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If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  Parts 6

2/22/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Mighty God, as we turn to your word may we be reminded of all you offer to us in faith through Christ our Lord.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                              Isaiah 40:27-31, NRSV
 
27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
    and speak, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
    and my right is disregarded by my God”?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
    the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
    his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
    and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
    and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
    they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
    they shall walk and not faint.
                                                                                                             1 Peter 5:7, NRSV
 
7 Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
                                                                                                 Matthew 14:22-33, NRSV
 
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24 but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land,[a] for the wind was against them. 25 And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”
 
28 Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” 29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he noticed the strong wind,[b] he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
                                                                       
SERMON                                             Wait for God
 
Wait for God.  I think the true meaning here is waiting on God.  Even when you know God is with you, you have to wait on God’s timing for what comes next.  If you think about the Transfiguration story, it features classic figures who learned how to wait for God.  Moses waited through many twists and turns including 40 years in the wilderness.  Elijah waited through many ups and downs including 3 years of draught and 40 days in the wilderness.  After his baptism Jesus spent 40 days waiting on God in the wilderness enduring the temptations of Satan.  This Wednesday we enter the season of Lent, another 40 days that hints back to all three wilderness stories inviting us to practice the discipline of waiting on God, trusting that God is with us, but waiting on God’s timing for what comes next.
 
Perhaps as we practice waiting, we can reflect back on what we have been learning from John Ortberg’s treatment of Peter and Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14.  It is another exercise in waiting on God.
 
Lesson One on Waiting: focus on Jesus and harbor hope. 
 
If I compared water walking to a lot of extreme sports, I could easily agree with Ortberg’s skiing reference, “Don’t look down.”  To focus on Jesus means don’t look down at the waves.  Don’t look around at the wind.  Don’t let your eyes settle on the storms of life.  Don’t focus on the problem; focus on the God who is bigger than your problem.  Through scripture, images, worship, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines keep your eyes and especially your mind fixed on Jesus.  That is the source of your hope.
 
Ortberg writes that when Peter’s “focus was on the storm, his fear short-circuited God’s sustaining power.
“Hope got Peter out of the boat.
“Trust held him up.
“Fear sank him.
“Everything hinged on whether he was focused on the Savior or on the storm.” (Ortberg, If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, p. 155)
Hope is the impetus in many Bible stories. Hope led Abraham and Sarah to a new land and kept them going until they had their first child.  Hope kept Joseph from giving up when he became a slave, when he was thrown in jail, when the famine struck.  Hope kept Moses going back to Pharaoh to beg for the people’s release and kept him leading those stiff necked, stubborn people through forty years of wilderness.  Hope sent David up against Goliath and Judah’s enemies and Saul’s jealousy and his own grief over many losses and even past his own sin.  Hope gave Elijah the courage to stand up to Ahab and the prophets of Baal, and hope was rekindled seeking God when Elijah ran away from Jezebel.  Hope, if only a small flame, kept a remnant of the exiles faithful, gave Daniel the courage to remain loyal to God and Esther the courage to defend her people, brought Ezra and Nehemiah back to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem’s walls, gave people the 400 year dream of God’s Anointed coming to save them.
Hope keeps us going when the task is difficult, the journey is long, the diagnosis is scary, the losses add up, and the storms of life batter against us.  Hope gives us the courage to rebuild after a disaster, take on an injustice, endure our suffering, fight against disease and disability, search for answers, and remain faithful to the God in whom we trust. 
Waiting on God means keeping our focus on Jesus while we hang on to hope.
Hope is the antidote to helplessness.  I read about this study before.  Martin Seligman was a psychology grad student at the University of Pennsylvania in the 1960s.  He conducted an experiment with dogs in which they received random shocks.  Nothing the dogs did stopped the shocks.  They had no control over the random pain.  Later they were moved to a set up where all they had to do was step over a low barrier to get away from the shock treatments.  But the dogs never learned that simple tactic, because they had already learned helplessness.  They had come to believe that nothing they could do would bring relief, so they stopped trying.  They gave up.  We humans behave in the same way.  If we learn that kind of helplessness, especially when we are young, many will just give up and live without hope.  This would be the opposite of the resiliency we’ve been talking about.  (discussed by Ortberg on p. 158)
In contrast, Daniel Goleman writes about another study at the same university that focused instead on optimism.  Freshmen were tested for optimism, and it was discovered that high optimism better predicted their academic performance than SATs or high school grades.  “‘From the perspective of emotional intelligence, having hope means that one will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of difficult challenges or setbacks.’” (Quoted by Ortberg, p. 159)
Optimism is an aspect of hope.  Psychologist Albert Bandura researched “self-efficacy, which is “strong confidence in one’s abilities.” It makes one “more likely to be resilient in the face of failure, to cope instead of fear.” (Ortberg, p. 160) But now add the faith factor.  If you truly believe Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength,” and shift your thinking to God working through you not just for you, then you find what Ortberg calls “vital hope.” (p. 160)
Cognitive psychology is based on what we feed our minds and how that affects our behavior as well as our beliefs.  Paul already knew this when he wrote in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” He also hinted at this in his letter to the Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”  Paul knew that renewing our minds and keeping them focused on positive messages would yield positive faithful results. 
On a very practical level we do this with the images and messages we keep around us.  We do this when we choose not to watch certain shows or read certain materials.  We do this when we put limits on how much bad news we listen to, so that it does not saturate our brains with discouragement.  We do this when we protect ourselves with healthy boundaries rather than allow negativity to drag us down.  We focus on the positive and on faith when we carry a cross in our pocket, memorize scripture, say thanks for our food or the beauty of creation, enjoy a healthy laugh, share fond memories with a friend or family member, look at pictures that bring us joy, listen to good music, go for a walk or a drive in pleasant surroundings. 
If you want to stay healthy in body, mind, and spirit, practice habits that lead to vital hope!
Lesson Two: Learn to live at God’s pace, rather than demanding God live at yours.
From Isaiah 40, “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.”  Ortberg is right when he says that “Waiting is the hardest work of hope.” (p. 177) But waiting is our task as believers.  The Old Testament urges 43 times “Wait on the Lord.”
Psychologist M. Scott Peck wrote about “enduring delayed gratification.” As a society, and I know for myself personally, we have often become addicted to convenience.  We are an impatient people.  But this has led to health issues, environmental concerns, financial challenges, and entitlement attitudes.  If you just consider that we expect to get where we want to go by car rather than walking so that it takes less time, we have already determined to get less exercise, pollute the environment, add a major payment to our monthly budget, and left ourselves vulnerable to potential road rage.  I may be exaggerating to make a point, but I am not telling an untruth. 
There can be advantages to delaying gratification, by which Peck means a “process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with. [In his opinion] It is the only decent way to live.” (Quoted by Ortberg on p. 178)
Delayed gratification is a learned process as we manage our behavior and wait rather than rush.  Goleman puts it this way, “’At the heart of emotional intelligence is the ability to delay gratification and not live at the mercy of impulse.’” (Quoted by Ortberg on p. 178) If you think about it, the spiritual discipline of fasting often associated with Lent is a practice of delaying gratification.  It has spiritual as well as emotional benefits.
Stanford University tested the benefits of delayed gratification putting four-year olds in a room with marshmallows.  They were told they could have two marshmallows if they waited until the leader returned or they could have one marshmallow right away.  Tracked over twenty years, the ones who waited were “more socially competent, better able to cope with stress, …less likely to give up under pressure” and scored significantly higher on their SATs.  The “marshmallow-grabbers” tended to be more stubborn, indecisive, and more likely to be frustrated or resentful. (discussed by Ortberg on p. 179) 
Hope is healthy waiting.  It means delaying gratification while trusting God’s timing.  Ortberg reminds his readers that “God is never desperate…God’s voice is never frantic.”  (p. 180) Desperate thoughts are not coming from God, so don’t give in to them.  Instead, go back to lesson one and focus on Jesus while you wait on God’s timing with hope.
Lesson Three: Don’t downsize God!
One of my favorite conversations as a babysitter in college was with Stevie who was 5 at the time.  He knew me from church, so he asked me “How big is God?”  I remember we decided God is bigger than a truck and bigger than the house and bigger than what ever else Stevie asked me.  I know God has to be bigger than my imagination and bigger than the universe beyond my imagination. I still like the concept that we all live within the mind of God. 
When we face a problem that overwhelms us, perhaps we are only facing it in our own wisdom and strength.  Ortberg suggests then “that our God is too small” if we “are not absolutely convinced that we are in the hands of a fully-competent, all-knowing, ever-present God.”  (p. 192) In theological lingo the Church has made those exact claims that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent, big words we can easily ignore, but God invites us to stake our lives on them.  The Church also teaches that God is omnificent which means that God created everything, hence my somewhat poetic expression that we all exist within the creative mind of God. 
So as you face a gigantic Goliath sized challenge, you need to face it not wearing oversized armor as Saul had suggested to David, but with the same oversized faith and trust that David had backed with the memories, as David did, of every other time God has been there for you, seen you through a difficulty, or what you have witnessed God do for others in your life.  You go forward in the confidence that God is bigger than your problem. 
As one poster words it,
“God is bigger than:
Your past.
Your depression.
Your pain.
Your hate.
Your anger.
Your doubt.
Your fear.
Your shame.
Your eating disorder.
Your self harm.
Your anxiety.
Your loneliness.
Your scars.
… (image found online)
You can add any other problem into that list: your debt, your sin, your humiliation, your frustration, etc.  God is bigger than any problem you face. 
 
