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| Image by YiRan Ye |
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A GREETING
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
(Psalm 57:1a)
A READING
On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He 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)
MUSIC
A MEDITATIVE VERSE
In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.
(Psalm 57:1b)
A PRAYER
In you, God Almighty, we have our preservation and our bliss. In you, Christ, we have our restoring and our saving. You are our mother, brother, and saviour. In you, our Lord the Holy Spirit, is marvellous and plenteous grace. You are our clothing; for love you wrap us and embrace us. You are our maker, our lover, our keeper. Teach us to believe that by your grace all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.
- prayer of Julian of Norwich, found in Evangelical Lutheran Worship
VERSE OF THE DAY
He made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
(Psalm 107:29)
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| Image by Anatakti |
In today's devotion, we hear that "even the wind and the sea" obey Jesus. The disciples and Jesus are in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee, as they so often did in their life of ministry together. When a brutal storm arises, they rouse Jesus who is sleeping in the stern. They ask Jesus why he is not afraid that they seem to be succumbing to the elements. When Jesus speaks to the wind and the sea, calm is restored.
There are many times in our lives when we might wish that Jesus could simply ‘rebuke’ or take away the particular challenge that we find ourselves in. Sometimes that prayer feels answered, and we are grateful for improvements. But at other times, Jesus seems to be ‘asleep,’ unresponsive to our urgent needs and petitions. A crisis looms and we wonder how it is possible that a benevolent loving God cannot somehow respond. These are natural reflexes that affect all of us at some point in our lives.
Jesus’ question, “have you still no faith?,” may seem unduly judgemental when the disciples are clearly fearing for their lives. In Greek, the word for ‘faith’ is the same as the word for ‘trust,’ and ‘believe.’ Jesus is encouraging them to know that they can trust in his presence with them, no matter what happens. We can hear his words not as a putdown, but a way of saying, “See? I am with you in the storm.” Rebuking the wind and sea is a way of showing that relationship. Even if the sea had not subsided, Jesus would still be with them. Mother Julian, the mystic, assures us also that through storm and even through the worst that can happen, "all shall be well" because we are in the hands of a loving God.
Throughout this chapter of Mark, Jesus says the word ‘listen’ to the disciples four times. The parables and stories he tells are a way of waking them up to the truth of who he is. Now they are saying, “wake up,” to Jesus. As communities of faith, we help each other on the journey of faith.
When have you had the experience of feeling like Jesus needs to be ‘woken up’ to your distress? How can you hold on to the comforting love that is always with you, even for the times when you don’t quite feel it?
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A STORY OF ENDURANCE
The Greek island of Tinos, in the Aegean Sea, is known for its intense wind. Called the Meltemi, the seasonal wind affects the island in summer, completely altering way of life. It is not at the level of a gale or hurricane, but not in the average 'windy day' experience of most people either. Living in the Meltemi can mean walking on a slant, opening car doors in a certain direction so they don't get ripped off, and wearing clothing that won't balloon easily. Island residents have built homes in the recesses of cliffs and rock faces to make life easier. Tourists wanting the best views, are forced into the coastal areas where it is strongest. Meanwhile, Greece's most popular Marian shrine, the Monastery of Virgin Mary Evangelistria, is also on Tinos. A tradition for many pilgrims, when arriving by boat, is to crawl on all fours up a red carpeted staircase to the shrine. Crawling, it seems, does not make the wind any easier, perhaps adding to the sense of devotion. (Read a non-paywall account of the winds on Tinos.)
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| Uncredited image of a pilgrim at Tinos, found on Vice, with a story on the pilgrims. |
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LC† Awakened by the Spirit is a project of Lutherans Connect, supported by the Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Centre for Spirituality and Media at Martin Luther University College. To receive the devotions by email, write to lutheransconnect@gmail.com. The devotional pages are written and curated by Deacon Sherry Coman, with support and input from Pastor Steve Hoffard, Catherine Evenden and Henriette Thompson. Join us on Facebook, and on Twitter. Lutherans Connect invites you to make a donation to the Ministry by going to this link on the website of the ELCIC Eastern Synod and selecting "Lutherans Connect Devotionals" under "Fund". Devotions are always freely offered, however your donations help support the ongoing work.
Thank you and peace be with you!