I wouldn't describe myself as the steriotypical Christian. I'm not even sure I can claim the Christian title in light of all that conjures up these days. But the power of faith as exemplified by the Jesus in the Bible, would aspire too most certainly.
The sermon at church this morning made me think. No, this is not an unusual experience. Most sermons at First Congregational Church Riverside make me think. This one, delivered by our pastor, the Reverend Jane Quandt, had a different prospective on the story of when Jesus and his disciples were in a small boat at sea and a scwall came up. Jesus is asleep and the disciples, apparently afraid of being swamped, wake him. Jesus, a bit perturbed, stands and commands the calms the waters and winds. The disciples were amazed.
Well, I would be amazed too if someone in the same boat as I stood up during a life-threatening storm and was able to simply command the sea be calm, and it was. Jane focussed on the act of Jesus and how the disciples were not only amazed, but afraid of this show of power by someone they had just signed their allegiance too. Power is daunting. Especially what sometimes appears to be "superpower".
But we all have it. We all have the power to rise up and take charge. We can quell any storm, calm any sea, smooth any tsunami. We can if we have the faith of Jesus. Even if we don't perform miracles like Jesus (or Buddha or Mahammed or Krishna) we are the miracle. We have the power within us to be true Christians. We can stand up and seize our power sluffing off the chains of doubt and fear. We have the power to be true to ourselves and to our God. It just takes faith and trust that in exercising our power and doing the right thing, we will be grateful that we did.
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The Scripture cited today:
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus Stills the Storm
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’
The sermon at church this morning made me think. No, this is not an unusual experience. Most sermons at First Congregational Church Riverside make me think. This one, delivered by our pastor, the Reverend Jane Quandt, had a different prospective on the story of when Jesus and his disciples were in a small boat at sea and a scwall came up. Jesus is asleep and the disciples, apparently afraid of being swamped, wake him. Jesus, a bit perturbed, stands and commands the calms the waters and winds. The disciples were amazed.
Well, I would be amazed too if someone in the same boat as I stood up during a life-threatening storm and was able to simply command the sea be calm, and it was. Jane focussed on the act of Jesus and how the disciples were not only amazed, but afraid of this show of power by someone they had just signed their allegiance too. Power is daunting. Especially what sometimes appears to be "superpower".
But we all have it. We all have the power to rise up and take charge. We can quell any storm, calm any sea, smooth any tsunami. We can if we have the faith of Jesus. Even if we don't perform miracles like Jesus (or Buddha or Mahammed or Krishna) we are the miracle. We have the power within us to be true Christians. We can stand up and seize our power sluffing off the chains of doubt and fear. We have the power to be true to ourselves and to our God. It just takes faith and trust that in exercising our power and doing the right thing, we will be grateful that we did.
************************************************************************************************************
The Scripture cited today:
Matthew 8:23-27
Jesus Stills the Storm
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A gale arose on the lake, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, you of little faith?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?’
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