As I’ve said many times, that doesn’t mean you will never have problems.  You will.  It doesn’t mean God will miraculously resolve them overnight.  Usually God won’t. But God is big enough to help you get through them. God won’t send you out to fight your giants alone, and if you are wounded God will nurse you back to health.  If you need comfort, God will hold you.  If you need guidance God will lead you.  God is bigger than your problems and big enough to meet all your needs.
 
Going back to our Gospel story, this of course means that God is bigger than any storm.  What is an appropriate response when you experience God’s greatness?  The disciples instinctively did this, when Peter and Jesus “got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’” When God proves yet again that God is bigger than your problems, the appropriate response is worship. 
 
Why?  Does God need our worship?  No.  Our God is not that ego-centric though we humans often are.  God created us with a capacity and indeed a craving for worship, because we need it.  First, Ortberg says, “something in our spirits demands to express the joy we receive.” (p. 195) Second, we “need to worship because without it [we] lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on… [we give into our] natural tendency toward self-reliance and stubborn independence.” (p. 196) Third, when we worship, we rehearse all the ways God has already blessed God’s people and blessed us.  We reinforce the positive memories, reconnect our relationship with God, and reestablish a healthy trust in God.  When we worship, our faith grows; it is nourished and strengthened, so it can thrive. 
 
When we fail to worship our faith withers and is left dry.  Ortberg notes the human condition of mindlessness.  It’s a common psychological state when the body is present, but the mind has drifted off somewhere else.  (Ortberg, p. 199) We talk about it in other terms around here when our memory is faulty, or we can’t think through something, or it feels like our brain stayed home instead of coming to the office with us.  Between fatigue and distractions and other common maladies, our minds lose focus.  That’s how I see mindlessness.  When we lose focus from God, mindlessness leaves our faith dry and withered.  The way to revive it is worship.
 
Others talk about mindfulness.  You can practice being mindful of what is going on around you.  You can practice being mindful of God’s presence with you.  Mindfulness can bring your focus back in line.  True worship helps you be mindful of God.  Deb, Bonnie, Karla and I got this when we did the initial study of God Sightings.  In addition to focusing on God by reading through the entire Bible in a couple of years and discussing it, we also had the practice of mindfulness.  Each time we met, we had the opportunity to share our God sightings, and this led to paying more attention to where God is at work in our daily lives.  I highly recommend this practice!  Being mindful of our God sightings helps us remember just how big our God really is.
 
We call Mary’s hymn of praise, the Magnificat.  That’s a good reminder that worship magnifies God.  It helps us see that God is bigger.  When the disciples caught that glimpse of God at work in the storm and Jesus’ interactions with Peter, they worshipped him.  As they magnified God with their worship, they added that experience to a treasure chest in their minds of just how great and how trustworthy our God really is. 
 
