Dearest e-votees,
This week's assigned gospel text is the account of Jesus calming the storm.
This week's e-vo was inspired by the weekly clergy text study I attend and, in particular, by the comments of James Nestingen. I am indebted to him and, of course, claim all poorly stated and/or theologically sketchy musings below as fully my own.
Peace,
Karl
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35 On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 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?” 39 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. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 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, NRSV
Our understanding as Lutherans is that we live in theological tensions and dialectics.
By dialectic we are talking about the following definition (from http://dictionary.reference.com/):
9. the juxtaposition or interaction of conflicting ideas, forces, etc.
We talk of communion being bread and wine while both/and being body and blood.
We talk of a divinely inspired Word of God while both/and being words written by humans.
We talk of being saints while both/and being sinners. (simul justus et peccator)
And this week's text adds other layer:
We talk as faithful ones: (implied text, might have had a little more urgency with a fishermanesque verbiage) "Wake up Lord, we're in trouble and we need you to save us!"
while both/and we talk as ones lacking faith: "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
Mark 9:24 catches it well: "I believe; help my unbelief!"
The question is not "Are you a believer or not?". The correct answer to that question is "YES!!!"
We find ourselves tossed by storms outside in the elements and inside our souls. We find ourselves making bold faith statements while both/and asking cowardly faithless questions. We are unreliable at best.
Our hope is not in us. It is not in our resolved issues and steadfast faith. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who saves us. It is in Jesus who will not forsake us no matter which way the wind is blowing in our fickle faith.
Q: "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
A: This is Jesus the Christ, our hope and our salvation.
God, help us find rest for the tumult of our souls and our belief in Jesus. We believe, help our unbelief. Amen.
This week's assigned gospel text is the account of Jesus calming the storm.
This week's e-vo was inspired by the weekly clergy text study I attend and, in particular, by the comments of James Nestingen. I am indebted to him and, of course, claim all poorly stated and/or theologically sketchy musings below as fully my own.
Peace,
Karl
------------
35 On that day, when evening had come, [Jesus] said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 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?” 39 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. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 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?”
Our understanding as Lutherans is that we live in theological tensions and dialectics.
By dialectic we are talking about the following definition (from http://dictionary.reference.com/):
9. the juxtaposition or interaction of conflicting ideas, forces, etc.
We talk of communion being bread and wine while both/and being body and blood.
We talk of a divinely inspired Word of God while both/and being words written by humans.
We talk of being saints while both/and being sinners. (simul justus et peccator)
And this week's text adds other layer:
We talk as faithful ones: (implied text, might have had a little more urgency with a fishermanesque verbiage) "Wake up Lord, we're in trouble and we need you to save us!"
while both/and we talk as ones lacking faith: "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"
Mark 9:24 catches it well: "I believe; help my unbelief!"
The question is not "Are you a believer or not?". The correct answer to that question is "YES!!!"
We find ourselves tossed by storms outside in the elements and inside our souls. We find ourselves making bold faith statements while both/and asking cowardly faithless questions. We are unreliable at best.
Our hope is not in us. It is not in our resolved issues and steadfast faith. It is in the person of Jesus Christ who saves us. It is in Jesus who will not forsake us no matter which way the wind is blowing in our fickle faith.
Q: "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"
A: This is Jesus the Christ, our hope and our salvation.
God, help us find rest for the tumult of our souls and our belief in Jesus. We believe, help our unbelief. Amen.
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