA) Scripture Mark 4:35-41 Sermon Even the Winds Obey Him I think all of us understand the meaning of stress and anxiety. We live in a stressful world. Everyday it seems for me at least, that life gets harder and harder. The rules change, situations change, we are all getting older, and then when you listen to the news, it doesn’t help – because it is filled with more people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. Sometimes even the church is a source of stress and anxiety. There are still many things going on that we have no control over. In the midst of all of the stress and anxiety, God is constantly calling us to move forward. It is like being on the shores of a river, and God is calling us to get in the boat and row to the other side. The side that we are on is home, it is familiar we understand what is happening, and at any given moment, God calls us to go to the other side into new territory that we don’t know and we don’t understand. And yet God has given us work to do. Crossing Over The story is told of old Bishop Warren Chandler, after whom the school of theology at Emory University was named. As he lay on his death bed, a friend inquired as to whether or not he was afraid. "Please tell me frankly," he said, "do you fear crossing over the river of death?" "Why," replied Chandler, "I belong to a father who owns the land on both sides of the river." In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. That is our great salvation hope. I want you to know that God cares if you are immobilized by some fear in your life. He cares because that fear is intruding upon His destiny for you. It is perfect love that casts out fear. At the foot of the cross you can lean back into the arms of an ever loving and gracious God and echo the words of the old hymn: "God will take care of you, He will take care of you." Staff, www.eSermons.com God is on either side for those of us who are on this side of life. But we also know that on anygiven moment, in moving from here to there,that storms can arise. You can’t prove that by the weather lately – but the storms of life always come and they always cause anxiety. Sermon Opener – Calming of the Tempest- Mark 4:35-41 Victor Hugo, who is famous for his novel the Hunchback of Notre Dame, also wrote a story called "Ninety-Three." It tells of a ship caught in a dangerous storm on the high seas. At the height of the storm, the frightened sailors heard a terrible crashing noise below the deck. They knew at once that this new noise came from a cannon, part of the ship's cargo, that had broken loose. It was moving back and forth with the swaying of the ship, crashing into the side of the ship with terrible impact. Knowing that it could cause the ship to sink, two brave sailors volunteered to make the dangerous attempt to retie the loose cannon. They knew the danger of a shipwreck from the cannon was greater than the fury of the storm. That is like human life. Storms of life may blow about us, but it is not these exterior storms that pose the gravest danger. It is the terrible corruption that can exist within us which can overwhelm us. The furious storm outside may be overwhelming but what is going on inside can pose the greater threat to our lives. Our only hope lies in conquering that wild enemy. Unfortunately storms that rage within us cannot be cured by ourselves. It takes the power of God's love, as revealed in Jesus Christ. He is our only hope of stilling the tempest that can harm our souls and cripple our lives. That’s what the disciples learned this day on the Sea of Galilee. They thought the danger lie outside the boat. They would soon learn the real danger lie within the boat, within their own hearts. In a word, they lacked faith. And without faith their lives were at risk to the storms which would inevitably come. And come they did and come they will. So what can we learn from this boat ride in the storm? 1. Storms Come Suddenly. 2. Storms Can Make You Lose Direction. 3. Our Fear of the Storm Has the Power to Paralyze. ________________________ Perhaps that is why a body of water in the bible always represents chaos and confusion. The Hebrew people of the old testament were always weary of water – water was the place where the sea monster lived, and he could appear any time to cause chaos – that was his name – chaos. Water represented unknown territory. That liminal place – there are alot of stories about water in the bible – such as Jonah and the whale. There are a lot of stories in the bible about Jesus in the water, and stories about how Jesus calms the sea. The disciples exclaim that even the wind and the waves obey him. Jesus has a way of calming and clearing up the chaos and confusion. And helping people in the water and the storm find peace. So now we are at the end of chapter 4 in Mark. And so far in the first four chapters, Mark has been showing us the gifts of Jesus. Jesus casts our demons, he teaches, and now we get to the part where Jesus