Let me conclude this series with a few sentences at the end of Ortberg’s book, “Jesus is not finished yet.  He is still looking for people who will dare to trust him.  He is still looking for people who will refuse to allow fear to have the final word.  He is still looking for people who refuse to be deterred by failure.  He is still passing by…This is your chance of a lifetime…Just remember this, if you want to walk on water, you’ve got to get out of the boat.” (pp. 202-203)  

Our current series for Jan. 12 - Feb. 23, 2020 is based on Rev. John Ortberg's book, 
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  This is a great book if you are stuck in a rut and wondering about the possibilities of a new adventure OR if you are facing some stormy challenges in your life and need to move forward.  You'll find the gist of it here in these messages.
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You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat. Part 5

2/15/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
God as you offer us in your Word, both caution and hope, ay we learn from the stories we read in scripture and find good news for our own lives.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                       1 Samuel 21:10-22:5, NCV
 
10 That day David ran away from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. 11 But the servants of Achish said to him, “This is David, the king of the Israelites. He’s the man they dance and sing about, saying:
 
‘Saul has killed thousands of his enemies,
    but David has killed tens of thousands.’”
 
12 David paid attention to these words and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. 13 So he pretended to be crazy in front of Achish and his servants. While he was with them, he acted like a madman and clawed on the doors of the gate and let spit run down his beard.
 
14 Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He’s crazy! Why do you bring him to me? 15 I have enough madmen. I don’t need you to bring him here to act like this in front of me! Don’t let him in my house!”
 
22 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and other relatives heard that he was there, they went to see him. 2 Everyone who was in trouble, or who owed money, or who was unsatisfied gathered around David, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
 
3 From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and spoke to the king of Moab. He said, “Please let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God is going to do for me.” 4 So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was hiding in the stronghold.
 
5 But the prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Go to the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.
                                                                                                    Matthew 14:22-33, NCV
22 Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him across the lake. He stayed there to send the people home. 23 After he had sent them away, he went by himself up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. 24 By this time, the boat was already far away from land. It was being hit by waves, because the wind was blowing against it.
 
25 Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26 When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.
 
27 But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
 
28 Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.”
 
29 Jesus said, “Come.”
 
And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
 
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”
 
32 After they got into the boat, the wind became calm. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
                                                                       
SERMON                                           Cave Dwellers
 
At first glance, it would seem that Peter was a failure.  But as we have been emphasizing, failure is merely learning what not to do, and you move on from there.
Herman Melville took it a step further when he wrote, “He who has never failed somewhere, that man cannot be great.  Failure is a test of greatness.” (quoted by John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat, p. 135) Peter was indeed destined for greatness, certainly not an easy life, but one that took him much further than this fisherman might once have imagined. 
 
When a toddler falls, it’s to be expected.  That is why we call them toddlers; it describes their wobbly gait when they haven’t learned to walk steadily yet.  Peter was a professional as a fisherman, but in terms of living in faith and water-walking he was still a toddler.  We don’t scold toddlers when they fall; we help them up and encourage them to try again.  Jesus immediately helped Peter back up and pointed out that his faith was still weak.  Maybe it wasn’t so much a scolding as a reality check that Peter could handle as an adult learning a new way of life.  Peter had a long way to go, and so do we.  Ortberg claims, “Both the saving and the scolding are evidence of Jesus’ love for Peter.” (p. 136)
 
Ortberg goes on to suggest two potential reactions to a failed attempt.  It can paralyze you or it can energize you.  When something doesn’t go right do you give up or do you get more determined to try another way?  Daniel Goleman reviewed research on top athletes and musicians with regard to how they managed failure.  He notes a key factor in their “emotional traits – enthusiasm and persistence in the face of setbacks – above all else.” (quoted by Ortberg on p. 136)
 
Ortberg uses King David as an example of this.  We heard a lesser known snippet of David’s story in our Old Testament reading today.  But let’s review more of his story.  I’m taking this from a chart in Ortberg’s study guide for If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat as well as from the original book.
  • Beyond succeeding against the giant, Goliath, David was “brave, courageous, and successful…loved by many,” yet King Saul’s jealousy turned David into a wanted man on the run.
  • This means David lost his job in the palace, his wife who was the princess, and his home.
  • David’s life was repeatedly threatened.  He moved from place to place without a real home.  Living in the wilderness without resources of his own, he and his men were often hungry and thirsty. 
Ortberg says, “And then it got worse!” (The above summary comes from the Participant’s Guide, p. 90 and the book, p. 139)
 
Our Bible reading tells us David was afraid of Achish king of Gath.  He should be.  Goliath whom David killed as a youth was from Gath.  Relationships were still strained between Gath and Judah.  David’s only hope in going to Achish for help was that they now shared a mutual enemy in Saul, but just in case, David pretended to be a madman.  That didn’t do the trick.  No help was extended in Gath.  All David could find for he and his men was a cave named Adullum.  Others in dire straits began to gather around him there.
 
That cave can represent for us the times that we have nowhere to go, when hope is thin.  Ortberg writes, “The cave is where you end up when your props, supports, and crutches get stripped away.” He goes on to say, “Perhaps you are in the cave because of foolish choices.  Perhaps it is the result of circumstances you could not even control.  Most likely it is a combination of the two.” (p. 138) The cave can be any kind of loss: health, job, loved one, home.  The cave can be the diminishing of financial or human resources.  The cave can be the devastation of a natural disaster or war.  There are numerous reasons you might find yourself a cave dweller not in Adullum but in something that feels like failure or oppression, desperation or depression.  We have all been cave dwellers in this sense at some point in our lives and perhaps even right now.
 
David is not the only Old Testament figure to spend time in a cave.  It’s also part of Elijah’s story.  For all that God brought Elijah through - famine, confronting King Ahab, overcoming the prophets of Baal – when Queen Jezebel chased Elijah, he was also a man on the run in the wilderness as David had been.  God led Elijah to a cave on the mountain where God came to him not in the quake or the storm but in a still small voice that asked, “Why are you here?”  What Ortberg wants us to see is that God was present in the cave both with David and with Elijah. 
 
