Sunday June 23, 2024
St. Andrew Church
Rev. Anne McAnelly
First Lesson: Psalm 107: 1-3, 23-32
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, those he redeemed from trouble 3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the mighty waters; 24 they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. 25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. 26 They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their calamity; 27 they reeled and staggered like drunkards, and were at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out from their distress; 29 he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad because they had quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. 31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. 32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Second Lesson: Mark 4:35-41
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”
Did you know that there are swamps in Africa? I was truly surprised to discover swamps in Amboseli, Kenya. Mangrove swamps provide homes for the hippos, also known as water horses. The elephants travel to the swamps daily to cool off and drink. But when you are searching the horizon for animals, trying to spot any of God’s amazing creatures, it is strange to see only the top half of an elephant, because the bottom part is submersed in the swamp. We were fortunate to see several herds of elephants before we arrived there, but glimpsing only the top half of the elephant truly changed my perspective. These grand, intelligent creatures, with nimble trunks, and thoughtful eyes, can best be spotted in the swamp by the white egrets perched on their backs more than by their sturdy profile. Whether it is an elephant consumed by a swamp, or a boat swamped by a storm, the magnitude of both is tremendous. Listen now Mark 4:35-41.
There are many things to be afraid of when traveling to Africa: Malaria, Yellow Fever, Lions, being escorted at night to our rooms inside a game reserve where the night before we arrived, they found a kill up in a tree, hauled up there by a leopard. Or being out in the wild and having three flat tires in 24 hours, one while the sun is setting. Or the storms of traveling halfway around the world. Some in our group got stuck in Narobi airport for hours because of weather delays in JFK. Of course, we all have many fears and storms in life right here. Afraid of falling or being struck with a disease. Worrying about how you will manage now that your beloved has passed. Fear you will not be able to stay in your home, or how to start again if you move to be close to your children. Afraid for our democracy. Fear about our world and what kind of future we are leaving to our children and grandchildren. It can feel like the waves of life are swamping our lives, overwhelming us as we go.
That is why Mark tells us this account of Jesus calming the storm. It is more than a nautical story; it is a lesson in facing our fears and having faith. A couple things to note. First, they took Jesus ‘just as he was” (36). This simple phrase reminds us that Jesus is who Jesus is, not what we want him to be. So, when we are seeking help and support during the storms of our lives, it is good to accept Jesus as he is; a humble servant of God, our Savior and companion, God’s beloved Son. Second, his followers called him “Teacher,” rather than “Master” or “Lord” as they do in Luke and Matthew (8:22-25, 8:23-27). A teacher can share wisdom, but probably not save you from a storm. So, consider how you regard Jesus in your life? Is he more than an amazing teacher? Is he your Master and Lord? Finally, Jesus offers “Peace!” while commanding the storm to “Be still.” Jesus does not say that in Matthew or Luke. This 4arkens back to God saying, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46: 10). Isn’t that what we want and need the most when we are afraid? To know that God is with us and has got this terrifying situation in hand. Because what we read as great awe, is literally in the Greek, “they feared a great fear;” the same words that describe the shepherds response to the angel at Jesus’ birth in Luke 2:9” (Working Preacher, James Boyce). Sometimes we fear a great fear too. Fear can be debilitating, and it is woven through life. Yet it is our faith that sees us through.
Yet, “faith, according to Mark, is not a matter of mastering doctrine; it is the desperation, urgency, and tenacity that manifest themselves in people who behold the well-being and divine blessing Jesus brings” (Working Preacher, Matt Skinner). Faith has to do with our relationship with Jesus. Our trust in who he is and our acceptance of our need to be saved from life’s storms.
Are you familiar with Newton’s third law? It simply states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. I thought about this while digging into this text. The same word used to describe the windstorm, “great” is the same word used to describe the calm Jesus brings. It is translated dead calm, but it is the same word in Greek. So whatever force is overwhelming us in life, whatever fear we are facing, whatever great windstorm is swamping you, trust that Jesus will bring an equal force, an equal power, an equal energy to meet that storm and calm it.
Our Psalm tells of a great storm as well and how the trouble arose as a matter of their fear when their courage melted away. That’s what happens when we live in fear instead of faith. Our. courage melts away. “Jesus asked them, “Why are you so afraid?” That is a question I could ask many of you. It is a question I could also ask myself:· Why are you so afraid?
Fear is at the heart of most of the problems that human beings have. The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is fear. Think about it for a moment and try to tell me any problem in the human heart that is not based in fear …
Writer Gwendolyn Mitchell Diaz tells about a trip she took with her family one summer. They loaded up their van and headed north to visit friends and relatives. On the way home they stopped in Boone, North Carolina, and spent a few days sightseeing.
Gwendolyn says she will never forget the afternoon they spent at Grandfather Mountain, the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains. They were told that if they dared cross a long suspension bridge called Mile-High Swinging Bridge, they could stand on a rocky ledge that offered a tremendous view of the valley thousands of feet below.
It was lte afternoon when they arrived at the bridge, and a storm was blowing in. The wind was beginning to gust significantly. Gwendolyn took one look down the eighty-foot-deep ravine spanned by the bridge, clutched her baby Jonathan, and refused to set foot on it. Her older sons Zach and Matt took off running onto the bridge. They were about halfway across the swaying boards when the wind became so strong it made them stagger. But they loved the challenge and the thrill and fought their way to the other side. Three-year-old Ben had started running after them. However, he stopped suddenly and clung to the nearest post. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to continue the dangerous trek.
Dad, seeing what fun Zach and Matt were having as they fought against the wind, reached for Ben’s hand and said, “Let’s go. I’ll take care of you.”
“It was obvious that all kinds of what-ifs started tumbling around inside Ben’s mind as he stood glued to the post contemplating Dad’s offer,” says Gwendolyn. “But suddenly he reached up, grabbed Dad’s big hand, and started skipping across the bridge into the gusting wind. Ben had obviously transferred all of his what-ifs to Dad and decided to let [Dad] worry about them. The swaying bridge, the extreme height, the blustery wind, the impending storm, these weren’t his problems anymore. Whether or not he could handle the situation did not matter. It was completely Dad’s responsibility.”
Maybe that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Unless you change and become like a little child you shall never enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 18:3) To have that kind of trust, to turn it all over to Daddy, Abba if we could live like that most of the things that keep us awake at night would simply disappear. Fear is the biggest problem in our lives. The best way to conquer fear is with faith.
But not just faith in anybody or anything. The only kind of faith that really matters is faith in Jesus Christ” (Sermons.com, King Duncan). AMEN.
