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Sermon – 5th October 2014
The Church of the Good
Shepherd
Genesis
1.1-2, 20-23 Psalm 107.23-31 Matthew 8.23-27
In
2011 as a 60th birthday treat my wife booked a Mediterranean Cruise,
something we have never done before.
We
flew over to Tenerife to board the ship.
Around 12 midnight the ship slipped anchor and sailed away with an Upper Deck
Pool Party. However that wasn't to last long as we sailed straight into a storm force 12 gale with a 4 metre swell and
spent the night being tossed about like a cork in a barrel.
Never
having done anything more than cross the English Channel
and the Straights of Gibraltar I thought this was par for the course. It was
only the next day with the wind still howling and all decks closed off that we realized this wasn't ‘normal.’ The
doctors were kept very busy not only with a large number of guests but also
with very sick crew members.
The
Captain knew it would be a rough passage and knew equally the ship could handle
it even if some of the guest and crew couldn't. So
he sailed through the storm rather than get delayed. After that it became quite
literally plain sailing. I might add that neither my wife nor I felt any
effects at all and in fact thought it quite a giggle and enjoyed being rocked
to sleep totally oblivious to those trying to handle the ship through the
stormy weather.
The
Jewish people (remembering Jesus was a Jew) had no love or liking for the sea.
They were a land based, dessert people. The opening passage of the Bible tells
a story of the creation being spoken into existence and the waters of darkness
with the Spirit of God brooding over the waters of the deep.
At
the other end of the Bible in the Book of Revelation we read this rather
obscure little verse;
Then I saw "a new heaven and a new
earth," for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and
there was no longer any sea. (Rev 21.1)
Then
we have the story of Noah – who of course is one of the best businessmen
recorded in the Scriptures. He kept a limited company afloat whilst the rest of
the world went into liquidation!
But
more importantly is a story amongst other things about overcoming the floods of
destruction.
Then
we have the stories of Jesus.
Remember
the one about the demoniac and the pigs running down the hill into the sea?
That story comes after this one – once they have journeyed across the Lake to the other side.
Forget
all the other stuff for a moment but look at it as pigs being an unclean and
forbidden animal for Jews and think about the man possessed of a legion of
demons and how Jesus casts them back to where they belong and from where they
emanated – the sea!
We
do have one account however of Jesus taking a Mediterranean coastal break in Tyre and Sidon
We
just don’t know, maybe he arranged a boat trip for them out onto the sea.
What
we do know is that Jesus went to the edges and pushed others to travel to the
edge as well. In this instance, in Tyre and Sidon , he encounters the Syro-Phoenician woman and heals
her daughter – Jesus had stepped outside the role of saviour only to the
household of Israel
The
disciple did however have the experience of the Sea of Galilee also known as Kinneret,
Lake of Gennesaret ,
or Lake Tiberias .
Not a sea at all, which
probably goes to show what they knew about seas! This is Israel
We
are also familiar with some of Jesus’ first disciples being fishermen working
the lake.
The
Sea of Galilee can experience powerful storms
that can form suddenly when dry, cold air from the surrounding heights flow
down to meet the moist, warmer air over the lake.
That’s
where we find ourselves in our story from Matthews Gospel.
Keep
in mind all that I have said about the Jewish people being a dessert people
with no love or liking or real experience of the sea.
The
story is easily told. For those with any imagination, especially those who know
through experience about storm tossed seas. It is easy enough to imagine
yourself in this story, battling away with sails and ropes and oars, the wind
and rain and sea spray threatening at any moment to break the boat apart.
Now
for a moment let’s imagine the story not being about a physical boat struggling
on a stormy sea. Let us instead let think of it being about our life and the
many storms that beset us and break about our heads.
A
year after our first cruise we embarked upon another shorter Mediterranean
cruise planning to spend some time in Tenerife
afterwards as well when our daughter would join us.
Shortly
before we were due to fly out my sister-in-law Alison phoned. She had some bad
news about her husband Colin. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
This came as a real blow as only a few months before at our son’s wedding they
were telling us of their exciting plans to sell up in Farnborough and move up
near their daughter close to Oswestry.
Alison
encouraged us not to cancel the holiday saying that nothing would probably
happen while we were away and we could catch up when we got back. Of course it was not possible to really relax
and enjoy the cruise as we had before. We berthed at Tenerife ,
picking up our daughter from the airport the next day. On the last day before
we were due to fly home we had the devastating news from Alison that Colin had
died. Little more than six weeks had transpired from diagnoses to his death at
the age of 62. We are close to the second anniversary of Colin’s death on the
29th of this month.
Not
so long ago Alison had embraced the Christian faith. Urged and encouraged by
Alison and others Colin went through the Alpha Course at a local church as a
result of which, Colin also gave his life to Christ and became a Christian.
As
things were in place with house sales Alison had to go ahead with the move and
settle into Oswestry. Alison is also living with M.S.
I
asked Alison if I might mention her story by way of encouraging people that
having Jesus in the boat when unexpected storm clouds break can help you face
the future and continue onwards.
This
is what she wrote in reply…
Hi
Gordon, I'm okay with your telling my story. I believe things happen for a
reason & that God has a plan for me. He has steered my boat on a different
course from the one Colin & I originally planned. However I am discovering
things about myself that have given rise to many different feelings &
emotions some quite scary but fulfilling in other ways, if that makes sense! I
have had a number of previously unknown experiences to deal with but Jesus has
always kept me from going overboard. He knows just how much a person can take
& it's a lot more than one would imagine had one been given insight. I
think it just as well we don't know what's around the corner!!
So,
let me ask you, is Jesus in your boat as you prepare to sail into the week
ahead not knowing what might happen?
Perhaps
you might carry with you this well known Breton Fisherman’s prayer…
Dear God,
Be good to me;
The Sea is so wide,
And my boat is so small.
But above all,
I would urge you with every fiber of my being don’t try and sail into the week
ahead without making sure Jesus is on board. I invited Jesus into my life on
the 1st January 1975 and it was the best decision I have ever made.
You could make that decision today for the first time or by way of renewing
your faith.
Let us pray and
particularly if you want to make sure Jesus is on board in your life then I
invite you to repeat this prayer quietly in your heart.
Lord Jesus
Christ, I don’t know what lays ahead, calms, storms or plain sailing. But I
acknowledge that on my own I am lost. I accept you came on a rescue mission to
save the world – to save me. I invite you now to come on board, to help me get
through what ever I might have to face. I place my life into your care trusting
that at the last you will bring me home to your safe harbour in heaven.
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'Harvest of the Sea' was put together largely by Deacon Helen Rawlings who oversaw a transformation of the Church. Helen is Port Officer at Shoreham for Fisherman's Mission and had invited local fishermen to bring along a whole range of items plus fresh fish for sale! Prayers were written of fish shaped rice paper which I took with me and put into the sea..jpg)
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