Ortberg makes an important claim with regard to cave dwelling, “The cave is where God does some of his best work in molding and shaping human lives.  Sometimes, when all the props and crutches in your life get stripped away and you find you have only God, you discover that God is enough…you experience the liberation of realizing that it is okay to be inadequate and that God wants his power to flow through your weakness.” (p. 139) I am reminded of Paul writing, “’My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.’ So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
 
If I look at the times in the Bible when God allowed his people to do without, so that they could learn to rely once again upon God, I think God has continued to allow that in the Church.  From time to time historically, portions of the Church have grown so wealthy or powerful or confident in themselves that God hit the reset button and let them live in a cave, metaphorically speaking.  Just as being a Christian doesn’t mean special protections and privileges from the realities of life, neither does being a church mean things will always go well.  Individually and corporately Christians are called to live not in our own strength and resources but to live in faith relying on, guided by, and living for God.  That’s who we were created to be.
 
David’s life continued with ups and downs and many challenges after the cave.  Sometimes they found help and sometimes not.  David’s mentor, Samuel, and his best friend, Prince Jonathan both died while David was still a fugitive.  Other than his loyal soldiers, these two men had been David’s only allies.  At one point all of their families were captured.  There are many bad news stories along the way.  But we know the later chapters of David’s story.  Long after the cave, David’s home was back in the palace, and David himself sat on the throne.  The resilience we talked about last week; David had it, too!
 
Out of the darker days of David’s life come a genre of psalms that we tend to ignore, laments.  The heading to Psalm 142 reads, “A maskil of David when he was in the cave. A prayer.” (NCV) The lament begins,
 
1 I cry out to the Lord;
    I pray to the Lord for mercy.
2 I pour out my problems to him;
    I tell him my troubles.
3 When I am afraid,
    you, Lord, know the way out.
In the path where I walk,
    a trap is hidden for me.
4 Look around me and see.
    No one cares about me.
I have no place of safety;
    no one cares if I live.
 
Ortberg declares that these laments which are basically complaints to God are the most frequent among the psalms.  (p. 141) While I get a different impression of God’s tolerance for the everyday complaints of those in the wilderness with Moses, David’s laments are accepted and heard.  Perhaps the difference is that those Hebrews in Exodus griped and grumbled without hope or faith, whereas David expresses his faith alongside his complaint.  The next verses of Psalm 142 demonstrate this.
 
5 Lord, I cry out to you.
    I say, “You are my protection.
    You are all I want in this life.”
6 Listen to my cry,
    because I am helpless.
Save me from those who are chasing me,
    because they are too strong for me.
7 Free me from my prison,
    and then I will praise your name.
Then good people will surround me,
    because you have taken care of me.
 
We are free to express our honest doubts, fears, worries and concerns to God as well as our frustrations and complaints, but it’s not enough to leave it at that.  David’s example, and I believe Peter’s as well, is to put our hope and our faith in God beyond the lament.  That added expression of faith should also lead to action.  Ortberg writes that “God never brings discouragement.  Always, his guidance leads to motivation and life.” (p. 143) When we would be frozen in discouragement, Ortberg recommends an active expression of faith, to “take action toward change.” (p. 143)
 
What Ortberg writes from Psychologist David Burns on the cycle of lethargy rings true for me in my own life, in many things I have read, and in my observations of others.
 
“When I’m faced with a challenge and I do nothing, it leads to distorted thoughts – that I am helpless, hopeless, and beyond change.  These in turn lead to destructive emotions – loss of energy and motivation, damaged self-esteem, feeling overwhelmed.  The end result is self-defeating behavior – procrastination, avoidance, and escapism.  These behaviors then reinforce negative thoughts and the whole cycle spirals downward.”  (Ortberg, p. 144)
 
Everything I have learned from my coach and other readings on rewiring our brain relates to this, that negative thought patterns will continue unless we intentionally disrupt them.  Moaning and groaning reinforces the negative.  Replacing negative thoughts intentionally with repeated expressions of faith, counting our gratefuls or blessings helps reroute the brain’s tendency. 
 
Action is another powerful disrupter of negativity.  That action may be persistence, to not give up on a dream.  It may be learning something new.  It may be intentionally changing a behavior.  It may be an act of charity or kindness.  Take one step in a positive direction.  Let that lead to the next step and the next and the next under God’s guidance. 
 
When Peter sank, he asked for and accepted help.  He got back in the boat with Jesus.  He continued to follow Jesus and learn more from Jesus.  He didn’t give up and go back home.  He kept going and growing. 
 
Perhaps you remember the movie “Chariots of Fire” based on the true stories of Harold Abrams and Eric Liddell.  After Harold lost to Eric for the first time, he wanted to give up.  The movie quotes him as saying, “I run to win.  If I can’t win, I won’t run.” To which his girlfriend Cybil wisely responded.  “If you don’t run, you can’t win.” 
 
David didn’t give up.  In the end neither did Elijah.  Peter didn’t give up.  Neither did Jesus.  They all faced challenges that threatened to do them in, but in the end they all gave their lives wholeheartedly to God’s service.  Neither David nor Elijah’s journey ended in a cave, but God did meet them there and gave them strength to continue.  Peter’s journey didn’t end when he began to sink, but Jesus was right there with him, and gave him the motivation to keep growing.  Jesus’ life didn’t end in the cave-like tomb.  God was with Jesus even in death and raised him to new life and glory. 
What looks like the end might just be the page to be turned before starting a new chapter. 
 
We may not know exactly what the next chapter of our life will be.  We don’t entirely know the next chapter for the church either.  We do our best to discern where God is leading us and to prepare for the contingencies.  Part of our preparation for the next chapter is to continually exercise our faith and trust in God.  We practice water walking in faith with Jesus just as a toddler practices taking steps: first holding someone else’s fingers, then taking steps from one person to the next who is holding out their arms and giving words of encouragement, finally walking with more confidence but still in a direction toward what we trust.  David and Peter learned the walk of faith one step at a time as long as they were willing to take those steps, and so will we.  That is what the journey asks of us, to keep taking those steps with God.  