performs miracles. The story of Jesus on the sea of Galilee is a popular story in the gospels, I have preached on it before. This story is in Matthew and Luke. And actually there are two stories in Mark about Jesus calming the sea for the disciples. The next story of Jesus walking on water is in chapter 6 Here in chapter 4, Jesus has been teaching and tells the disciples that it is time to go to the other side. To make that stressful journey from here to there. And sure enough, it happens every time – a storm comes up. Jesus always sleeps through the storm and everyone else starts to freak out. Jesus is supposed to be the savior, the one who can calm the storm and they have to wake Jesus up. And ask him to save them (what is that all about). Jesus wakes up, calms the sea and reminds that that they should just have a little faith. Holding on the faith is a hard thing to do when you are in the midst of a storm. In The Direct Path On May 31, 1985, a tornado system touched down in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania. The wind whipped at 250 miles-per-hour, tossing trees like matchsticks, throwing automobiles into the air, and killing fifteen people in two counties. What should have been a Friday afternoon of relaxation turned into a weekend of horror. The little town of Cooperstown, Pennsylvania, was in the direct path of a twister. A retired woman by the name of Isabella Stewart watched nervously as the low, black clouds blew in. The wind blew furiously. Suddenly a string of oak trees began to topple like dominos. The woman went for her car keys, but the wind was too wild to go outside. In a sheer act of panic, Mrs. Stewart reached for the only tangible means of comfort and order. She grabbed her purse. Then she sat in a chair and waited for the worst to happen. Fortunately she did not lose her life, although her dog and cat were never seen again. The brief storm was devastating in a region that was already under economic distress. Over ten years later, Mrs. Stewart says, "Whenever I see a black storm cloud coming, I fall apart inside. You can't know quite how that feels unless you have been through it yourself." William G. Carter, Water Won’t Quench the Fire, CSS Publishing Company. Mark tells this story to us about Jesus in the sea, to remind us that when we are going through the storms of life, that we should always look for Jesus to be in the storm with us. And where we are able to find Jesus, we are able to find peace. Holding Our Hand I Have Seen the Face of the Captain Robert Louis Stevenson delighted in the story of a ship tossed in a storm. The sea was rough and the rocky coast perilous. Danger was real and dread expectancy active among the seamen. One frantic sailor who was laboring below the water line could contain himself no longer. He rushed to the control room, closed the door behind himself, and stood frozen in fright watching the captain wrestle with the controls of the huge ship. Skill of mind and strength of hand enabled the captain to guide the vessel through the threatening rocks into open water. The Captain turned slightly, looked at the frightened sailor, and smiled. The youth returned below deck and assured the crew all danger was over. When they inquired how he knew, he answered, "I have seen the face of the Captain, and he smiled at me." If you will only "turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." When you know who is in control there is no fear. Eric S. Ritz, www.Sermons.com Life is stressful, the storms of life are always sources of chaos and anxiety. In the midst of it – what are some ways they you are able to seek Jesus. If you can find Jesus, then you can find peace. Dr. Tony Campolo of Eastern College once told a delightful story concerning his friend's daughter. This girl had an incredible outlook on life. Tony tells: A friend of mine has an adorable four-year-old daughter. She is bright and talkative. If tryouts were being held for a modern-day Shirley Temple, I think she would win hands down. One night there was a violent thunderstorm. The lightning flashed and the thunder rumbled. It was one of those terrifying storms that forces everyone to stop and tremble a bit. My friend ran upstairs to his daughter''s room to assure her that everything would be all right. He got to her room and found her standing on the window sill spread-eagled against the glass. He shouted, "What are you doing?" She turned away from the flashing lightning and happily reported, "I think God is trying to take my picture!" Well none of us are that trusting in life anymore. There is nothing wrong with a little fear and anxiety in life. It is normal and can even protect us sometimes. The problem is that we can’t let it consume us. Fear and anxiety have a way of bullying us into complacency. Fear and anxiety have a way of compressing our faith. It stops us from taking that journey of life, because we don’t want to deal with the storms. It was Jesus who encouraged the