SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:35-41
TEXT: “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” THEME: Take a minute of silence to center yourself on God. INTRODUCTION I am going to invite you to begin this sermon with me with 1 minute of silence. I will set the timer on my phone, as we begin in this way you can get comfortable and you can close your eyes if you like. While we are in the season of Pentecost, we are looking into the effects of the Spirit in our world, through Jesus’ ministry. Today’s passage can be seen as a battle between two forces, but in reality, the God of the Universe is the god of Nature. When the world is set in space, spinning, with centrifugal force. It creates high pressure and low-pressure zones in the atmosphere. Add in the gravitational force of the moon and we have Storms, rain, hurricanes, gales force winds as part of the weather. But this passage is not about power as much as it is about centering ourselves on God. In the setting of these events, Jesus has been teaching the crowds with parables about what the rule of God will be like. In one parable, God’s rule is like those who follow the rules and yield an abundant harvest. Then in another parable all are welcomed to come and share in God’s reign, wheat seeds, mustard weeds and birds are welcomed to flourish in God’s Garden. SCRIPTURE After teaching all day, Jesus was exhausted. Jesus asks his friends to push off in a boat and head across the lake to the other shore. Away from the crowds, silent before God, Jesus centers himself and finds rest for his body, on a cushion, at the stern of the boat. Supernatural forces of wind and waves push and swamp the boat, filling Jesus’ friends with fear. They wake the sleeping Jesus, terrified that they are going to die and for good reason, the ocean was like a washing machine. “Jesus do you not care that we are perishing?” Isn’t this the reason Jesus has come to us in the first place, because Jesus cares for us and does not want to see any of us perish? His friends were not centered. Fear had over taken them; they don’t know yet what it means to have Jesus in their boat. A minute of silence may have given them all they needed to reset themselves and ground themselves with God. Then they would have asked Jesus a different question. Maybe something more along the lines of Jesus can you help us, if we die now, we might not be able to help you fulfill the plans you have? APPLICATION How does spending time in silence before God or centering ourselves, help us in our living? When we are off center, we can be intolerant, impatient, short tempered, easily agitated, and frustrated. We have to remind ourselves to have self-control. In the Pacific School of Theology’s Certificated Education for Leadership Training, our current class is on Spirituality. Our professor interjects the practice of 1 minute of silence as we began or transitioned to something new or end. He uses a timer on his phone so we can relax into that minute. We take so much time filling our moments, taking a minute of silence throughout our day, gives us time to get our bearings, pause and see where we are headed, or give an ear to hear where God is leading or be assured of ‘peace’ that can calm the forces of nature. One minute from time to time is not hard to do, and far easier and gentler way of keeping our calm. So, when I was asked to say a blessing at a birthday party, I thought what better blessing than to share this story of Jesus centering himself with God, and having everyone there, practice 1 minute of silence. Then last night at the Music at WUC, Maui Outstanding Piano Amateur Festival, instead of a poetic prayer, I invited us to participate in 1 minute of silence. That last concert we had was just before we sheltered in because of the pandemic. Today we are just at the beginning of opening up again. In more than a year we have lost so much, we have made adaptations and have made accommodations. We could even grieve our losses in a minute of silence. Damira tells the choir how in music, it is important for musicians not to play over the rests, silence is an important element of music as it is in our lives. Yesterday was exhausting, I started out learning how to do Keynote, Apple’s version of Power Point, on my computer. Then Zooming into the Aha Pae’aina, arranging pews in the Sanctuary, trying to figure out how to do a Facebook live post from my computer for the concert, finding time to write this sermon, and the concert itself. It was amazing. These pianists were so very talented. Some pianist that we have known over the years have sharpened their skills. Damira introduced us to a couple new talent. I came home, and began writing my sermon until I was incoherent, even after a shower and went to sleep on a cushion at the stern of the boat. I awoke at 3, in the calm, to write the ideas that came through rest, took a minute of silence, and here we are. CONCLUSION Yes, the power at Jesus’ command is more powerful than the forces of nature. But the practical application of this passage is not for us to be praying away hurricanes. It is in the importance of our taking the time to give our bodies and mind time to rest in God, in silence, even if it is only a minute. Being silent with help us focus on what it really important. It may be enough for us to regain calm in our lives so we can be patient, tolerant, have a long fuse to anger, be optimistic, experience joy, reduce frustration, to be assured remembering that Jesus is there to help us, and maybe to ask a different question in our prayers, about how we can participate in what God is doing and help to bring calm to the storms in our world. When I would visit my mom, she would have lists of chores for me to do. She would say, “It will only take you 5 minutes.” Once you get started it actually took only a few moments. Silence is like that, it takes only a minute, but it maybe all we need to achieve the self-control we need to be calm. The Spirit in Storm, is a silence that brings calm. Instead of a usual prayer that I end a sermon with, I am inviting you to participate in a minute of silence. Maybe this is something that you can incorporate as a practice in your day.
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