​Our current series for Jan. 12 - Feb. 23, 2020 is based on Rev. John Ortberg's book, 
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  This is a great book if you are stuck in a rut and wondering about the possibilities of a new adventure OR if you are facing some stormy challenges in your life and need to move forward.  You'll find the gist of it here in these messages.
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If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  Part 4

2/9/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
As we hear your Word, O God, make us mindful of all you have given us and continue to do for us.  May we have the courage to live for you. Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                         Genesis 40:1-15,23, NCV
Joseph Interprets Two Dreams
40 After these things happened, two of the king’s officers displeased the king—the man who served wine to the king and the king’s baker. 2 The king became angry with his officer who served him wine and his baker, 3 so he put them in the prison of the captain of the guard, the same prison where Joseph was kept. 4 The captain of the guard put the two prisoners in Joseph’s care, and they stayed in prison for some time.
 
5 One night both the king’s officer who served him wine and the baker had a dream. Each had his own dream with its own meaning. 6 When Joseph came to them the next morning, he saw they were worried. 7 He asked the king’s officers who were with him, “Why do you look so unhappy today?”
 
8 The two men answered, “We both had dreams last night, but no one can explain their meaning to us.”
 
Joseph said to them, “God is the only One who can explain the meaning of dreams. Tell me your dreams.”
 
9 So the man who served wine to the king told Joseph his dream. He said, “I dreamed I saw a vine, and 10 on the vine were three branches. I watched the branches bud and blossom, and then the grapes ripened. 11 I was holding the king’s cup, so I took the grapes and squeezed the juice into the cup. Then I gave it to the king.”
 
12 Then Joseph said, “I will explain the dream to you. The three branches stand for three days. 13 Before the end of three days the king will free you, and he will allow you to return to your work. You will serve the king his wine just as you did before. 14 But when you are free, remember me. Be kind to me, and tell the king about me so I can get out of this prison. 15 I was taken by force from the land of the Hebrews, and I have done nothing here to deserve being put in prison.”
 
16 The baker saw that Joseph’s explanation of the dream was good, so he said to him, “I also had a dream. I dreamed there were three bread baskets on my head. 17 In the top basket were all kinds of baked food for the king, but the birds were eating this food out of the basket on my head.”
 
18 Joseph answered, “I will tell you what the dream means. The three baskets stand for three days. 19 Before the end of three days, the king will cut off your head! He will hang your body on a pole, and the birds will eat your flesh.”
 
20 Three days later, on his birthday, the king gave a feast for all his officers. In front of his officers, he released from prison the chief officer who served his wine and the chief baker. 21 The king gave his chief officer who served wine his old position, and once again he put the king’s cup of wine into the king’s hand. 22 But the king hanged the baker on a pole. Everything happened just as Joseph had said it would, 23 but the officer who served wine did not remember Joseph. He forgot all about him.
 
                                                                                                    Matthew 14:22-33, NCV
22 Immediately Jesus told his followers to get into the boat and go ahead of him across the lake. He stayed there to send the people home. 23 After he had sent them away, he went by himself up into the hills to pray. It was late, and Jesus was there alone. 24 By this time, the boat was already far away from land. It was being hit by waves, because the wind was blowing against it.
 
25 Between three and six o’clock in the morning, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. 26 When his followers saw him walking on the water, they were afraid. They said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out in fear.
 
27 But Jesus quickly spoke to them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”
 
28 Peter said, “Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.”
 
29 Jesus said, “Come.”
 
And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. 30 But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. He shouted, “Lord, save me!”
 
31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, “Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?”
 
32 After they got into the boat, the wind became calm. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, “Truly you are the Son of God!”
                                                                       
SERMON                                            Facing Fears
Getting out of the boat means facing our fears, and Thoreau was right when he said, “Nothing is so much to be feared as fear.” (quoted by John Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get out of the Boat, p. 117)  The fear factor in this story and in human lives is so significant, that it is an additional chapter in the book and a second sermon in my series.  What I want to repeat from before is the Bible’s frequent reminder, “Don’t be afraid” paired with biblical promise, “I am with you always.”
 
The disciples first reaction to someone walking across the water was fear, but Jesus spoke to comfort them, “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” (Matt. 14:27) That is what gave Peter the courage to seek permission to get out of the boat and walk on water toward Jesus.  What stopped Peter in his tracks?  “Peter saw the wind and the waves” in verse 29, and that’s when he started to sink.  Now if Peter saw the wind and the waves, it means his eyes drifted away from Jesus, and when we drift away from God in some fashion, that’s when we are most likely to get in trouble.  I’ve said the main lesson I get out of this story can be summed up in one simple chorus, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus…” or the verse from Hebrews 12:2, “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.”  Or from another translation, “We must keep our eyes on Jesus, who leads us and makes our faith complete.” 
 
Here’s one simple version of understanding this story.  It’s as if Peter asked, “Jesus, may I?” Ortberg continues this way, “Jesus stretched out his hands and said, ‘Come.’  Trust said, Jump.  Fear said, No. Peter jumped.” (p. 120) But when Peter was distracted by the wind and the waves, Peter gave in to fear.  As Ortberg writes, Peter “did not just sink in the water, but sank in his own anxiety and worries.” (p.120) 
 
Fear is a heathy built in response to many situations in life.  It preps our body for fight or flight as needed. It is a survival mechanism God created within us. But fear can also be unhealthy.  “Fear disrupts faith and becomes the biggest obstacle to trusting and obeying God.” (Ortberg, p. 120) Perhaps you’ve experienced a fear that is paralyzing.  When I was little, I had a lot of nightmares.  Within them I couldn’t scream when I was being chased.  I grew up with a fear that if I was in a scary situation in real life, I wouldn’t be able to scream for help.  When we are in trouble, we do need to ask for help.  That also means trusting someone enough to help us.  When Peter began to sink in fear, he screamed, “Lord, save me!”  Then “Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter.” (v. 30-31)   When fear disrupts our faith, seeking God’s help is an act toward reestablishing that trust. 
 
Think about it; if I believe God created the universe, then God is obviously capable of managing anything in the universe.  Whereas “Fear…makes us live as though we serve a limited, finite, partially present, semi-competent God.”  (Ortberg, p. 131) If I believe God is quite competent, why would I live as if I don’t trust God?
 
