Sundays sermon on the calming of the storm

The Calming of the Storm

Gate Pa: June 24 2012

Readings:

Hebrew Scripture:    Isaiah 40: 1-11

Psalm:                     85: 7-13

Epistle:                     2 Corinthians 6: 1-13       

Gospel:                     Mark 4: 35-41        

What I want to say:

where do we feel like in midst chaos

lost control

there is no hope

as imitators of Christ – not rely on God to fix everything

but like Christ who slept in the storm

to trust God who is source of all goodness, who bends down in compassionate love and embraces us

even

What I want to happen:

people to continue to know whose they are and to live that out

The Sermon:

1.     intro to Mark.

#  story heard this morning

Comes after Jesus in boat offering block teaching in series of parables:

            Farmer sowing seed

            Lamp-stand -  need to use what have

            Growing seed grows secret – produces corn

            Mustard seed

and he has had it

teaching and healing non stop

even family worried and tried take him away

stuffed

Jesus says go to other side

Goes to back and goes to sleep

#  He trusts them

Experienced fisherman – know what doing

-      used to handling fishing boats in all conditions

-      able look changing weather – go to safety when need to.

But caught out

This squall comes very fast – as it can

            and is savage

                        as it can be

            even more savage

# blasting down valley - out hill of Lebanon

            intensifying as it comes

Greek used describe squall indicates that it is much more than just bad weather

            word used – similar used describe demonic

Story is about much more than bad weather

Jesus lives in world everything is controlled by spirits and these are really bad spirits at work here

use language links story with others where Jesus is confronted with demonic

-      Jesus and evil sprit in Capernaum – chapter 1 (after calling first disciple

-      Jesus and Beelzebub in chapter 3 (after 12 appointed)

-      Jesus healing demon possessed man (straight after this story)

-      And several others

One themes Marks gospel is that Jesus overcomes the deep and destructive powers of demonic in the world

=> Sets people free to live lives in light and love of God

Story is symbolic of that struggle, and that outcome

#  So have demonic storm hammering this boat and other boats that are there

Disciples begin to loose control

Panic

They freeze

And in their panic

Wake Jesus

Demanding  - “teacher don’t you care if we drown?”

2.     Why do the disciples wake Jesus

3        3.     How does Jesus sleep so well

              ask people for thoughts

·        These are his privileged followers who have already heard and responded

            Seed is planted in them and is growing

·        profound trust in God’s goodness, love and mercy

            not trust God will fix everything and keep him safe and well

                        exhibits same trust Gethsemane and Golgotha

                        trust that he is held in God’s mercy, goodness and love

so that as Julian Norwich said – all shall be well,

keeps calm and is able to sleep

4.     Jesus wakes

#  Jesus is waken by cries of panic

And stands to speak to forces swirling around his boat

            Says simply – “Peace, be still”

turns to disciples and says

“Why are you timid? Have you no faith?”

And they were afeared great fear, and said to one another, “Who the hell is this that even the wind and the sea listen to him?”

Ø what would we say?

Ø what does it mean to have faith in this story?

5.     What is Mark trying to do?

#   Mark not just writing a story here

 writing to his community in such a way that addressed their issues and questions

like God does not care what is happening to us?

places them with disciples in boat

offering them hope when

they seem to loose control

            they panic

            they feel like they have no say and are powerless?

            they are frozen into inaction

because that is the effect of the demonic in this story

people panic and are frozen into incction

But not Jesus

remains calm and trusting in the face of the demonic

– because he trusts in Gods goodness and love,

and that God has already overcome the demonic

so what is faith – trusting in God’s goodness and love and mercy

            not being frozen into inaction

            knowing that God does care even when all seems lost

This Gospel like all gospels was written as much for us as for his original hearers

We are same community of God, same church

Invites us into the boat with the disciples

Asks same questions:

When do we seem to loose control?

            What are we panicking about?

            When are we so buffeted?

            When do we feel like we have no say and are powerless?

            When are we frozen into inaction?

We too are offered hope.