disciples to go on the journey. Jesus was with them, and it was Jesus who calmed the storm. Jesus is with us today as we go through the storms of life – we just have to be intentional in looking for him in every situation. How do we find him so that we can find peace. While I was preparing for this service, I learned that there is a trend all over the world – of having church outside. There is forest church, and nature church, and outside church. There is all kinds of liturgy that encourages us to come outside and find God in nature. We do this once a year, but it is a chance for us to listen to the voice of God After the service, there is one more part of the service, there I encourage everyone to take a moment to be still and take in the beauty of God. To find the face of God in the scenery of the trees. To listen to the voice of God in the sounds of nature. To find the peace of God in the stillness before we have to go back into the stress and anxiety of the world. Our scripture ends by saying He got up and gave orders to the wind and he said to the lake Silence be still. The wind settled down and there was a great calm. Jesus asked why are you frightened. Don’t you have faith yet? Overcome with awe, they said to each other, who is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him? If the wind and the sea obey him, ( and he has spoken to the weather a lot lately) then so can our spirits and our heart. In the midst of the storm, look for Jesus and find peace. Amen. Song For the Beauty of the Earth A Litany for the Planet (after each prayer please say Creator Have Mercy)( Don’t Print) With all our heart and with all our mind, let us pray to the Creator, saying, “Creator, have mercy.” On your earth, the garden of life, Creator, have mercy. On soil, that it may be fruitful in all seasons, Creator, have mercy. On your waters, which sustain a diverse community of life, Creator, have mercy. On the atmosphere of your planet earth, that it may sustain all that breathes, Creator, have mercy. On winds that carry seeds and spores; on breezes that warm and cool the earth, Creator, have mercy. On all the ecosystems of your earth and their intricate communities, Creator, have mercy. On forests of many kinds; on trees and shrubs and vines, Creator, have mercy. On grasslands, tundras, and plains, and on their varied plants, Creator, have mercy. For a city, town, or village On all who live and work and play in this city and this neighborhood, Creator, have mercy. On those who work around us, whose labor builds up our community and our world; on and [local work examples], Creator, have mercy. On the businesses and industries of this city, that they may profit the whole community; on and [local examples], Creator, have mercy. On the parks and green spaces of this city; on those who maintain them and those who enjoy them, Creator, have mercy. On the plants and animals of our ecosystem; on and ____ [local examples], Creator, have mercy. On those who produce food and energy for this city’s people and pets, Creator, have mercy. On schools and all places of learning; on all who care for and teach children and adults, Creator, have mercy. On the poor and homeless residents of this city, that there may be shelter and sustenance for them, Creator, have mercy. On visitors and immigrants; on all who offer welcome and shelter here, Creator, have mercy. On all places of reverence and prayer; on all who honor you and on those who do not yet know you, Creator, have mercy. On our ancestors, and on those who will come after us, Creator, have mercy. (The Episcopal Church Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering As evident through all of creation, God has given freely given to us. Let us continue to worship through the giving of our tithes and our offerings. Prayer of Thanksgiving God we know that you aren’t in need of anything we have to offer. However you desire for us to serve you in every aspect of our life. We pray that this offering was not a meaningless ritual but a true act of worship. Bless these tithes and offerings and guide us as we seek to use them to serve you in all of creation. Amen. ( Drew Gray) Announcements Charge and Benediction God send us out as a people that seek to honor you in all that we do, a people who look for you in creation, and a people who take care of that creation. Amen. (Drew Gray)

In the Midst of the Storm