Fear can also cause us to avoid following through on something we need to do, or we have been nudged to do by God’s Spirit.  I’m really good at avoiding things I don’t want to do.  It’s visible as the piles on my table here or at home, although I have tackled several of them recently.  Research on self esteem suggests one major issue: “When you face a difficult situation, do you approach it, take action, and face it head on, or do you avoid it, wimp out, and run and hide?” (Ortberg, p. 124) Guess which reaction helps you grow!  I’ve learned from Mike and others that you should put the one thing you don’t want to do first, then the rest of the meeting or your day gets better.  Ortberg writes, “When you take on a challenge, it builds the core of who you are, even it you don’t perform flawlessly.” (p. 125)
 
Now what if instead of living in fear, we choose to live in faith, courage, and resilience?  Challenges will come, and those of us who strive to live in faith are not immune from them.  On the one hand, that’s just the way life is, and on the other hand, challenges are how we grow.  Peter had the courage and faith to get out of the boat, but he still had to face the challenge of wind and waves.  He wasn’t as successful in that walk as he had hoped or intended, but he did learn from it.  I believe his faith did grow.  As Ortberg talked about Peter seeing the wind, he shared research stories of resiliency, which is identified as “a condition whereby [people] actually enlarge their capacity to handle problems and, in the end, not only survive but grow.” (p. 97)
 
Social science research on this topic studied survivors of traumatic situations from WW2 concentration camps to POWs of Korea and Viet Nam, hostages in Iran, persons crippled in accidents and children with ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). Findings show that resilient people, survivors of trauma, are those who seek some means of control rather than settling for being a passive victim.  For example, those imprisoned established creative communication systems or followed whatever exercise regimen they could manage, or they did memory work.  Resilient people had moral courage to maintain their values.  For example, some maintained compassion by helping other prisoners even sacrificially.  Resilient people sought purpose and meaning even in the midst of suffering.  Victor Frankl who survived Nazi death camps recalls a handful of men who found meaning in comforting others, even giving away precious bits of bread.  He learned the one thing that cannot be taken away from us is “to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.” (quoted by Ortberg, p. 108) That freedom to choose allows us to find our own meaning in life, no matter the circumstance or as noted in Ephesians 4:12 to be content in any situation.  Ephesians 4:13 goes on to say we can do all things, because Christ gives us the strength.  For a person of faith, all the qualities of resiliency are possible, because we believe Christ is with us.
 
Ortberg uses the Old Testament story of Joseph as an example of resiliency.  We’ve come across his story often of late.  Our reading earlier was just one snippet.  Ortberg shares it in a classic good news/bad news format. (Chapter 5)
  • Good news: Joseph was daddy’s favorite and had this beautiful robe to prove it.
  • Bad news:  That did not make his brothers very fond of him.  They hated him for it.
  • Good news:  Dad trusted Joseph and sent him out to check on his older brothers.
  • Bad news:  The brothers had had enough, took his robe, threw him in a pit, sold him to traders, rubbed his beautiful robe in blood, and convinced dad he was dead.
  • Good news:  Though a slave, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar who appreciated his management skills and put him over his whole household.
  • Bad news: Potiphar’s wife thought Joseph was handsome and tried to seduce him.
  • Good news: Joseph was smart and loyal to God, so Joseph said NO!
  • Bad news: Potiphar’s wife framed Joseph with false testimony and had him thrown in jail.
  • Good news: The warden and inmates trusted Joseph.  Joseph interpreted the dreams of a couple of prisoners who were soon released, and one of them promised to speak to Pharaoh on Joseph’s behalf.
  • Bad news: That promise and Joseph were both forgotten for a couple of years.
 
Joseph’s story goes on, but let’s take a look at his resilience up to this point.  In spite of being sold as a slave and taken far from home and family, Joseph was aware that God was with him.  As Ortberg puts it, “Faith believes that with God, we are never helpless victims.”  (p. 102) So, Joseph used his gifts, worked hard, and earned respect.  Joseph had the first quality of resilience.  He didn’t accept becoming a passive victim, but he controlled what he could within the situation. 
 
When confronted with temptation, Joseph maintained his morality and values.  He said NO.  Again from Ortberg’s analysis, “Loyalty to values even when it means suffering is a powerful catalyst for character formation.” (p. 105) Joseph had the second quality of resilience; he stuck to what he believed was right. 
 
Somewhere in the midst of suffering in prison, Joseph began to develop compassion that had not previously been part of his character.  Ortberg points out that “Joseph learned what life was like without the Robe.” (p. 111) That means that for a while he wasn’t anyone’s favorite, and in that setting he began to notice others rather than putting himself first.  Somehow through that new development while in prison Joseph found purpose and meaning, the third quality of resilience.  Through his time in prison Joseph was put in place to interpret Pharaoh’s dream, manage Egypt’s resources for enough years that they and even his own family would survive a severe famine.  That was meaningful! 
 
God may at times challenge you or allow you to go through rough times, like the ups and downs Joseph faced, or the stormy seas faced by the disciples.  God will NOT leave you alone in the midst of it, but how you get through, whether or not you grow through the experience will depend on your choices and your display of resilience.  Will you put your trust in God and give it your best?  Or will you sink?  God is ready with a helping hand if you ask. 
 
We will each face many challenges yet in this life.  I could speculate about them, but that worrying ahead about the “What ifs” of life only robs today of its joy.  Instead I choose to do the best I can on any given day and trust God for the rest.  Honestly, that’s a theme I know I have preached since my first church appointment more than 30 years ago.  It is how I still choose to live.  How about you? 
​


Our current series for Jan. 12 - Feb. 23, 2020 is based on Rev. John Ortberg's book, 
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  This is a great book if you are stuck in a rut and wondering about the possibilities of a new adventure OR if you are facing some stormy challenges in your life and need to move forward.  You'll find the gist of it here in these messages.
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If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  Part 3

2/1/2020

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PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Lord, as we hesitate to surrender ourselves to you, to the challenge before us that would bring us closer to you and to doing your will, let us hear in your Word encouragement to do what you ask or what we feel called to do.  Amen.
 
SCRIPTURE LESSONS                                                               2 Kings 5:1,9-14, NLT
 
The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.
 
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”
 
11 But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! 12 Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.
 
13 But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!
 
                                                                                                     Matthew 14:22-33, NLT
 
22 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. 23 After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.
 
24 Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. 25 About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
 
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
 
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
 
29 “Yes, come,” Jesus said.
 
So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.
 
