"Take Heart, Little-Faith-Ones!"

Friday afternoon I was wrapping up a visit with Myron and Nancy, and as I was getting ready to leave their place to go visit some other members, they both commented, "You must hear a lot of stories, Pastor...." I smiled and said, "Yes, I do. I get to hear all kinds of stories, and it's a great privilege." In fact, over the past couple of weeks, I've been thinking a lot about some of the stories and bits of wisdom I've heard recently. And as I started to focus on my sermon prep for today, one particular bit of wisdom rose to the surface of my thoughts. It was shared with me on separate occasions by two different people just within the last week. One of them is a member of Zoar, and one isn't. Both are women of strong faith who've recently found themselves facing significant long-term health challenges, and both shared with me that they believe God is not only present with them in the midst of their ordeal, but is actively working to strengthen and prepare them to help others in the future.... As the first one shared her insight with me, I thought, "Wow! That's a remarkable way to look at a personal health crisis!" A few days later, when the second person shared an almost identical expression of faith with me, I felt humbled and blown away. It took me back to seminary and a piece we read by Martin Luther, who way back in the 1500s said something like this, "I may be the one standing in the pulpit interpreting the Scripture, but as I do so, I'm aware that there are people out there in the congregation who have a more robust prayer life and a deeper faith than I do...." Amen to that, Brother Martin!

Friends, as I reflect on today's Scripture stories from Matthew 14 and 1 Kings 19, it occurs to me that for many of us it's the challenging experiences of life that shape who we are and help us grow the most in our faith. So, I want to take a quick poll: How many of you would say your identity and faith have been predominantly shaped by positive experiences you've had? [show of hands...] Now, how many of you think it's the challenging times that have been most formative? [show of hands...] How many of you would say it's more like 50-50? [show of hands...] Yeah, God created each of us as unique individuals, so the experiences that shape us are a little different for each of us!...

Yesterday when I was out for a walk in my neighborhood, I remembered a comment someone once made at a church council meeting at another congregation where I served as the interim pastor many years ago. The person said, "If it doesn't bring you joy, why do it?..." Interestingly, I don't think any of us who were sitting around the table that evening offered a response in the moment. Maybe we simply didn't know how to respond, or maybe we just wanted to get on with our meeting. Anyway, a few months later, that individual left the congregation, and with sadness I thought, "Well, apparently it didn't bring them joy to be here anymore...." So, here's the thing, friends: Over the years, I've thought about that question - "If it doesn't bring you joy, why do it?" -- more than once because I know there've been times when I've found myself thrust into situations where I literally had no choice, and there've also been times when I've been called on to do things for others that didn't necessarily bring me joy. In fact, sometimes the things I was called to do were downright painful and scary and hard, and I had no clue how long the situation would last or how it would turn out. Bear with me while I share a couple of personal examples with you.

Here's the nutshell version of the first story: Many of you know I took on the duties of serving as guardian and conservator for my mother and her two sisters in succession - duties that lasted for seventeen years! There wasn't much joy in it; in fact, there were times I felt stretched to the breaking point, but I did what needed to be done out of love and care and gratitude and a sense of responsibility. And as I look back now, I think to myself, "Yes, it was hard, and there wasn't much joy in it, but I know God was there with me, lifting me up and guiding me, even though I couldn't always see it in the moment. It was the right thing to do, and I'd do it again, if I had to. Another reason I'd do it again is because now I can see how I've been able to use some of what I've learned to help others navigate the challenges in their lives "

Now the second story: I think some of you may have heard me talk about how I got a call from a congregation member one night when I was a young associate pastor. She said her husband was possibly suicidal and was out driving around, but she was adamant about not calling the police at that po.int because she thought he'd come home. She simply wanted me to come sit with her while she waited. When I arrived at their house about fifteen minutes later, the man had returned and was sitting in a chair next to his wife in the backyard, and they were talking quietly. I breathed a small sigh of relief when I saw them. Then they invited me to sit with them, and as I began to walk across the lawn toward an empty chair, I happened to look down. And THAT'S when my knees began to shake, and my heart sank: There was a rifle lying on the ground under his chair.... "Am I going to be okay?," I wondered, as visions of my young family flitted through my mind. But somehow, in that brief moment of panic and doubt, God met me. God took my hand and steadied me, assuring me that no matter what happened, it would all be okay. Somehow I managed to make it to the chair, where I sat down and spent some time talking with the couple until the situation felt calmer. I have absolutely no memory of what we talked about, but I can tell you this without a doubt: God was present with us that night, bringing light and life in the midst of the darkness....

