“Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” Mark 4:39b-40
I will never forget the night I was flying to Kentucky for a conference. We were about 30 minutes out from landing when the winds picked up and the wings became wobbly. The captain came over the loudspeaker to remind the steward to assure everyone was buckled in and to take their seats. As we approached the landing strip the plane was tossing passengers. As you might imagine fear was in the atmosphere. The captain reassured us that he had control of the plane and that we would land safely. Turbulence was the culprit that night, but fear was the overwhelming emotion the cabin passengers experienced. Turbulence is air movement that normally cannot be seen and often occurs unexpectedly. It can be created by many different conditions, including atmospheric pressure or jet streams, and other natural occurrences that are out of our control. While it was night, to be sure, turbulence can even occur when the sky appears to be clear.
The disciples experienced a kind of turbulence the night. They were overcome with fear because they had little control of their environment. Yet, Jesus chastises his disciples, despite the frenzy and fury of what they were experiencing. Jesus rebukes his disciples saying, “why are you afraid”? (ti deloi este; 4:40). The way the phrase is presented it can easily be translated as “Why were you afraid of the storm when you knew I was in the boat with you?” or “Why are you now afraid?” Jesus commands “Peace! Be still!”
In a few short weeks, many of us will embark on a new journey, as we assume our appointments (clergy) or receive new pastors (lay). Yet, leading up to this time fears, angst, and uncertainty have the ability to incapacitate our faith response. I have found it futile to tell folk “stop!” where is your faith. What I have found helpful is to remind myself and others of God’s faithfulness. It is too easy to allow the turbulence of life to derail my trust in God. My faith if it is to be sustained must be predicated on what God has done, what God is doing, and my openness to what God can do, if I can just “be still” before God’s holy presence.
If we are going to experience “good takeoffs and good landings” as we welcome new pastors, and say farewell to beloved shepherds we will have to allow our faith to overcome our fear and to do so may mean letting, go of the need to try and control every aspect of our experience and instead let the Holy Spirit unfold before with grace our future. How do we do this? Well, we keep our focus on Jesus, the one we proclaim is the author and finisher of or faith. We practice the spiritual disciplines which fortify us when we are tossed and turned. I sing the songs of Zion, what do you do? Finally, we turn things over to God in prayer with thanksgiving and holy expectation that God may be doing a new thing in us, with us, and for us!
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