June 24, 2018 Mark 4:35-41 Pentecost 5 In the Midst of the Storm Children’s Sermon……… But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care if we perish?" (v. 38) Object: A cushion or pillow. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever gone fishing? (Let them answer.) Fishing is really fun if you catch some fish, but if you have to just sit and do nothing but wait for the fish to nibble on your line every once in a while, it can be pretty boring. Have you ever been fishing in a boat? (Let them answer.) That seems like a lot more fun, doesn't it? Even if you can't catch fish, you can always have a nice ride while you sit in the warm sunshine, and let your hands skim through the cool water. The disciples and Jesus used to take a lot of boat rides. They didn't have cars or buses, so it was one of the ways that they chose to get from place to place. They often rode in a boat from one side of a lake to the other. This was also a good place for Jesus to take a nap, since he had little time for sleeping when he was around people. They wanted him to heal their sick or teach them about the ways of God. Once in a while, Jesus would tell the disciples that he wanted to go somewhere else and that they should get a boat, so that they could cross over to the other side of the lake. It was a day like this, that Jesus was sleeping on a cushion at the front of the boat, when a terrible wind storm came up and made great waves. Riding in a boat, with his head upon the cushion, Jesus was sleeping after some very busy days. But the disciples were not asleep. They saw the huge waves and became very much afraid that the boat would turn over in the storm and they would all drown. They knew how tired Jesus was and they hoped that he would wake up on his own, when he felt the boat toss and turn in the storm. But Jesus was so tired and completely unafraid that he never moved. He remained very quiet with his head upon the cushion. Finally, one of the disciples became so afraid that he screamed at Jesus to wake up and do something about the storm before they all drowned. Jesus did wake up, and he looked at the waves which were pounding at the boat and then, with a very quiet voice, he told the waves to calm down. The waves were no more. The lake was calm and the disciples were almost more afraid of his power than they were of the storm, "Just think," they said, "he speaks and even the seas listen to him and obey him." No one had ever seen such power before. Maybe you have a cushion that you sleep on sometimes. The next time you sleep on it, you can think about the day that Jesus spoke to the sea, and the waves calmed down and became quiet. Will you do that? Good. Amen. Mark 4:35-41 Common English Bible (CEB) Jesus stops a storm 35 Later that day, when evening came, Jesus said to them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the lake.” 36 They left the crowd and took him in the boat just as he was. Other boats followed along. 37 Gale-force winds arose, and waves crashed against the boat so that the boat was swamped. 38 But Jesus was in the rear of the boat, sleeping on a pillow. They woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re drowning?” 39 He got up and gave orders to the wind, and he said to the lake, “Silence! Be still!” The wind settled down and there was a great calm. 40 Jesus asked them, “Why are you frightened? Don’t you have faith yet?” 41 Overcome with awe, they said to each other, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him!” Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible I checked weather forecast, it has been a pretty stormy week, but it looks like we will get a little break from the rain until at least Tuesday. Have you noticed that life seems to be full of storms. I have heard it said that in life, either, we have just gotten over a storm, we are in the midst of the storm, or we are about to go into a storm. We don’t ask for trouble in life, it just seems to have a way of finding us. Thrown into the Fire I read a story about an Ohio gentleman whose oil well caught fire, and he put out an all-points' bulletin for help, to make sure that anybody and everybody would come and help him. He offered a $30,000 reward to whoever could put out that fire. With all the large firehouses from cities like Newell, Chester, Wellsville, Dillonvale sent help. They sent their best companies accompanied by the most modern fire- fighting equipment available, but not one of the trucks could get within 200 yards of the blaze because the heat was just too intense and the fire was too big. Finally, the Calcutta Township Volunteer Fire Department appeared on the scene. Amazingly they had only one rickety truck equipped with a single ladder; only two buckets of water, three buckets of sand, and a few blankets. It didn't even come with a hose. When that old truck reached the point where all those other fire companies had stopped, the driver didn't even hesitate. He just kept barreling ahead until he and his crew were right in the thick of that blaze. They jumped out of that truck, threw the two buckets of water and three buckets of sand on that fire and then beat the fire out with those blankets. That oil man was so impressed by that unbelievable display of courage, he gave the driver $30,000 in cash on the spot and said, "What are you and your men going to do with all of that money?" The driver, shaking like a leaf, said, "The first thing we're going to do is to get those stupid brakes on that truck fixed." Sometimes we are thrown into the fire through no fault