We Love You...

For an old friend who died too young. For a friend not seen for many years and yet it was just like yesterday. For a friend who wanted to stay longer at the party but had to go... we love you and we will miss you, Kirk.

Perserverance

“Have you still no faith?” These words from Jesus to the disciples during the storm must have stung, considering their devoted friendship and loyalty. Jesus had been teaching parables to a large crowd from a boat close to the shore for many hours. He asked to cross to the other side, perhaps for some private time with the disciples and so they took off across the water in the same boat. Jesus then fell asleep on the cushions, exhausted. Soon the storm began to rage, threatening to send them all to a watery death. The disciples woke him up to warn him about the storm, or at least to make him aware of the fearsome weather they were facing. Jesus responds in a frustrated and weary way – not a very flattering picture of him at that moment. His attitude seems to be that of a long-suffering parent – “Don’t you get it yet?” And yet we see that the disciples DO “get it”. One of the themes we hear in Mark’s gospel is the necessity of being open to the reality of who Jesus really is – the Son of God. This faith is what makes miracles possible. My New Testament professor, Scott Sinclair says, “In Mark faith produces miracles but miracles do not produce real faith.” So it seems that in this story of the stilling of the storm and the sea, the miracle was possible because the disciples were open to Jesus’ power and authority, believed in him, and did, in fact, have faith. This is just one of the puzzling and ambiguous stories we find in Mark’s Gospel, put there to cause us to ponder and think.
Each Sunday one of the focuses of our worship is the proclamation of the Gospel. The readings from the different Gospels follow a pattern. The Sunday readings from the Bible are divided into three years which are called A, B and C. The A years contain readings from the Gospel of Matthew, the B years contain readings from the Gospel of Mark and the C years contain readings from the Gospel of Luke. What happened to John? The readings from John come during Easter and other special times. We have just finished some readings from John and are now in year B – moving into the series of readings from Mark. So that’s where we are in the liturgical scheme of things. The Gospel of Mark was most likely the first one written – possibly before the fall the Temple in Jerusalem around year 70 of the current era. Mark based his writings on stories and sayings that he had heard repeated from those who had known Jesus personally. What prompted Mark to write down what he knew were two crises in his world. One was the arising of competing and false “Christs” or “Messiahs” who claimed to be like Jesus and were threatening to lead susceptible believers astray. The second challenge in the society of the time was the nightmarish persecution of the Christians that had begun after Jesus’ death. Even though they were technically still Jews, the early Christians were persecuted and martyred for their beliefs and had to worship in secret to be safe. So Mark set about writing down what he knew about Jesus as a response to these two ongoing events of his time. Similarly, St. Paul was part of the spreading of the Word to the gentiles in the surrounding countries – and we talked a little last time I preached about his trials and tribulations. The first century Christians faced an uncertain life in Christ – threats from other religious groups and government – and the uncertainty of not knowing who they could believe. Another theme of Mark’s Gospel rises out of these problems - the necessity of perseverance in the face of suffering for followers of Christ. This suffering is to be accepted as part the Way to the cross just as Jesus did accept his own suffering.
In our reading from 2nd Corinthians today we hear a little about St. Paul’s struggle to maintain relations with the churches he had established. There had been some falling out with the people at Corinth and letters we do not have today may have been passed back and forth by Titus – a co-worker with Paul. Finally Paul receives reassuring news about the Corinthians’ feelings toward him and 2nd Corinthians is written in response to this good news. These letters were written in approximately the same time frame as the Gospel of Mark – before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70. So in this reading we hear about the trials of Paul and his co-workers to keep up their walk with Christ on the Way to the cross – perhaps some are thinking of giving up because Paul exhorts them not to “accept the grace of God in vain.” “See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” Can you tell this is one of my favorite verses?
So we hear of the trials and sufferings of the early Christians – the threats from without and within and the temptation to give up in the face of all these challenges. We know that Mark believes perseverance during suffering leads to faith which can produce miracles and encourages believers to follow Jesus on the Way to the cross no matter what may come. Perseverance on the way to the cross can produce miracles.
Well, then, what about us, here in modern-day Antioch, Ca? What circumstances of contemporary life make it difficult for us to be faithful to following the path Jesus took? What encourages us to continue and not give up in the face of hardships? And what are the hardships of living the life of Christ and following his path to the cross for us today?
Could the challenge to our faith in contemporary times come from within rather than from without? No one in 2009 in America will literally be fed to the lions for professing to be a Christian. There may be some false prophets out there for sure, I will not deny that. But I think that the real challenge for us is to live a life steeped in the Way of Christ in a society that, for the most part, doesn’t get it. We are challenged to intentionally live a life that is not anything like the lives around us. What percentage of Californians go to church each Sunday morning? How many pray over meals in restaurants? What keeps us from personal prayer? Do we think, I am too busy, too tired, too overwhelmed by keeping things going to attend to my spiritual life? Too embarrassed at being different? Afraid to offend? Or be politically incorrect? Too caught up in the social and economic daily struggle? Or what if, one day, we wake up and find that our connection to God is gone? We feel that God has abandoned us – because something terrible has happened – or out of the blue - the real dark night of the soul – when we pray and we hear no response. This happens to priests, deacons, bishops, lay people, mystics, monks, sisters, people of all religious persuasions - even Mother Teresa. What then? Our challenge is within us to follow the path that Jesus took to the cross. We shouldn’t be deceived into thinking we have it any easier than all Christians throughout the centuries. A life lived in Christ is not easy. It is not easy but it is everything.
At our baptism we or someone acting on our behalf pledge us to participate in the life of Christ in five ways: Will you continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers? Will you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord? Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ? Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as yourself? Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being? These are our walking orders – teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayer, resisting evil, repentance, proclamation, serving Christ, loving your neighbor, promoting justice & peace, and respecting the dignity of all. God grant us all perserverance on our way.
Perseverance can produce miracles on the way to the cross. The storm was stilled after the disciples called out to Jesus – because they HAD FAITH he could do something, even if he was a little cranky about it. In their dark scary night they believed in the miracle of safety and sanctuary in Jesus’ presence. They had the faith that could lead to miracles.

We have the faith that leads to miracles on the way to the cross. Let it be so. Amen.