By Deacon Timothy Siburg
Revised Common Lectionary reflection for Proper 7, Year B
June 23:35-41
Key Verse: “Peace! Be still!” -Mark 4:39
I grew up near the water. Not far from my family home in Western Washington state was a bay that connected to the Puget Sound and the larger Salish Sea. From there, the tide would flow in and out through the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the Pacific Ocean. The beauty was a sign of God’s beloved creation always present. Stories like this week’s gospel always resonated.
However, I now call land-locked Nebraska home, and stories about Jesus on the water may not always resonate in the same way. Even so, both locales are definitely familiar with storms.
In this week’s Gospel we find Jesus and the disciples on a boat. Jesus seems perfectly comfortable riding out the waves asleep on his cushion in the stern. But is the only one sleeping and oblivious as the wind whips up the waves and imperils the ship. There’s only so much a sailor can do in a storm. At best, you’re going to go with it. At worst, you might fight the wind in vain, and nature will win, as nature always does. Perhaps this week’s story invites us to think about our own lives and the actual or metaphorical storms we all face from time to time.
I wonder, when have you experienced a storm, flood, tornado, blizzard, mudslide, drought, wildfire, or earthquake when all you could do as God’s people was to pray and to wait in hope for the storm to pass and cease? To wait for the good news of Jesus’ promise and assurance, “Peace! Be still!” to be shared? (Mark 4:39). In much of the United States this spring, there has been storm after storm, and tornado after tornado. Perhaps this week’s story might invite us to pause and name the thoughts, feelings, wonderings, fears, worries and hopes that we each carry. We’re invited to name the hard things, and then to entrust them to God.
A story like this also invites reflection about trust and God’s abiding presence with us, even in the hardest experiences of life. Where have you experienced God at work in your hardest moments? As Mr. Fred Rogers used to famously say, “Look for God among the helpers.” The first responders. The disaster relief workers. The neighbors and community members who show up to lend a helping hand up, a shoulder to cry on, a listening ear, and an encouraging word and presence.
We know the rest of the story. We know that Jesus eventually wakes up. We know he hears the disciples’ question, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). We know that Jesus does what only God can do. God rebukes the wind, and the sea calms and the storm ceases. We know that Jesus then asks them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40). We know the rest of the story, too – that the disciples still don’t have Jesus figured out and what he is up to, despite accompanying him in his travels. Even when Jesus goes to the cross, they still have not put it all together.
But in a story like this, which might seem particularly poignant, given the storms and disasters our communities might face with ever increasing frequency, there is also an invitation to respond. We’re invited to see what comes after the storm passes. We’re invited to experience being filled with awe at the beauty of the rainbow, or the way God’s people come together after storms to check-in on neighbors, to help each other out, and together to get things cleaned up and “back to normal.” Such a response is love in action and stewardship in action. And whenever we hear such stories, we too might be filled with a sense of awe and gratitude for God’s love made real, and even wonder with those first disciples, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).
A stewardship sermon reminding of God’s presence and promise would be fitting this week. So too, might be some wondering about how God walks with us even amid the hardest of experiences of life. If your community has experienced a major storm or disaster of some kind, this week’s story might just invite a time of reflection, pondering, sharing of stories, and hope. If that is what is needed and the Spirit is inviting, run with it.
This week’s story also invites us to ponder the ever-increasing experience of such storms. If it makes sense in your context, perhaps this is a week to share some reflection about climate change and the importance of creation care. These are stewardship topics to be sure, as God entrusts all of creation into our care back at the beginning of Genesis, particularly God’s instruction to Adam in Genesis 2. Perhaps your congregation or denomination has resources to tap and share, and to even join in the work of being proactive in creating or implementing a disaster response plan in case it might ever be needed. Such topics may not automatically bring joy and peace, but they bare love because through this kind of work, we can together help others see and experience Jesus’ words of promise and assurance of, “Peace! Be still.”
In Worship and Congregational Life
Given the element of stormy weather in this week’s stories (particularly the Gospel), this might be a good week to connect the dots of your faith community with the larger needs of the community and world, particularly in response to storms, weather, natural disasters, and even climate change. Depending on your congregation or denomination, you might already have a disaster response plan. But if not, perhaps this would be a fitting time to have a forum or faith formation conversation on this topic outside of worship. Resources like those made available from Lutheran Disaster Response could be particularly valuable to lift up and share.
Within worship, the time around the offering could be dedicated to story sharing. A video clip or story could share how your congregation has responded to storms or disasters. It’s good stewardship to connect the congregation with the ministries they make possible through prayer and financial assistance.
A hymn suggestion: “Calm to the Waves” by Mary Louise Bringle and Thomas Pavlechko offers simple texts and melody. It could make for a beautiful response between prayer petitions. The text sings, “Calm to the waves. Calm to the wind. Jesus whispers, ‘Peace, be still.’ Balm to our hearts. Fears at an end. In stillness hear his voice.” It can be found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress, 2006), 794.
Worship with Youth and Children
As the parent of two schoolchildren, I can admit that the nights around here have been harder over the last few months. My daughters have awakened quite a bit because of storms filled with wind, rain, thunder, and the threat of tornados. As a family, we have been working on being prepared, not scared. But the children have big feelings, understandably. Perhaps children and youth in your context have been dealing with something like this? If so, might God be inviting us to name these feelings and model healthy ways of sharing them openly? Perhaps the Children’s Message could include a short children’s version of the Noah’s Ark story, and then a time of open questions and sharing. Invite the younger saints to name how they have felt in the storms recently. What did they see? What did they sense? Where did they see God? If the younger saints feel so moved to name any of these things, they might just open the door for the larger congregation to do so also. After some time of honest sharing, offer the reassurance of Jesus’ love. Perhaps connect it to Jesus’ words in the story today, “Peace! Be still!” And then close in prayer together.
Previous reflections for Proper 7, Year B
2021 – Wide open faith
2018 – See, hear and love
2015 – In case you forgot
2012 – Wild, untamed, wonderful faith
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