Sermon Luke 8:22-25

We in the church often think of water as a lovely thing. The waters of baptism. Water as quenching the thirsty. The waters of birth that bring forth life. Waters that quench the sun soaked lands giving rise to greenery and food.

And yet, to a Desert people, this love of water ends when they gaze upon the sea. To those who dwell on the "terra firma", good solid land, the sea is a dangerous chaos. When the wind whips up, it is a wild beast. Anyone caught in a storm on the water knows that suddenly the peace of gliding over sun-glimmering waters is replaced suddenly with the enormity of the sea. You feel small against the darkening waters. As the wind turns the water continually in upon itself, you feel as if at any moment the waters themselves shall leap up to swallow you up into the dark icy depths beneath.

Many a community of disciples know first hand when life turns from smooth sailing into chaotic terror. Many in this community have sat alone or with their loved ones as you were caught up in a chaotic storm, hoping just to make it to the next day, let alone arriving on the other side of the sea. You get the phone call, "I've got some bad news." Or sitting across from the doctor, you can not believe what is being said to you, "It's cancer." Or you're just driving along and suddenly the screech and crunch, and you find yourself dumbfounded as unexpected events swirl about you.

Over the past few years, we as a church community have also seen our share of stormy times. How many congregational meetings have there been? I've lost count! We found out that a past Queen's United bookkeeper allegedly stole $150,000. There was a huge storm. Then there was the realization of the consequences to all three churches, big changes were ahead. We knew some big decisions had to be made.
There was the votes on the vision and the selling of buildings, and the last minute motion to change the buildings which would be sold. Stormy times indeed.

And yet, well done good and faithful servants of Christ, I think you did something that today's disciples didn't do. You didn't wait until the boat was swamped, before calling upon God to help. You didn't wait until the church was in great danger financially, before asking God for a new vision. In fact, a group of 50 leaders from all three churches got together and prayed and sang and talked and asked questions of faith. Instead of asking the question, "How can we save ourselves?" We asked, "What does God want for us!" You placed your church future first on faith, rather than letting the financial crisis set the agenda. Well, done since had you done the latter, you surely would have gone under.

Today's text is interesting. I wonder why these disciples don't wake Jesus up right away at the first sign of troube? Was it because they thought that he was an important person and therefore it would be rude to wake him? Or maybe they knew he was tired, since we must wonder how Jesus could sleep through a storm? Was it because THEY were the seasoned fishers, and what could a carpenter do in such a situation? In the end they do wake him, to say,"Master, we're going to drown!"

I wonder also whether they say this because they think Jesus can save them? In the other Gospel's this story is remembered in this way. The disciples wonder whether Jesus cares whether they drown or not. But in Luke, the disciples seem oblivious to the power that has come in Jesus. At least, they are blind to the extent of the power that is present in Jesus.

Then Jesus stands, rebukes the winds and raging waters, the storm subsides and all was calm. Amid the silence Jesus asks this question, "Where is your faith?"

What about this simple question, "Where is your faith?". The text says that the disciples were in great danger, so it seems strange that Jesus would challenge the disciples for being afraid during a terrible storm. Few wouldn't be afraid; so I wonder whether Jesus is asking something deeper. "Where is your faith?" Where when we face the chaos of life, do we turn to for peace? What power does our church call upon for its hope? What is it that we entrust ourselves to in order to give purpose and meaning and joy and direct amid the many choices of life? What defines who we are and how we approach the challenges that all must faces in life? Listen, Jesus is doing more this morning than criticizing the disciples for not being able to have the faith to do miracles; no, he is asking where they place their lives.

Did you know that some Christians call baptism itself a drowning. That's right, it's a horrible image at first thought; the idea that we'd call the pouring of water on babies or over adults a drowning. Paul put it this way; if we share in a death like Jesus, we will share in the resurrection like Jesus. In baptism, we die to our old life centered on ourselves, we die to a life caught up in the violence we do to each other or ourselves, we die to all the things that make us less than human, only to rise from the waters a new person who's life is centred on following this one named Jesus. This who life ended with a storm, and who through the power of God arose amid the calmness of the tomb on the third day to bring us new life.

For many disciples there comes a time when they run out of their own energy. When getting to the end of their rope. When life itself seems to have collapsed inward on them, that they call out to God. "Grant me peace to face the day ahead." "God help us, we need you to get us through." "Lord have mercy." There comes a time when Churches themselves must turn from trusting in fundraising programs, turn from trusting in the next church growth fad or technique; turn from trusting in "rolling up our sleeves and getting the job done." Opportunities arise amid the life of the church that our power runs out, and we wonder, "Is this the end for us?"

And Jesus then asks, "Where is your faith?". It's sleeping right in the boat, you disciples all along, you just needed to call upon Jesus. We are blessed to be on this side of the story, since we know the power that is in Jesus. But do we? We know Jesus taught good things, and if we just learn enough of his teachings we'll be good United Church people. But the story is deeper that this, it says that the disciple's were afraid and amazed, saying "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.

As I've said, you've done well, in turning towards God to ask for a vision statement. It is a good and faithful destination for this old boat to travel towards the vision given us. We have our destination, but Jesus stands among us this morning challenging us "Where is our faith?" For the danger facing many churches, especially in the United Church, is to fail to consider that we have access to more than just vision, but that a Divine power just bring about this vision for us. Like the disciples, who could not imagine that Jesus was more than a teacher, we are challenged this morning whether we will even call upon the power of God through Jesus Christ to calm the storms, to set us at peace, to have God's power at work calling forth others to share the journey. To have God make the yoke of work easy and the burden light. To have Christ make discipleship a joy. To expect God in Christ to do great things among us. To ask Jesus amid the chaos to, "make all things calm". He does indeed stand among us, our master who is also our servant. He stands among us, our comfort and also our challenge. He stands among us, wounded in hand at feet from our betrayal and failures, and in grace reaching out to us as his friends with the words, "Peace be with you, and you, and you."