A Fishing Expedition

Last week, I encouraged you to be steady in your faith and ready to move with God.

Who knew the world would witness an insurrection in our nation’s capital revealing even more of our troubled waters?

I find it ironic that the insurrection happened on the Christian day of Epiphany - Wednesday, Jan 6th.

· Wednesday was illuminating; shocking but not surprising to some.

· Many in this country and around the world were either enthralled or appalled; some shaking their heads in disbelief and disappointment while others shook their fists in support and celebration. In the midst, there were multitudes wounded yet again by witnessing the blatant disparity of too-often-denied privilege.

I could feel heightened anxieties as I spoke people processing the events of the day. Make no mistake, what we witnessed was ‘wrong’ personified. We witnessed

• people trespassing against one another;

• evil in play in anarchy and flagrant disrespectfulness in what was not a peaceful assembly;

• ultimately, we witnessed a lack of accountability by a standing head of state despite contributory culpability;

• and worst of all, five lives were lost in the mayhem.

Theologian Karl Barth once said, : “Take your Bible and take your newspaper, and read both. But interpret newspapers from your Bible.”

· Seek insight for current events through a biblical lens.

· Get God’s take on things.

While the matter at hand may involve politics, we need not be political in addressing the issues of our time.

Let me offer this:

(1) Our sacred text documents politics and governance throughout the Old and New Testaments.

• God made every effort to lead the ancient people of Israel, but the people rejected God and demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:5). So, we encounter politics and power struggles within and among nations throughout the biblical record.

· Remember, Joseph and Mary were prompted to go to Jerusalem because, “In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus…while Quirinius was governor of Syria” (Luke 2:1-2)

• So, some of our scripture is time-stamped by the governance of the time.

• The challenge in our time is not politics but partisanship - prejudice in favor of a particular cause.

• My partisanship is with the LORD. As Joshua said it, “As for me and my house, we will follow the LORD.”

In this season of Epiphany, what is the revelation for us as people of God? How might scripture provide counsel for these times? God always has a word.

Let us pray.

Today is the 10th of January. Some people have made personal resolutions that will soon be broken, if not forgotten.

• What if, instead of resolutions, we seek God’s revelations?

At his baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus as he emerged from the water.

o The Counselor of counselors, the Wisdom of the Ages that encompasses all perspectives at once - the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-present presence descended as the heavens were torn apart!

o And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

This was a moment of revelation for all who were present, for all who were willing to see and hear.

The Holy Spirit was revealed. The voice of God was revealed. Jesus the Christ was revealed.

• Yet no one would understand his coming reign unless they were willing to see things differently in their minds and hearts; not unless they were open to God’s revelations.

Well, here we are! Standing on the proverbial banks of the River Jordan witnessing and/or experiencing what we don’t quite understand.

• What are we seeing? What are we hearing?

• The better questions are, “What is God revealing and what are we to do?”

If the events of this week are any indication of the reality of this world, we have much work to do to share the accountable love of God, to bring forth the just peace of Christ, and to truly live into the kingdom of God.

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On Saturday morning, I had my own epiphany as the Holy Spirit prompted me to share with you Mark 4:35-41 in addition to the Baptism account because of the troubled waters in which we find our nation. Listen and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to your spirit.

35 On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], “Let’s go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, [his disciples] took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; they woke him up and said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” [Jesus] woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “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?” And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:35-41)

In this account, Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee. These were familiar waters. After all, many of the disciples were fisherman and these were not borrowed boats. They knew how to navigate these waters.

• But a sudden windstorm arose, and waves beat against the boat and water was coming into the boat. These seasoned navigators were rattled by the storm.

• While Jesus slept in the back of the boat on a cushion.

o They likely exhausted every tactic they knew but eventually turned to Christ.

o How might their experience have been different if they had first turned to Christ in their crisis?

Revelation: We are on a journey with Jesus. He is always in our boat. In fact, by professing our faith, we continually invite him into our boat – our life.

• We will face storms that slowly brew or suddenly erupt and may vary in length and severity

· In the course of our lives, we will encounter different waters – conditions or circumstances in different spaces, place and with various people.

o In any waters, there may be undercurrents at work that we may or may not see.

• Sometimes storms arise to reveal what the surrounding waters conceal.

• Gale force winds and uncompromising waves of opinion may try to force changes in our lives and/or in the world.

• But this is not the way of our God who invites, who sheds and shares revealing light to guide any and every one out of the darkness for the common good.

Our charge is to

(1) seek God’s revelation for the truth of the conditions in which we swim and

(2) stay steady to respond with rationale and compassion (head and heart) knowing

(a) there is a greater power at work in us and through us than any power in the world.

(b) there is a better world promised and we are responsible and accountable contributors to the just peace of Christ.

In the midst of a storm, remember, who you are and whose you are!

o You are no longer standing on the riverbank; you are standing with Christ.

o You are a beloved child of God; empowered by the Holy Spirit;

o You bear the armor of God around you and the promises of God within you!

Do not allow the storms of this world to rattle you. Instead, stand and speak the words of Christ, “Peace, be still!”

• If you have a lapse in faith and find yourself disoriented, do as disciples do, turn to Christ.

• Focus on Christ, not the crisis for revelation and reorientation.

• The key to steadiness is balance--centering energies and purpose to navigate both troubled and still waters.

o The greatest storm may be within us rather than around us.

· In the midst of our storms, the Beloved One is with us.

o Jesus is not rattled by storms but remains steady and ready with us.

Conclusion

The last year could be viewed as an extended storm or baptismal immersion. Either way, the events of this past week troubled the waters to stir each of us to a different kind of emergence.

Jesus emerged from his baptism to begin his adult ministry; focused on fulfilling God’s will.

• Jesus was about 30 years old, a young adult emerging to be God’s change agent in the world.

• In our biblical history, we have leaders from all generations.

o Abraham in his 90’s, Moses in his 80’s, Joshua at least in his 60’s, Micah- a young adult; Jeremiah, very young adult (I am only a boy)

God is impartial to age but particular to purpose. Each of us has a particular role to play in the future of this world.

· As we emerge to take our first full fresh breath,

• Will you allow the Holy Spirit to birth something new within and through you?

• Will you open yourself to the life and work God has planned for you?

Will you release your resolutions to receive God’s revelations?

We are the ones who can make a difference in the world. We must be willing to see things differently; to embrace God’s revelations. We must be the difference to bring forth a different world.

In the midst of chaos or calm, seek God’s revelations!

Be steady in faith and ready to move with God.

Amen.