"Cast all your anxiety on Him..."

Dear Friends,

In the gospel of Mark, when Jesus and the disciples are in the rocky boat in the storm, while the disciples are frightened, Jesus is asleep. Jesus is so confident of God’s care that he falls asleep in the midst of the storm, trusting God will make all things right. God is in charge, God is good, and now God is with us, in the flesh, right in our boat.  

And yet, if you’re like me, you know something about stormy times yourself. You know, too often, the waves can just keep being rocky, even for God’s most faithful people.  I prayed once with a 16-year-old boy who watched his dad run over by his own truck when the brake slipped.  The boy was so scared he tried to give his life to Christ in that cold ER waiting room, hoping to save his dad.  His dad died.  Did God not hear the boy’s prayer?  I believe God did.  I also believe in miracles, especially the ones I read in the Bible, even though I don’t see them as dramatically as I’d like.

I believe it’s right to pray for miracles if we want them. It’s right to tell God about our fears, even if our worries are about finances or politics.  Those worldly desires and institutions help us realize we are limited beings, and that’s scary.   But in our fear, I hope we remember we’re God’s children, too.   St. Paul says, “the Spirit prays for us sometimes, in sighs too deep for words.”  Praying at uncertain and fearful times is necessary.  There is no wrong way to pray and no wrong prayers.  However uttered, whispered, or cried, God wants us to call out to him.  Scripture says, “Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.” 

God has already been in every place we will ever go. In Gethsemane, in doubt, he is loved by his friends, hated by enemies, unfairly accused and abandoned, and suffering in innocence. The same forces that surround the disciples in the storm at sea will storm around a cross, where Jesus will ask us again, “Why are you afraid? Don’t you have faith?”  It helps to remember that the storm will be calmed, and the tomb will be empty.

Every day we live with uncertainty with the changes and chances of life, all around us. We need a Savior who holds chaos at bay and orders the waves and wind to obey.

Maybe in the storm at sea, when Jesus says, “Peace Be Still,” he’s not just talking to the waves.  Maybe he’s telling the disciples, “Hush, get hold of yourselves.”  And they did what he said.  The real miracle may be that through the chaos of our lives, in fear and pain, God calms us.  I remember hearing a song about God and stormy times, “Sometimes he calms the storm with a whispered peace be still. He can settle any sea, but it doesn’t mean he will. Sometimes, he holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wild.  Sometimes, he calms the storm, and other times, he calms his child.”

As your days unfold this week, may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your heart and mind in Christ Jesus our Lord.  As always, I hope I see you at church!  

Blessings,

Bishop G