As we look into our Gospel today we are granted a virtual seat with the disciples in their fishing boat. Jesus Christ is asleep on a cusion on the stern, near the helm, and near the pilot. There was an ancient tradition to seat the guest of honor on such a cushion at the stern. The disciples are providing the water taxi for Jesus to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while offering Him a respite and rest from the day. This is the evening of the very same life-changing day that Jesus had selected his 12 disciples, certainly an exhausting time of discernment. Afterwards Jesus and his disciples entered a house, very likely to take a break, but as usual were surrounded by a crowd. St. Mark said they weren't even able to eat! Some frightful Pharisees from Jerusalem had come down to have words with Jesus, to actually exercise the gall to accuse Jesus of being of Satan. After this non-relaxing non-break Jesus went to the lake to teach in his marvelous parables about the Kingdom of God, and soon was so crowded by the throngs on the beach that he had to preach using a boat for a pulpit!

After this public session, the disciples' understanding of their Lord was increased by Jesus' private explanation of the meaning of the parables. Jesus knew they could understand.

In Mark's surprisingly detailed account, Jesus asks the disciples to take Him to the other side. Jesus was constantly looking for new places to preach, to people on all sides, every side. As usual a crowd showed up to be near Jesus, this time right there on the lake in their boats!

Suddenly a violent storm came up: Mathew describes this cyclone as a tempest with wind and rain, (seismov), the Greek word-root of seismography. This is the same word for the whirlwind that Job experienced, when God came to answer Job in Job 38:1-11, and the violent wind storm in Jonah 1:4.

The Sea of Galilee, actually the lowest fresh-water lake in the world, is at a depth of 682 feet below the Mediterranean Sea. This shallow lake is fed by Jordan River, and situated deep in the Jordan rift valley, the valley caused by the separation of the African and Arabian plates. This deep canyon area is prone to earthquakes, and in the past, volcanic activity. To this day violent storms come up on the Sea of Galilee.

These disciples were no ship of fools. They were experienced and seasoned sailors, and were no strangers to storms. This fierce rain storm and wind quickly swamped their boat with water, and the disciples feared for their lives. At the same time the responsibility of having their Lord on board must have weighed heavily. They woke up Jesus and rebuked Him for sleeping at such a time and actually said "Teacher don't you care if we drown?" The disciples were learning moment by each moment the power of Jesus, and were building upon their faith, experience by each experience. They were not completely sure if they would be saved from this danger if their Lord were to remain sleeping. We hear a distant echo of Psalm 21 "He who watches over Israel does not slumber or sleep". I have empathy for where the disciples were at this point in their journey. They had hope in their Messiah, but would not experience the full completion of their faith until after His resurrection. Jesus woke up and rebuked the storm with "peace be still". In this context Jesus is rebuking the noise of the storm, the wind, and by inference the storms in the disciples' lives, and in our own, too. Psalm 65, says "you still the roaring of the waves, and the clamor of the peoples". This act of stilling the storm showed the sheer power of the Almighty. In the sudden calm of the lake, mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels, Jesus closes the episode with his rebuke: "why are you still afraid? Have you still no faith?" The disciples wondered and marveled and asked each other aloud "Who is this?", even the wind and waves obey him? With new understanding from this virtually unbelievable experience, their faith takes a quantum leap.

"Peace, be still." It would seem that the nature of even the disciples wasn't hard-wired to be either peaceful or still. When we are still we can listen to the other. St. Paul tells us that we are hidden in Christ when the surface of our lives becomes turbulent. The Church is all together in the same boat today, just like on that day on the Sea of Galilee. The Anglican Church is navigating through ancient and yet unknown waters. The Episcopal Church in America has expereienced some divisions and turmoil that can allow it to take little pride. How can we respond? "Peace be still." The Episcopal Church is listening to voices in Africa calling out for action against genocide, hunger, disease, and war. In response to this call, the Episcopal Church has launched an umbrella organization called Episcopals for Global Reconciliation, EGR. Who knows how many lives will be changed, both in giving and receiving?

Here at home this morning we can look up to the ceiling of this Church and see weathered-looking beams on the ceiling, reminiscent of the beams of a ship. We do know first-hand about water coming on board our ship!! We are on a journey here in this nave, a symbol of Noah's Ark, a vessel taking us safely by the gace of God through the dangerous waters of life in our time. We might have such great caring about the manner of the renovation of St. Hilary's because this space around us has been a significant part of our past and ongoing spiritual voyage. We have celebrated and grieved here, and have grown together here as a community in Christ. It seems to me that the strength of this living community that we have built can trump any weakness in any inanimate building built of bricks and wood.

Except for my family, the Episcopal Church has been the greatest love of my lifetime. I see great beauty in its liturgy and devotional life. I see a tensile strength though adversity that has kept it open to listening and balancing the diversity of many voices. This balance reaches back in Church history to the time of the moderation of Queen Elizabeth theFirst, during the crisis in the Church in England. The Church continues to exist in a dynamic tension, a balance. The way I see this balance lived out in her people is in gathering strength from God in reading Scripture, listening, meditation and prayer in the stillness, balanced by peacemaking in action shown toward the world - commending the great hope that is in us - as witnesses and evangelists. Jesus sailed fearlessly to the other side of the Sea of Galilee to meet and minister to the others that waited there. Jesus is still there at the helm in the lace of honor, right there within reach when we need Him, when we feel swamped.

There are the others out there today waiting for us to step toward them in confidence, carrying forward the faith of our fathers, to meet them face to face with the message of the Gospel of love and peace - the Good News.

In closing I would invite you to pray together with me the Prayer for Quite confidence, found in the BCP on page 832:

Page 832, prayer #59

For Quiet Confidence

Let us pray:

O God, of peace, who hast taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and conficence shall be our strength. By the might of thy Spirit lift us, we pray thee, to thy presence, where we may be still and know that thou art God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.