[Oe List ...] Notes for 6/24/18 Event (Mark 4:33-41)

[Dawn Collins]

I think it was in June of this year,  yes, Sunday, the 24th when I pondered over a worship service based on the Scripture of Mark 4:35-41 (NT) which also illustrated perfect love which casts out fear (1 John 4:18). 

Let us Go to the Other SideThe children received their rendition in the story of the little loon that was fearful when Mama left it alone to go for his food.while the water in the lake soon tossed and the sky became dark. The little loon was hungry and wanted to go home. Where was home? Where was mama loon? Showers came down and the little loon started to cry and his body shook.  Finally, mama loon appeared, the little loon ate and they kickflipped in the dark all the way home. Isn't it good to have someone to help us when we're afraid and when we can learn to help each other? That's what we do when we worship together with who's helping us and seek and pray for God's guidance to help ourselves and others. 
So Jesus tells the disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side".  For this was after a time full of teaching and miracles and they are looking forward to a time of rest. The multitudes have come to the shore before them and probably had their boats ready to receive more of the good things they'd experienced.
Lo, a windstorm arose and swamped the disciples' boat but Jesus was asleep in the storm on a pillow. They awakened him crying, 
     "Teacher, do you not care we are perishing?" He woke and rebuked the wind saying, "Peace be still!!"     The wind dropped and there was a dead calm.    "Why are you so afraid, have you no faith?"
     The disciples responded amongst themselves, "Who then is this man that the wind and sea obey     Him?"
The pastor interjects, "What are you afraid of? What do you do when you are afraid? What's an appropriate, wise response? Do you find you're afraid of a source of danger or difficulty of things that really are of peril? When you work through them you might find they're not particularly valuable things to spend your energy on. 
The story is familiar to many, let me rehearse the scene. Matthew has an additional piece that captures the imagination. Peter, who's a kind of show off after the water walking exercise probably displays a false bravado.  
The popular culture has appropriated images of "put your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee".  We understand images of followers in a boat threatened by wind and storm. The story resonates on this level which is familiar to us. No wonder the Christian message has appealed to those living in South East (Alaska)--a fishing culture in a maritime port of the world. And Juneau is a place of abundance and wonders of attraction, yet the sea is so vast and my boat is so small, yet without your help, I'm afraid.
This story resonates on this literal level as well and we can't nor should we deny or ignore living in this land where our life depends on the great gifts of the sea for sustenance and the need for each other and spiritual sustenance. Life on the sea is a scary proposition for those who come with a cast and join in on the blessing of the fleet, "Oh God, be with us. in the midst of our peril and need for each other." It's part of our human need.
We encounter the image of the storm replete with challenges, dangers, perils, unsafe and scary amid our peril where we need help! We know there are situations where we need help where we need each other for spiritual and physical help where we gather for comfort.

Whatever trials and tribulations befall us, we share them with friends and neighbors and those on this planet we have never met. We know where to turn for help to God and God's people who come to our shores out of violence and pain needing help uncertainty, will we help? They come seeking new life from all corners out of living in darkness and peril fleeing war and rumors of war. "Oh God our help in ages past our help for years to come". May we be helpers called forth (like Mr. Rogers) such helpers that children and others might be with us in the Presence that cares in time of grief and sorrow.
Yet part of the message of today's reading operates on a different level divergent of the message of thanksgiving and awe. Not in contradiction but quite divergent from this message which calls for God's Presence at a time when the guy in charge seems to not be paying attention. There's a big problem here.  Read with me again,  as often portrayed:  A great windstorm arose and the waves were beating against and swamping the boat. Jesus is in the stern asleep and the disciples woke him up for they were afraid of the storm. IT DOES NOT SAY THAT! 

The disciples were MAD at Him because he was not agitated over the storm...He's SLEEPING! The disciples' response is, "Don't you care for us?" Never says they're afraid which is a curious response, maybe not. 
I've had that experience, I think, "They may not want my help. May not understand me even if my intentions are good. Doesn't seem to be helping."  There's a whole history producing peoples reaction. Some.times you may not have the best interest of the person in charge when you're used to being told what to do. This makes things worse. Disciples reaction here could have been, "Lot of help you are. Did you notice what's happening out here!"
It's understandably not a story of fear we expect  By then Jesus being the "nonanxious Presence" does not get drawn into their drama and says to the sea, "Peace Be Still", and the winds cease and the sea is calm,  in a nutshell, the sea is calm. Did you ever notice that? After He stills the storm, Jesus asks, "Why are you afraid?" The disciples are filled with great awe and wonder at the Presence of this One in their lives.
Another translation  (from the Greek) which appears two other times in Scripture is este or timid. Jesus asks, "Why are you timid?" Or from a double translation, They were afraid with a terrible fear after Jesus calmed the storm. They were far from exclaiming at that point, "Who do you think you are just cavalierly making the wind cease?"
I suggest in addition to the real fear of storms manifested in our lives we need help with and comfort for the capacity to learn and grow and move through grief and sorrow to pick up the pieces and carry on.
In addition to this, there are things in our lives we fear and we take it out on those who want to help us make it better to lead us to constructive responses. Jesus's capacity  to make life "more than" offers life and life more abundantly.
Many of you know the illustration of the frog in the pot of water when the heat is turned up gradually burns to death. We need help to live togetheer and use our resources justly to care for the planet.
There is a storm in our midst of enmity, violence, distrust, strife we've become so used  to and are in danger of boiling ourselves to death.  These are problems we can fix. We cannot deal with the thought of leave me alone or go into withdrawal of the drug of choice which numbs us. Nor can we think we have a nest egg for ourselves to care or our selves (Don't go messin' with me, Jesus)! The key is to understand this level of the story.
It's really in the first verse on "that day" where Jesus had previously taught in parables to the crowds (which they sent home save those who accompanied them in their boats) and explained the meaning later with the disciples before they embarked in their vessel to the other side. Jesuis taught in paraables that bring us growth rather than the empire's version of the cedars of Lebanon.
So it's not a funny story about the chicken getting to the other side but it is a theological statement about the oneness of humanity whose primary division in first century Palestine was between the Jews and God.  They get in the boat. Why? To go over to the other side. Theere was a Jewish and Gentile side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was a Jew and his ministry was  to the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus is manifesting here humanity is one. There is no "Others". Every child is created as a human being in God's image. NONE to be excluded. There are no throw away people. And the disciples said, "You have filled us with great fear." They were afraid to do what Jesus called them to do, to live in community with "them".

That's my point sisters and brothers, we know that fear calls us to not point the finger of aspersion but energizes us to be who we are. We know God's Presence in our midst and there are some people who are hard to deal with. Some may think the main one is the guy upfront with the funny clothes . 
It takes work to live the abundant life on Earth that our God has given us where we have all we need and have the oportunity to continue on the journey. To be with the process and live and move and be together in peace and compassion making use of  the just distribution of our resources in loving relationship with all creation.
It's also scary and I pray for our desire, openness and willingness and capacity to continue to move into od's future together in this side, the other side and all sides.
May it be so.

 -Former Pastor Phil Campbell's (recently retired) sermon given at Northern Light United Church in Juneau Alaska this past summer




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