Special Service for Our Graduates – 2024
Abridge Worship Provided By: Rev. Jacob Shaw (Please note that this is not a verbatim account of our Sunday morning worship, but rather a condensed version for those at home to study and enjoy, Blessing)
Opening Prayer:
Lord, sometimes it feels like our lives are overcome by the winds and waves of chaos, disorder, and malice. Help us to see through the storm, help us to endure the winds and rain, help us to trust that You, our God, are greater than the storms on the horizon.
Amen.
Scripture Readings: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 and Mark 4:35-41
2 Corinthians 6:1-13
As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Paul’s Hardships
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.
Mark 4:35-41 read by Rev. Jacob Shaw
That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Reflection:
I would like you to put yourself into the shoes, into the mental and spiritual shoes, of the disciple in the boat that night when Jesus calms the storm. As amazing as the moment of Jesus calming the storm is, the magnificence of that moment is diminished in our minds if we do not take a moment to resonate with the disciples.
I say this because, I don’t know about you, but I have never found myself floating in the Galilean Sea in the middle of a catastrophic storm, after sacrificing my life, livelihood, and community to pursue a man who claims to be the Messiah. And while the swirling winds of anxiety and fear are choking me, and the waves of uncertainty and doubt are hammering the side of that boat, that Messiah, is having a cat nap. I can honestly say, I have never been in that circumstance.
And, to shift the perspective of that circumstance even more, you have to realize that, at this point, the disciples were still learning who Jesus fully is, and we know that because when Jesus does calm the storm, it is a surprising thing to them. Holy smokes, did he just do that?
We encounter this story post-resurrection, we know the story of Jesus calming the sea within the flow of the Biblical narrative, but the disciples did not. Their whole understanding of what was going on that day, was framed by limited information.
Now, let’s add one more piece to this story, something maybe you have not thought of. In the gentile world – the seas, the oceans, and the bodies of water were often connected to mythical gods, like Tiamat, and Poseidon, there were myths and legends from every nation under the sky about the extreme life and bounty of the sea, but also the endless possibility for chaos, suffering and death. The sea seems to generate stories of fear, and a good way to grasp that, is by saying, the best sea monster stories, always come from the lifelong fishermen.
So with all of these things, layered on the disciples, the boat, the storm, the limited knowledge, their messiah napping, the looming mythos, the anxiety, the fear when Jesus awakes, and says, Quiet, Be Still!
Jesus, in just three words, pulls away the power from all that is disrupting their faith, stability, calm, and hope. In just three words, Jesus shows us that he has authority over the things that unnerve and frighten us to our core. And in this, he reminds us of the kind of faith we need to have, a trust in God’s authority over his creation. Jesus demonstrates that when we are crossing the waters because God is commanding it; when we are going to where God wants us to be, there is nothing in existence that can overturn the boat we’re in, there is no crashing wave, there is no swirling wind, there is no Kraken in the murky depth strong enough to counter the will of God.
Now what I am not saying, is that if you are following Christ, that you won’t suffer, that you won’t struggle. We all know this but it is a good reminder when reflecting upon the contrast that is the authority of God, because as is said in our first reading, it frames the ministry as a life willing to endure troubles, hardships, distresses, beatings, imprisonment, riots, hard work, sleepless nights, hunger, dishonor, bad reports, and more. Also, we should recognize that all those disciples in the boat would ultimately be martyred for their faith.
We understand that Jesus’ authority over the storm does not mean that we won’t suffer or die, but rather it means that this whole system, this whole universe, everything thing under creation is in God’s hands, under God’s authority. So, when the waves come crashing, it is not up to the storm whether you go down with the ship or not, but it is up to God. And coming to know that God’s hands hold everything up and in motion, even in the times when we don’t make it across the water safely, somehow makes enduring the struggles easier.
If you ever come across someone of extreme faith, who is going through a tough time, you know what I speak of. A truly faithful person can be lying in bed, in agony, on death’s doorstep, but they rejoice in the Lord because their trust is in knowing God is bringing them exactly where they need to be, whether that be in restoration in physical life, or God calling them home to him in the life beyond death. Amen to this!
The take home for today is that no matter the storm, and there is always a storm; either we are coming out of one, in one, or heading towards one, so, no matter the storm you are in, have faith, continue to minister, continue to follow, continue to trust, and pray.
One last piece, it is great to say, have faith so strong that you walk through fire with a smile on your face, but how do you gain that, especially if the disciples on the boat, who were with Jesus, didn’t have it instinctually?
Well, you gotta get on the boat!
Faith grows through time, God will call you to it, He will open your heart up, but you gotta get on the boat and let your faith be exercised, you have to let your faith be challenged, you have to let your faith bring you into time of great faithfulness.
Faith is like a muscle, if you don’t use it, it will wither. You put yourself into the world for Jesus, you let Jesus direct your life and destination, and your faith will grow. As Iron sharpens Iron, only being faithful grows faithfulness. God will take you to all sorts of places you’ve never been before to help you do this. Be God knows with Him, you can get through anything.
Let us pray…
Lord Jesus, you not only calm the stormy sea, but you walk upon the water. All things came from Your Father, and You Jesus call us to live to Your Father’s will. Let us remember the authority and assurance in the life that follows God: Father, Son and Spirit. Amen.
Homework:
Call upon the Lord everyday, so that when you are in the storm, it is already second nature to trust in God!
If you need help on this reflective journey email: minister@mountainviewunited.ca
Closing Prayer:
May the breezes of the spirit calm our hearts as we share God’s presence with the world. May the peace of Christ pacify our engulfed minds as we go to care for our neighbors. The Holy One is our source of peace, today and forevermore. Amen.
Meme of the Week:
Thank you for joining us this week. If you have any thoughts, feelings, or prayers, feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Please be respectful of others’ posts and make room for all those joining us.
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