of our own. James Merritt, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com Trouble has a way of finding us. Have you noticed that when trouble comes, no matter how calm and faithful we may be otherwise, no matter how much we know about Jesus and faith, it all seems to go out the window. We forget all that Jesus taught us about life. For instance take the disciples as an example. They were all fishermen, they were used to being on the water, summer storms were not something new to them. But this time as they are on the sea and a storm comes up, Jesus is in the boat with them asleep. And this time they are afraid and worried about what would happen. This story is very important for us to remember, it has a lot of symbolism. If you go back all the way to the story of creation, in the Hebrew bible, you have to remember that Jews are naturally afraid of water. The sea is the place where the enemy of God lives and rules. In the creation story, God had to defeat the sea monster chaos in order to create order. For the Hebrew people, being in the middle of the sea in the midst of a storm was a very dangerous place to be. If a storm were to come up, the only person with the power to save you was God, only God could calm the sea. Mark tells this story to help us to understand that Jesus holds the power of God. It is interesting that when this summer storm comes up, these lifelong fishermen get scared and they think of Jesus to come and save them. Jesus is not a fisherman, he is a carpenter. He is an honored guest on the boat, and since he is not working, he is sleeping. When they wake Jesus, he is able to calm the sea. Who is this person who has the power to tell the sea to be quiet and it listens? I have heard it said that this story was about the calming of the disciples, when they were able to calm down, they were able to deal with the situation. They say that sometimes God can calm the storm and sometimes God calms the frightened child in the midst of the storm. But this is not just about the disciples calming down, or about us learning to dance in the rain. If you look at the scripture, when Jesus speaks, He does not speak to the disciples to tell them to calm down, he speaks to the storm and tells it to calm down. He has the power to control the environment and make things better. As a matter of fact, his power over the storm seems to lie in his words. It is his words that change the whole situation. That power comes directly from God. Little Faith in a Great God There was a woman in a community who was well known for her simple faith and great calm in the midst of many trials. Another woman who had never met her but had heard of her came to visit one day. "I must find out the secret of her calm, happy life," she thought to herself. As she met her she said:" So you are the woman with the great faith I've heard so much about." "No," came the reply. "I am not the woman with the great faith, but I am the woman with the little faith in the great God." Can you say the same? Donald L. Deffner, Seasonal Illustrations, San Jose: Resource, p. 89 Having faith is not in having the answers, most of the time faith is in being able to ask the right questions. Our answers don’t satisfy everyone, but we all have the same questions. If we go back to the story – when the disciples are afraid and talk to Jesus – they ask a question. Do you want to watch us die? Jesus comes back with a question of his own – why were you afraid? Where is your faith? The bible is a series of questions to each of us about our faith. Look just at the new testament and its questions. Listen for the Questions The Scriptures include a significant number of life-and-death questions about meaning, purpose and value in life. Consider some of the questions posed by Scripture: What will it profit us if we gain the whole world but forfeit our life? (Matthew 16:26) Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15) What are you looking for? (John 1:38) Who is my neighbor? (Like 10:29) What must I do to inherit eternal life? (Mark 10:17) Who can separate us from the love of Christ? (Romans 8:35) Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? (Mark 10:38) Which commandment is the first of all? (Mark 12:28) Where can I go from your Spirit? (Psalm 139:7). What is this new teaching, with authority? (Mark 1:27) Who is this about whom I hear such things? (Luke 9:9) What is truth? (John 18:38) And this morning’s Gospel lesson ends with the question, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41). Who is this Jesus, the one who speaks with a new level of authority, the one who is able to bring calm into the storms of life, the one who comes among us as prince of peace, suffering servant, fount of compassion and grace? Joel D. Kline, Listen for the Questions If life is like a storm, and faith is like a question, and Jesus is the one who calms the sea, then the church is meant to be the boat. This is a postmodern church, but in a lot of