Twelvth Pentecost
Matthew 14:22-33
Karen Sumner of the Division of Outreach at our National Evangelical Lutheran Church offices was telling me once about how fortunate she felt to have her particular position--She was often free on Sunday mornings and spent many of them visiting successful churches of other denominations. One Sunday she found herself in an apostolic church listening to a familiar text--our gospel lesson for today--Peter walking on the water. She was happy that she would hear an exposition on so familiar a text.
But then she says I heard something I would never have heard in a Lutheran church. The preacher said..."Let me tell you about the time I walked on water..."
Karen's comment gave me pause. Certainly it's true--you folks wouldn't keep me long in this pulpit if I came up with statements too often like "Let me tell you about the time I walked on water." Certainly the powers that be would never have ordained me with thoughts like that.
But Karen's statements gave me pause. "Then I heard something I'd never hear in a "Lutheran" congregation.
Peter's spontaneous action was the response of exuberant faith. "Lord, order me to come out on the water to you and I will." So Peter got out of the boat and started walking on the water to Jesus.
Not I suppose a very "Lutheran" thing to do. As a denomination we tend to be more thoughtful, calculating, reasonable. In general, The Lutherans would probably be back in the boat with the rest of the disciples.
A number of years ago now, some sociologists polled representative samplings of many denominations as to their views on social issues, political perspectives and doctrinal beliefs. They rated those samplings and charted them on a continuum. Few of us were terribly taken aback when, surprise, surprise Lutherans ended up smack dab in the middle of the American population.
Generally speaking, that's a ecclesiastical position I can live with--I admire the fact that our denomination is not faddish. We don't jump on the band wagon for every new church technique or social cause that comes along. This week our denomination will be having a national assembly in Orlando, Florida. One Thousand and 18 delegates will gather to decide many issues. Just a few of those issues:
After thirty years of theological talks between the United Methodist church and the Lutherans, the church council is recommending a relationship of interim Eucharistic sharing. That will come before the Assembly
The Assembly will ratify a ??? year process "Renewing Worship" that has included hearings, provisional materials, study groups to create a new hymnal.
And of course, the Assembly will receive and vote on the recommendations of the task force for ELCA studies on Sexuality that was mandated four years ago by the Assembly. I may sound like I'm being critical but really I am not. I applaud the thoroughness and thoughtfulness of our denomination, even when I sometimes don't agree with Assembly decisions.-- Truly it's one of the reasons I'm a member of the ELCA
All of which is to say--we don't, as a denomination, come across as stepping out of the boat people--And you have to think that maybe we were attracted to this church body because perhaps we as individuals are not stepping out of the boat people. We didn't open the conversation at the last dinner party with "Did I tell you about the time I walked on water."
Like Pastor Doug's children's sermon, it's all about trust--it's all about faith. The part that we get confused about however is trust in who and faith in whom. Peter got into trouble when he took his eyes off Jesus and began thinking about himself. We can imagine him looking at his feet and having the momentary thought, "What am I doing here? How could I be so stupid?" And then he sank like the Rock for which Jesus had nicknamed him.
I don't know about you but this lesson is the story of my life. I have done amazing things that I never thought I could accomplish when I wasn't thinking about me. And I have floundered mightily when I've been trying to impress with my talents and accomplishments. There's one we're called to rely on and, when we lose that focus, we better hold our breath.
Did you see the column in the Tribune a week or so ago--actually it was two columns by Mary Smich. The first got my attention because it was about Holy Family Lutheran Ministries which our WELCA has regularly supported and many of us go to their auction fund raiser. Holy Family Church is located in what's left of Cabrini Green. The church has a computer lab in the basement which is used for after school programs and for summer programming so the kids in the neighborhood who don't have the use of computers don't get left in the dust. It's a great program. Well they had just gotten to the point where they'd put new carpeting on the floor, installed some real computer stations and had had donated some brand new computers. They were still in the boxes. A city of Chicago water main broke at Laramie and somewhere and torrents of water filled the basement. Pastor Infelt said the volunteer who runs the lab was waste deep as he tried to move stuff to higher ground. Pastor Infelt had to threaten him to get him to get out of there--it not being safe with all the electrical wiring. Needless to say the main took two days to fix and the lab was totally destroyed.
That was the first article. The second about ten days later reported that the lab was open for business in time for the summer program planned in August. The place had been bleached and disinfected, rewired, new carpeting, new desks and yes most importantly new computers. Now we could attribute that to the power of the press in making the need known, to the generosity of faithful donors, to the hard work of dedicated volunteers or we could say "Did I tell you about the time I walked on water..." What amazing things happen when Jesus calls and we get out of the boat.
Conditions will never be ideal. The wind will be blowing the waves will be churning; it can be a nasty world out there and if we let our attention get stuck on how bad it is we'll never move anywhere.
"Did I tell you about the time I walked on water?"
Well maybe we haven't told anyone because we haven't looked around enough to realize we're already walking on water.
It's a nasty world, the waters are churning but whether we've realized it or not we've already stepped out of the boat to
Annually, Lutheran social ministry organizations serve more than three million people regardless of race, religion, gender or creed through 138,000 employees located in 3000 communities delivering $6.9 billion in service.
Getting out of the boat is scary but maybe if we keep focusing on Jesus it will be a long time before we realize we already are out of the boat.
Amen