31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
 
32 When they climbed back into the boat, the wind stopped. 33 Then the disciples worshiped him. “You really are the Son of God!” they exclaimed.
                                                                       
SERMON                                               Wet Feet
Peter made a decision about getting out of the boat.  We know from other Bible stories that Peter could be impulsive and impetuous.  But God asks us to be faithful not foolish.  Over the centuries there has been some debate which was true of Peter as he stepped out of the boat.  If we took a straw poll of your opinions right now, there might be some disagreement. Calvin thought it was “over-much rashness.” (Quoted by Ortberg in If You Want to Walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat, p. 53) Chrysostom, one of the early church fathers, saw it as pure devotion.
 
Ortberg highlights a significant point from Matthew 14:28. On this occasion Peter didn’t just jump over the edge of the boat, he asked permission.  “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”  Peter seems to know, and gospel writer Matthew is clear that “Peter is not in charge of water walking – Jesus is.” (Ortberg, p, 54) 
 
Perhaps you’ve heard of a Type T personality as researched by psychologists and scientists.  It’s a personality type that seeks thrills in extreme behavior whether that’s extreme sports or dare devil stunts, but might also be flirting with danger or with getting caught in a crime.  This comes in varying degrees, but gene D4DR has been identified in connection with such risk-taking behavior.  Ortberg suggests that a Type T thrill seeker isn’t necessarily what Jesus saw in Peter or wants from us, but instead he suggests a Type W, a water walker who displays a “desire for adventure with God” as part of their “spiritual DNA.” This “requires both the courage to take risks and [the] wisdom to know which risks to take.” (see pages 55-56) 
 
Part of this discernment process between faithful or foolish, between thrill seeking or water walking with God is to understand our calling.  We said last week that the Master chooses what gifts we will receive from the Holy Spirit.  We don’t get to choose our own gifts.  In the same way we don’t choose our calling; God does. 
 
It makes sense that God chooses gifts that will work with our calling; they go hand in hand though the same gift may not always be used for the same calling.  For example, many in our congregation have a gift for teaching, and among most of you it has been used to teach various subjects or grade levels in public schools.  I also have a gift for teaching, but like Patty or Judy mine has mostly been used by God in church ministries though the age level and setting has varied over the past 50 years. 
 
There is also a difference between a calling and a career though they may go well together.  Generally a career is something we might choose for ourselves, to earn a living and for other reasons.  It ends when we retire.  Our calling, as I said, comes from God.  It may or may not relate to our career.  We may resist our calling choosing not to cooperate, but if it is a true calling, it will keep calling, and it remains our calling until we die.  In one way or another I will always approach life as a teacher.  It’s in the fabric of who I am, and how God created me to be.
 
Your calling and shaping and gifting are part of God’s ongoing creativity and work in the world.  It says in Ephesians 2:10, “ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” John Ortberg expands on this, “As a crucial part of your calling, you were given certain gifts, talents, longings, and desires. To identify these with clarity, to develop them with skill, and to use them joyfully and humbly to serve God and his creation is central to why you were created.”  (p. 58)
 
It’s like the Blues Brothers slogan, “We’re on a mission from God.”  (also quoted by Ortberg, p. 59) But this is not always easy.  Ortberg honestly tells us “discerning a calling requires one of the greatest challenges of self-exploration and judgement a human being can undertake.” (p. 59) It is a process of self-discovery plus the courage to trust what you recognize of how God created and gifted and calls you with “some assembly required.”  (p. 59) We don’t come fully prepared for our life’s work any more than a baby is born ready to walk, talk, and care for itself.  We grow into our calling through many life experiences, and just as a baby is going to fall down sometimes, so will we.  That’s how we learn. 
 
We will also bump up against our limitations.  It has been a lie when we tell young people they can be anything they want to be.  We are not all wired the same way with the same gifts and physical abilities; we were each created best suited for a certain range of pursuits according to the calling God has chosen specifically for each one of us.  We are neither clones nor carbon copies; God is very intentional about diversity.  So part of the process of discerning our call is recognizing our limitations as well as our gifts.  Parker Palmer writes that “Everything in the universe has a nature, which means limitations as well as potential.”  (quoted by Ortberg, p. 60)
 
Another piece of discerning our call is discovering the needs around us.  Frederick Buechner understands calling as “the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” (also quoted pp. 60-61) While pursuing a call you will experience challenge, frustration, and weariness as you put forth great effort, but you will also find satisfaction and joy.
 
Parker Palmer was a Quaker educator.  He tells his own story of being offered a position as president of an educational institution.  In true Quaker fashion he entered a discernment process gathering certain Friends to form a “clearness committee.”  It was their job to ask him questions that would help him decide whether or not to accept the position.  It went well until he was asked what he would enjoy about being President of this school.  All he could answer were the things he would NOT like about it from politics to fund raising.  When he was honest with himself and these Friends, it became clear this position was not his calling.  (Ortberg, p, 61-62)
 
Ortberg puts emphasis on listening to and honoring our raw material.  How did God wire you?  If you go against your raw material to follow someone else’s dream for you or social expectations, you may manage to be successful by the world’s standards, but you will never experience true fulfillment in your calling.  To get out of the boat and walk with Jesus may mean going against those norms and expectations.  What is true for humans as individuals is also true for us as a church.  Adventuring with God will sometimes mean thinking outside the box and getting out of the boat.  But it also means listening to the Holy Spirit and honoring the raw material of how God uniquely created us. 
 
I wrote in my notes that God doesn’t violate our raw materials since God created them, but God does want to develop them.  The Bible uses the image of a potter working with clay.  God doesn’t just leave us on the wheel as a lump of clay, but he spins the wheel and applies pressure at the right points and speed to form us into useful vessels for the work of God’s kingdom.  The process won’t be pain free, but it will be worthwhile.  I like the way Ortberg puts it, “I will need ideas, strength, and creativity beyond my own resources to do what God asks of me.  It will have to be God and me doing it together.  We are not called just to work for God.  We are called to work with God.” (p. 70)
 
God can’t work in us, with us, or through us unless we are willing to be available to God, cooperate with God, or in the imagery of water walking, be willing to get our feet wet.  In a show Jessika and I watched the other day, there was a group on an island adventure who needed to cross a stream.  They were trying to use stepping-stones, but even these were slippery.  At one point the leader said, “You’re going to have to get your feet wet.”  I immediately thought of this week’s lesson.  Taking that step out of the boat means risking getting your feet wet.  Yes, the disciples who remained in the boat might have kept their feet dry, except for the rain, except for the waves splashing over the side, and only if the boat didn’t capsize.  Peter got his feet wet, but Peter also had an incredible experience with Jesus that the others would never quite understand, and it was part of developing Peter’s character and level of trust that helped shape Peter into the leader Jesus needed for the Church.
 