That second story sprang to mind, as I was pondering the story about Jesus reaching out in the midst of the swirling storm to lift Peter up from the dark, watery depths. It occurs to me that my wobbly-kneed walk across the grass that night bears at least a smidgen of resemblance to Peter's nighttime walk across the churning sea.... Friends, I think many of us have had experiences where we've tried to step out in faith, only to realize later that we're in deeper than we'd expected. So, I want to invite you to take a moment to think about a time when you were doing your best to navigate through a difficult situation - a time when you were going along, trying your best to be faithful and do the right thing. But then, all of a sudden, a wave of doubt and fear washed over you. Like Peter, you found yourself floundering, as you cried out from the depths, "Lord, save me!..." I wonder: When you were in the midst of your difficult time, did you, like Peter, suddenly find yourself surprised by grace? Grace that reached out and lifted you up. Grace that washed over you, filling you with peace. Grace that gave you strength to take the next step. And then the next. And the next.... More than likely, it was only much later, as you sat in your cozy armchair looking back on your experience, that you were able to see the full picture and the fullness of all that you had received from Christ, grace upon grace....¹ Yup, for us humans, hindsight tends to be 20-20, so, it's only after we've weathered the storm that you and I are able to recognize the amazing grace of God's presence that has brought us "safe thus far"- the grace that will lead us home to God and back to yourselves - back to the true selves God has created and called us to be.... [Show of hands if you have ever had an experience where God reached out to steady you and save you when your faith was faltering and you were floundering!. ..] Yeah, you know what I'm talking about!

I think it's fair to say that as disciples of Jesus, you and I have quite a bit in common with Peter. For one thing, we long to be close to Jesus, especially when we're in a situation where we have little or no control. Also, like Peter who was buffeted by circumstances beyond his control while out on the Sea of Galilee long ago, today you and I find ourselves knocked off balance by the disturbing reality of the global climate crisis and the worldwide erosion of democracy. To state the obvious, we're living in the midst of wildfires and water shortages, warfare and genocide, rampant corruption and insatiable greed. And at the very same time each of us is trying to navigate these overwhelming circumstances and stay afloat, we must continue living our own lives, with all our personal joys and struggles. Honestly, it sometimes feels like we're battling our own personal storms while surrounded by a category 5 hurricane! [Amen?!...] I'm reminded of the Breton Fishermen's Prayer, "Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small."

Friends, if this describes how you're feeling right now, I want you to listen again to the words Jesus speaks to his terrified disciples because these words are also for you and me  To all of us who feel like we're being tossed on a sea of sorrow and stress, Jesus the Christ says, "Take heart, do not be afraid. It is I." To those of us, who, like Peter, don't have even a small boat between themselves and the wide open sea, the Spirit of the Risen Jesus says, "I've got you," as he offers his fearful friends a hand to lift them up. And once we're held safely in his arms, Christ gently chides each of us, as he once did Peter, "Little-Faith-One, why did you waver? " Here it's worth noting that the helping hands of Christ often look exactly like the human hands of his disciples, for we, the followers of Jesus, have been called and sent out to continue his ministry of bringing healing and hope to this world God loves so deeply. As the motto of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America declares, "God's work, our hands."

Okay, now it's time for a pop quiz! How many of you noticed that I made a slight change to how Jesus addresses Peter - "little-faith-one" instead of "you of little faith?" [Show of hands, if you noticed!...] I made that change because that's what Jesus literally says in the original Greek of the New Testament. He calls Peter "little-faith-one," and you should know that in Matthew's gospel Jesus has used this word previously in its plural form. Toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount --which, by the way, is the key to interpreting fill of Matthew's gospel-Jesus urges his disciples not to worry about food or clothing or other concerns of daily life. He points out how God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies of the field in splendor, and then Jesus lovingly says to them, "If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, little faith ones?...²

A while back, I listened to an interview with the late Congressman John Lewis, who mentioned that "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" was Martin Luther King, Jr.'s favorite hymn. The interviewer then played a clip of a gospel choir singing that hymn at Dr. King's memorial service, and it was immediately obvious why this was his favorite hymn: "Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light. Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home..."

My friends, the Good News for you and me is that no matter what happens-no matter what kind of...storm( !) we find ourselves in – God’s "got this," and God’s “got us.” When you and I cry from out of the depths, God hears our cries, and God, who is faithful, will look on us with love and speak peace to us "little-faith-ones.” To paraphrase Psalm 85, when you and I turn our hearts to the Lord, our "salvation is at hand.”³ Indeed, as Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. testified, when we are tired and weak and worn, our Precious Lord will take our hand, and whereas we might falter and let go, he is steadfast in his love and will never let go of any of his children!... And that reminds me of a fun Lego meme I’ve seen!

So, take heart, little-faith-ones because God is always there with us and for us and will never let go of us - especially when "storms rage around us and within us and cause us to be afraid.11 Thanks be to God! Amen.

1 Cf. John 1:16

2 Matthew 6:30.

3 Psalm 85:9.

Take Heart Little-Faith-Ones