August 10, 2008 Sermon
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Proper 14 - A
August 10, 2008 Allan Conkling
Every year in the fall Live Oak County way down in south Texas near Corpus Christi, holds what they call Story Fest Weekend. It's a big deal like Christmas at old Ft. Concho, with booths, food and games for the kids. It's center is a pavilion where you can sit and listen to story tellers tell stories. Some are professionals: Elmer Kelton went there when he was younger, so did Louis L'Amour, the Western author. But anyone with a story or a tall tale about Texas history, life on the frontier or the old Wild West can take the stage and many of the locals do just that. In another incarnation they might have been English Bards. Some cultures like Tibet or China, or the Native Americans hold story tellers sacred. It is not entertainment but a way of keeping the past alive.
Today's Old Testament lesson is in much the same genre. It begins: "This is the story of the family of Jacob..." and is about life of one of the great Patriarchs of the Jewish faith. If we had Bibles before us I would show you a dozen places in Genesis that begin with the phrase, "This is the Story..." The Creation; Noah and the Flood; Father Abraham; Moses and the Red Sea; and Joseph and his coat of many colors, all start out this way. The Hebrew word is “Toledoth” and it translates roughly in English as "saga" or "legend" It also can mean "descendants" or even "genealogy". This is "holy history", sacred stories told and retold over thousands of years. Jews throughout history are linked with their past. Though today they seem old and outdated there is always something to be learned about faithfulness and obedience; and as we see today, about the evils of greed, envy and jealousy. Humans may do evil but God can turn any situation to the good.
From the earliest days Christians too have claimed the "Toledoth", the sacred story, as a way to link ourselves with God's promises. Though it is often hard to understand, the Bible is the place we learn about Jesus as the fulfillment of the God's Covenant. The Gospel reading from Matthew is a great example of the story teller's art. In it even Jesus' name, which means "Yahweh is salvation" is significant. Far from simply giving an eyewitness account Matthew was making a statement:
The disciples were in a boat alone far from shore...
A storm arose in the darkness...
They are far from land...
The wind was against them and they were terrified,
Peter cries out "Lord, save me", and Jesus true to his name, saves him.
In the early days when
Matthew wrote his Gospel, Christians were outcasts. It was dangerous to admit
one's faith. The Roman Empire spoke of peace, but the
so-called "Pax Romana" was a heavy, dark cloud. It meant: Get along,
under the penalty of death! More and people looked to a Messiah who could
lead them from this bondage into a new era of faith.
Today you and I know what chaos is like. We know what it feels like to be blasted by waves of anxiety and despair. We have all been hit at one time or another by the rising winds of change and insecurity. All around are currents that threaten to sink us, drown our kids, and ruin our marriage. We know what it is like to be tempest-tossed. We fear the ghosts and phantoms of sin and brokenness. We also know that those who try to step out in their own pride and self-determination sink like a lead weight.
"This is the Story..." What makes this story so universal is the fact that we mortals are all in the same boat. And sharing this message becomes so important. That is why we are always inviting new people to come be with us at Emmanuel. It is the witness of the church; it is OUR story:
There is never a time when we are without hope.
There is never a time when the waters of chaos will sink us.
There is never a time when we cannot call out to the One who stills the waves.
This is not about defying gravity or suspending the laws of physics. Neither are we suspending our intelligence, nor straining the text by asking, "How did he do this?" Hear the Story, as the Bards would say! This is about daring to trust, daring to share and daring to dedicate ourselves, our lives and our families to the One who makes life make sense. The Creator of the stars, the fashioner of the wind and the waves is here for you and me. You and I are never alone.
No, God doesn't want us to be so perfect that others will think we "walk on water." You can't. But like Peter, we can step forward, even if the ground beneath us seems pretty fluid.
What matters is that we are reaching out to the One whose hand is held out toward us.
"Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way
and defend thee;Surely his goodness and mercy
shall ever attend theePonder anew what the Almighty can do,
Who with his love doth befriend thee."
(Hymn 390, v.3)
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Revised: 08/25/08