There are some other wet feet first step stories in the Old Testament.  When the Hebrews were ready to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land after Moses’ death, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had to physically step into the Jordan getting their feet wet before God parted the waters for them to cross.  God’ action waited for them to take the first step of faith.
 
In our Old Testament reading earlier we have the story of Namaan.  He was seeking healing from the Hebrew prophet Elisha as recommended by his wife’s servant girl.  Namaan, a military commander from the country of Aram even had a letter of introduction and request from his king.  Elisha, the prophet of God didn’t come out to meet Namaan, but just told him to go wash in the Jordan River seven times.  In spite of taking offense at that, Namaan had to take the first step and literally get his feet wet in the Jordan before God brought the healing he needed. 
 
Sometimes God is waiting on our first step of obedience before God will initiate the next phase of God’s plan.  But with each step we take, our faith grows, our abilities and character develop, we grow into our calling as we faithfully serve God. 
 
Ortberg points out that faith doesn’t grow by trying harder; it grows by getting to know God better.  How much faith do we need?  Enough to take one step out of the boat beyond our spiritual comfort zone, trusting that God will be with us if God is calling us to take that risk.
 
How do we know when God is calling?  That is the million-dollar question, isn’t it?  Ortberg’s first answer is that “often God will ask us to step out of the boat at the point of our fears—precisely because [God] wants us to overcome them.” (p. 84) One common fear is talking to people outside the church about our faith in God.  But it doesn’t have to be a big scary deal, if we listen to God’s nudge and trust God for the words.  You hear me talk about my faith here all the time.  That doesn’t mean it is any easier for me than for you in other settings.  I remember one night on the side of I-80 just the other side of Iowa City with car problems.  A storm was coming.  The officer who decided to sit behind me and do paperwork to be sure I was safe knew that getting AAA to come was going to be difficult that night.  We did have one cancellation.  At one point as he expressed his doubts, and I simply said something like, “I choose to trust that God will send someone.”  I don’t know what the officer thought; I left it at that.  It was my little step of faith in spite of fear.  The driver who did come from Kolona later was one of my top three AAA tow truck experiences ever, and I have had a LOT of tow truck experiences. 
 
Sometimes God uses our frustration to motivate us toward a step of faith.  Ortberg tells the story of Henrietta Mears who taught the single young adult class at Hollywood Presbyterian for decades.  She was frustrated that she couldn’t find quality curriculum, so she started her own publishing company now known as Gospel Light.  I know their VBS curriculum is still popular.  She was frustrated that Christians crowded in LA didn’t have a quiet space for meditation or retreat, so she convinced a property owner in the San Gabriel mountains to sell his land, and it became Forest Home, a spiritual conference center.  She was frustrated that there wasn’t a good single volume introduction to the Bible for laity, so she wrote one.  Ortberg says it still sells well.  (p. 88 for her story)
 
God may be calling you at the point where you feel compassion for a particular need.  Toby went on a mission trip to Ethiopia with World Vision, and as they were leaving a young boy asked for his t-shirt.  Toby didn’t give it away, because the rest of his clothes weren’t with him at the time, but it haunted him for a long time after that.  Back home he started a t-shirt drive and was overwhelmed by collecting 10,000 shirts.  UPS estimated $65,000 to ship them to Africa.  Toby didn’t give up; he had finally taken his step of faith, so he basically said, “Ok God, you collected the shirts, now tell me how we are getting them to Africa.”  A group was found who were sending supplies to the sub-Sahara; they’d be willing to take the shirts.  Was it okay if they went to Ethiopia?  Toby stepped out of his comfort zone, and God completed the mission with him. (Toby’s story is on pp. 89-90)
 
God also works in us, with us, and through us when we pray.  A man named Bob decided to test the biblical promise that God answers prayer.  As he discussed it with a spiritual friend, Bob decided to pray for Africa, specifically Kenya.  He had no special reason for his choice, but he agreed to pray for Kenya for six months.  His friend Doug offered to pay Bob $500 if nothing in particular came of those prayers.  A long while later, at a dinner in Washington DC, Bob met a woman who worked at an orphanage in Kenya.  Bob asked her a lot of questions, and she invited him to come to Kenya and see the orphanage.  He did.  He was appalled by the needs.  When he came home, he started writing pharmaceutical companies asking for unsold medical supplies they would otherwise have thrown out to be sent to Kenya.  They did.  Bob was invited back to Kenya to celebrate.  The President met him there and gave him a tour of Nairobi.  The tour included a prison where some political prisoners were being held.  Bob said they should be sent home.  Back in the USA, Bob received a call one day from the State Department asking if he had recently met the President of Kenya and what exactly had he said.  The prisoners had been set free.  A few months later Bob was called by the President of Kenya who was rearranging his cabinet.  Would Bob come for three days a pray with him?  All of this amazing story came about, because Bob stepped out of the boat to take a challenge and pray.  He continued to take further steps as God called him forward.  What God accomplished through Bob’s willingness and obedience was, in my opinion, miraculous.  (Bob’s story is pp. 93) 
 
I hope these stories encourage you.  I hope you will take a risk, not in foolishness but in faithfulness, to step out of your comfort zones and take one step toward where you believe God is calling you.  I hope we will also continue to do this as a congregation.  I know that God can do amazing things when we take even small steps in God’s direction, because my own life has proven it over and over and over again.  May you find God’s courage to take your next step of faith.

Our current series for Jan. 12 - Feb. 23, 2020 is based on Rev. John Ortberg's book, 
If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat.  This is a great book if you are stuck in a rut and wondering about the possibilities of a new adventure OR if you are facing some stormy challenges in your life and need to move forward.  You'll find the gist of it here in these messages.
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