June 25, 2006
Pentecost 3, Year B
Psalm 107:1-32 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Mark 4:35-41
Have You Still No Faith?
The Rev. Jonathan Hutchison – Vicar, St. David's, Bean Blossom, Indiana

It is very good to be back among you this morning. Over the past seven Sunday mornings, I’ve worshipped in a monastic graveyard, a Bloomington movie theater, an airport food court, a Church of Ireland parish, a huge fake barn in suburban DC and a 8 x 10, leaky 9th century stone chapel in a howling gale. I’ve sung praise songs from a big projection screen in one place and in another, I’ve combed the order of service for even the briefest mention of God. I’ve heard good preaching and poor preaching and no preaching at all, great music and…well, ‘nuff said about that.

There is no place I’d rather be this morning that right here at St. David’s. Because as rich and as stimulating as it can be to worship in new places and in new ways, there’s always something special about coming home to a community of friends in Christ. That’s what we have here. And it is so good to rejoin the community today and to hear what the scriptures have to say to us at this juncture in our life together.

Let’s look first at the gospel story; having finished his teaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus told his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side”. The only reason the disciples were in that boat in the first place was Jesus determination to continue the mission in a new place, over on the far shore of the lake. Just like the disciples in their boat, Jesus calls us to keep moving. We’ve accomplished what we can where we are and now he calls us to head for the other side, a place we haven’t been before. Don’t you sense this? Hasn’t this idea been slowly dawning on us over the past couple of years? Not coincidently, “The Church on the Other Side” is the title of a book I read during my sabbatical, a book I hope to share with you because it offers helpful sailing instructions for those who are setting out for new destinations across uncharted waters.

Back in 2002, Deborah and I attended a continuing education event called the Spiritual Formation Summit, put on by Trinity Church, Wall Street. They brought together some of the worlds finest spiritual leaders and theological thinkers to address the future direction of the Church in a changing world. In his keynote address, “Jesus Way of Healing”, Walter Wink made the case that the Church has largely lost the gift of healing because, as it has become more institutionalized, it has tended to forget the scriptural tradition that we are empowered individually and corporately to harness divine power for divine ends. We have been taught to project healing power exclusively back onto the one who tried to teach us to heal, who even said, “You will do these things and more.” The Church has, in some ways, kept us from growing up spiritually, from claiming our full birthright in the image and likeness of God, and from taking responsibility for ourselves.

In that light, Walter Wink then spoke about today’s gospel story. When the “great windstorm” arose, Jesus continued to sleep right through it, even as the waves started coming over the side, even as the boat filled with water. After being awakened, after dealing with the storm, he chastised the disciples for their lack of faith. Clearly, he fully expected his disciples to handle the situation themselves. Clearly, he thought this was within their power. When they panicked, he showed the classic behavior of the peeved and disappointed teacher, what Wink calls “the impatient patience of the spiritual master.”
Notice that this was a temporary setback. They all reached the other side and continued the mission. Jesus continued to train and encourage the disciples. Eventually, he sent them out away from him to teach and heal, expecting them to succeed, challenging them when they failed, sending them again. This process reaches a certain fulfillment in the period after Pentecost, when empowered by the Holy Spirit, the disciples become skilled healers and compelling preachers. As they claim the power entrusted to them, the realm of God, says Walter Wink, expands exponentially.

At the beginning of our Irish pilgrimage, we relied heavily on Kevin, our pilgrimage guide. Kevin knows the territory. He knows where the holy sites were. He knows the people along the way and he knows how to get things done. His long experience leading pilgrimages gave him great insight into the way pilgrimage to places outside ourselves works on the holy places inside. But in addition to being a very good guide, Kevin is also a very good teacher. Early on, he taught us that sometimes pilgrimage leads you to unexpected places, so it was important to be on the lookout for things that were not on the map. He emphasized the importance of forming a community of pilgrims. He taught us to look for pilgrimage moments in ordinary things and to see extraordinary things with the eyes of the soul.

After a few days of this, Kevin was called to take care of some other commitments. By then, we were ready to take his carefully marked road map, his collection of reference books and head off into the Irish countryside. And sure enough, we found unexpected places (that even Kevin didn’t know about). We found ourselves growing closer in the bonds of the pilgrim band. We found that we were able to interpret our experience in the language of pilgrimage and make the inner connections that we needed for our personal growth in Spirit. Obviously, Kevin prepared us carefully for our task and gave us every tool we would need. But I think a big reason why things went as well as they did was the sense that Kevin believed we could do it. Plus, he gave us a cell phone and was always available to offer advice and encouragement.

So, one question for this pilgrim band here at St. David’s, setting out for the other side in our little boat, might be; how do we find the proper balance between having faith in Jesus and having the faith of Jesus? What divine power exists in potential, by virtue of our baptism, waiting for us to dare to claim it. In what sense and in what ways are Jesus prodding us to grow up and take responsibility for his mission? Are there ways we are already beginning to do this? Are there ways we are holding back?

I realize that much of this seems contrary to much of what we’ve been taught about putting all our trust in God and mistrust ourselves. Well, how about trusting that God knows what God is doing when God puts trust in us?

I wonder if making that transition to spiritual maturity and partnership with God will be more difficult than the actual work we’re asked to do…which is difficult enough. There are theological, ecclesiastical, political, cultural and economic storms ahead and we will sometimes fear for our little boat. It is up to us to pull on the oars and keep bearing into the wind, but in the end, Jesus is there with us, through the power of his Spirit in the Church. If we remember his teaching and example and claim his faith for ourselves, we’ll get to the other side, even as the waves of death and disease and hurting kids and struggling siblings beat against our boat. We’ll make harbor and complete our mission, no matter what the stock market does, despite the religious zealots on every side, the ebb and flow of political fortunes and the issues that challenge us in the Church.

In word and sacrament and fellowship, our liturgy offers a powerful measure of encouragement as we struggle to be faithful to this mission. Today’s Collect, addressed to God, declares. “…you never fail to help and govern those whom you have set upon the sure foundation of your loving kindness.” Jesus expects us to do our part…but he’s still there with us in the same boat. He’s given us the tools we need and most of all, having established us on the sure foundation of his passionate love for the world, he believes that we can grow to share his commitment to the mission and that together, we’ll arrive at the other side. It’s good to be back in the boat with you again.

AMEN