Tenth Sunday After Pentecost – Pastor Ellen Mills
I am offering you two ways to receive this. In print, you will need to read the scriptures for yourself, and then the prayer and reflection that follow in this post. If you click on the audio link below (below), you can hear all of it, including the scripture.
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray,
O God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.
1 Kings 19:9-18
Psalm 85:8-13
Romans 10:5-15
Matthew 14:22-33
In the first reading, we have Elijah, and his tale of woe at being the only one left. Certainly Elijah has had his struggles, and he has been fleeing from Jezebel, but Elijah is overreacting. He was not the only one left. But he indeed feels sorry for himself. There are two interesting things about this story. The first one is what we remember. Elijah is in a cave, and God calls to him and tells him to stand on the mountain as God goes by. And Elijah experiences a great wind, and an earthquake, and a fire. But yet, God was not in those. Then he experiences what is described as “a sound of sheer silence.” And God was in that. The second thing has taken me longer to notice. In this passage, God has asked Elijah twice what he is doing there. And Elijah’s responses both before and after experiencing God are the same. Exactly the same. And I wonder if that has anything to do with God’s commands to Elijah that follow. Elijah is told to anoint two men to become kings, and he is told to anoint his successor. Elijah is done; a new prophet will be designated to replace him. Interesting. Would that have been so if Elijah had been transformed by the experience of God? Elijah has had this incredible experience of God, and it has not changed how he sees himself and the world.
And then we have a very familiar story from Matthew. We pick up from the story last week. The huge crowd has been fed, and Jesus needs his time alone on the mountain. So he sends the disciples across the lake ahead of him until he is done, and he comes to them in the early hours of the morning. Meanwhile the disciples in the boat have been struggling against the wind and waves. But there is no sign that Jesus is concerned or hurrying. They are struggling, surely this is a time for haste! But Jesus seems to see this differently. He walks across the water to them and they see him. This is not immediately reassuring; in fact this is terrifying for them. Jesus tells them not to fear, and identifies himself, but it is not clear to me if it helps to know that it is Jesus who is walking on the water. Jesus is doing something that should be impossible. Peter, the impetuous one, seems to want Jesus to prove himself, and asks Jesus to command him to come to him on the water, and Jesus does. And Peter gets out of the boat, and starts towards Jesus. And he is fine until he pays attention to the wind and waves, and then he becomes afraid and sinks. Jesus does two things in response, and the order seems to matter. Jesus does decry Peter’s loss of faith. But he does this only after he has immediately reached out and caught Peter.
The usual focus of this story is Peter, since only Peter’s actions are described. What about the others? They seem to be silent. On the one hand, any failure of their faith is not described. But on the other hand, it is in Peter’s failing to stay up and being rescued by Jesus that show something hugely important about Jesus. Jesus cares, even when we seem to be failing or getting in trouble. In fact, Jesus reaches out and grabs us and pulls us to safety. Nothing has changed in the experience of the wind and waves. The safety is in being grabbed by Jesus’ hand rather than a change in the situation. But perhaps everything has changed in their relationship with Jesus and their willingness to trust. Only Peter experiences the hand of Jesus, but the others are there to see it.
We know that when Jesus and Peter got back into the boat, the wind ceased. And we know that someone in the boat declared Jesus to be the Son of God. Why? What just happened that caused that realization? Was it that quick response of Jesus to a sinking disciple? Or was it the cessation of wind? It is interesting to me that in the two stories, Elijah on the mountain and the disciples in the boat, that the revelation of God comes in the quiet and calm. And it may take a moment to realize what has occurred and what it might mean. And to realize that God is there. And to respond in trust and faith. Have you had your lives calmed by God, even as the wind and waves rage? And have you had an experience of the presence of God that you realize later? God is present with us. All the time. Do we look for God in the midst of life? Are we willing to be open to God’s presence? And does it cause us to worship? Amen.
Confident of your care and helped by the Holy Spirit, we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.
For your whole church throughout the world. Give courage in the midst of storms, so that we see and hear Jesus calling: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” May we follow Christ wherever he leads. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For the well-being of your creation. Protect waterways, forests, lands, and wildlife from exploitation and abuse. Help the human family endeavor to sustain and be sustained by the resources of your hand. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For the nations and their leaders. In you, steadfast love and faithfulness meet, and righteousness and peace kiss. May nations in conflict know the peace that is the fruit of justice, and the justice that is the path to peace. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For those in need. Everyone who calls upon your name will be saved. Accompany all who are lonely; hear the voices of those who cry out in anguish, and support those who are frustrated in their search for a place to live. We pray for those suffering this day. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
For our congregation. You have gathered us here today as your people and we thank you for this gift. We pray for those who are new to this community, for students and teachers who are preparing for a new school year, and for those struggling with unexpected hardship. Supply us generously with your grace for our life together. Guide us as we meet and decide on our candidate for call. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
We give you thanks, O God, for the saints of the whole church from all times and places, and for the saints in our lives and in our community whom you have gathered to yourself. Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.
In the certain hope that nothing can separate us from your love, we offer these prayers to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord’s face shine upon you with grace and mercy.
The Lord look upon you with favor, and give you peace.
Amen.