churches, if you look up, you will see a series of beams, that is intentional. It represents the bottom of the ship. The sanctuary is the nave, the body of the boat. Tied to the Shore Often, the alternative to risking the dangerous, stormy crossing, is to stay tied up on the shore. Unfortunately, that is the picture of many churches -- a peaceful, restful club house on the shore rather than a boat following Jesus' command to take the fearful risk to cross the lake. We are often more willing to be safe than to answer Jesus' call to go to the other side. A quote that is in my notes from many years ago ties in with this image: "The church is 'not a luxury liner, granting passage and comfort to all who qualify and clamber aboard' but rather 'like a rescuing lifeboat, sometimes listing, or even leaking, but always guided by the captain, Jesus, at the helm.'" (Bishop Lyle G. Miller in opening worship at the Sierra Pacific Synod assembly, 1991, quoted in "The Lutheran," June 19, 1991, page 38) Brian Stoffregen, Exegetical Notes The Boat Is a Symbol for the Church The boat is a symbol for the church. It has been that way from the beginning. The ship has always been a symbol for the church. The logo for the ecumenical movement in our day is the symbol of a ship upon the sea. The Roman Catholic Church refers to itself as "the bark of Peter" which means "the ship of Peter." Architecturally, that part of the sanctuary in which all of you sit is called the "nave." Up front we have the chancel. Out back we have the narthex. That's "churchspeak." But where you are is the nave. The word "nave" is obviously linked, linguistically, to the word "naval." Literally, "nave" is the Latin word for "ship." Even as we sit here in church, we are in the boat with the disciples. And, as Al Gurley is fond of pointing out, if you look up at the ceiling, you can see the ship's prow, albeit upside down. William A. Ritter, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com As we sit hear together, each of us dealing with our own personal storms – looking for the right questions. Let us remember that Jesus is our savior – not just calming our nerves, but indeed calming the storm itself, creating a better life for us. Traveling together as we set sail for the other shore – the shore of forgiveness the shore of peace. This is an important story for us. It has lot of important symbols of life and faith. But let us remember that in the midst of the storms of life, to trust in Jesus. He calms us, but he also calms the sea. Who is this that even the seas obey? That person is Jesus. Let us pray… Humor: Sucked In, Washed Up, Blown Over Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over. The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She'd barely said "hello" when "ssssopp!" Chippie got sucked in. The bird’s owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum cleaner, and opened the bag. There was Chippie - still alive, but stunned. Since the bird was covered with dust, hair and all the stuff you find in a dust bag, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air. Poor Chippie never knew what hit him. A few days after the trauma, a friend who had heard about Chippie’s troubles contacted his owner to see how the bird was recovering. "Well," she replied, "Chippie doesn't sing much anymore - he just sits and stares." Who can blame him? Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . That's enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart. Things happen in our lives that come along unexpectedly and we end up feeling a bit like Chippie - sucked in, washed up, and blown over – the song stolen from the stoutest of hearts. I reckon there are very few here this morning who couldn’t stand up and give testimony to some aspect of their lives where they feel a bit like the disciples in that boat - afraid, vulnerable, a decidedly sinking feeling! You know what it’s like to feel as though you are in the middle of a storm, tossed this way and that, and you wonder how you’re ever going to get to calmer waters. Vince Gerhardy, Calm in a Storm Why Not You? A ministerial colleague tells of a conversation he had one day with a female medical assistant in a doctor's office, as he was waiting to see the doctor. The woman recognized him because she had occasionally attended his church, though she was a member of another church. "I want to tell you about my experience," she said. "I got saved in the Assemblies of God Church ... I gave my life to God ... and guess what? ... Life tumbled in! I developed a heart problem. My husband lost his executive job ... and he recently died of cancer." The minister says he tried to mumble a few theological sounding explanatory words about God's mysterious ways, thinking that was what the woman wanted. But she went right on with her story, indicating that she had repeatedly asked God, "Why me?" "And what do you think God told me?" she continued. "'Why not you?' That's what God said. 'Why should you be spared all the crises of life that everyone else must go through?'" Then she wound up her story saying, "One day I said to God, 'Lord, you've forgiven me. Now I forgive you.'" There is a woman who, from my point of view, has a healthy faith. Her faith is not a series of propositions, it is a relationship, and as in all relationships, it is one that changes and can tolerate challenges. It is vital because it is honest. David G. Rogne, Sermons for Sundays after Pentecost, CSS Publishing Company What Is The Question? In his book Listening to Your Life Frederick Buechner writes of Gertrude Stein asking on her deathbed, “What is the answer?” Then, after a long silence, she asks yet another question. This time she asks, “What is the question?” Buechner concludes: "Don’t start looking in the Bible for the answers it gives. Start by listening for the questions it asks. "We are much involved, all of us, with questions that matter a good deal today but will be forgotten by this time tomorrow — the immediate where’s and when’s and how’s that face us daily at home and at work — but at the same time we tend to lose track of the questions about the things that matter always, life-and-death questions about meaning, purpose, and value." Joel D. Kline, Listen for the Questions Now You Know Why During his years as premier of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev denounced many of the policies and atrocities of Joseph Stalin. Once, as he censured Stalin in a public meeting, Khrushchev was interrupted by a shout from a heckler in the audience. "You were one of Stalin's colleagues. Why didn't you stop him?" "Who said that?" roared Khrushchev. An agonizing silence followed as nobody in the room dared move a muscle. Then Khrushchev replied quietly, "Now you know why." Fear has a way of paralyzing us. Today in the Word Sleeping When the Wind Blows God also works through other people to assure us in the midst of difficult times. A young man applied for a job as a farmhand. When the farmer asked for his qualifications, he said, "I can sleep when the wind blows." This puzzled the farmer. But he liked the young man, and hired him. A few days later, the farmer and his wife were awakened in the night by a violent storm. They quickly began to check things out to see if all was secure. They found that the shutters of the farmhouse had been securely fastened. A good supply of logs had been set next to the fireplace. Meanwhile, the young man slept soundly. The farmer and his wife then inspected their property. They found that the farm tools had been placed in the storage shed, safe from the elements. The tractor had been moved into the garage. The barn was properly locked. Even the animals were calm. All was well. The farmer then understood the meaning of the young man's words, "I can sleep when the wind blows." Because the farmhand did his work loyally and faithfully when the skies were clear, he was prepared for the storm when it broke. God wants us to rely on others when there is turmoil, especially to those who are faithful. Keith Wagner, Sailing Through the Storms of Life Crossing Over The story is told of old Bishop Warren Chandler, after whom the school of theology at Emory University was named. As he lay on his death bed, a friend inquired as to whether or not he was afraid. "Please tell me frankly," he said, "do you fear crossing over the river of death?" "Why," replied Chandler, "I belong to a father who owns the land on both sides of the river." In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. That is our great salvation hope. I want you to know that God cares if you are immobilized by some fear in your life. He cares because that fear is intruding upon His destiny for you. It is perfect love that casts out fear. At the foot of the cross you can lean back into the arms of an ever loving and gracious God and echo the words of the old hymn: "God will take care of you, He will take care of you." Staff, www.eSermons.com I Have Seen the Face of the Captain Robert Louis Stevenson delighted in the story of a ship tossed in a storm. The sea was rough and the rocky coast perilous. Danger was real and dread expectancy active among the seamen. One frantic sailor who was laboring below the water line could contain himself no longer. He rushed to the control room, closed the door behind himself, and stood frozen in fright watching the captain wrestle with the controls of the huge ship. Skill of mind and strength of hand enabled the captain to guide the vessel through the threatening rocks into open water. The Captain turned slightly, looked at the frightened sailor, and smiled. The youth returned below deck and assured the crew all danger was over. When they inquired how he knew, he answered, "I have seen the face of the Captain, and he smiled at me." If you will only "turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace." When you know who is in control there is no fear. Eric S. Ritz, www.Sermons.com