We can see this omnipotence, this power, in Jesus's actions. Jesus responds to the disciples when they are in need during the storm. He went so far as to walk on the water directly to them so they would see a familiar face, one they had witnessed do miraculous things, and thereby receive comfort. Unfortunately, because it was so early in the morning, the disciples were so exhausted that they couldn't see or think clearly-"It's a ghost!" Someone said, and I imagine disciples running around the boat, looking for a hiding place. Then Jesus told them - "Take heart. It is I. Have no fear". Jesus wants to calm them amid the storm.

All of us have experienced storms and difficulties in life. Some of you may have experienced the storm when your spouse announced, "I want a divorce." For others, the time when the wind was against you, the most was in the hospital as a doctor said, "You have cancer," or when you have seen a loved one die, or when a child of yours has struggled with substance abuse, or when your boss, told you- "You've been laid off." These storms can certainly confound our faith as much as they challenge our emotional and relational resources. Due to stress, fear, and exhaustion, we, too, may find ourselves stuck and panicked, like the disciples in the boat, looking for a place to hide.

You may remember our primary Lenten focus will be on Peter the Disciple. Let us now focus on the interaction between Jesus and Peter. Peter hears it is Jesus but wonders if it is really him. After all, it isn't every day you see something human walking on water amid the wind and waves. "Lord, if it is you, let me come to you walking on the water." He wants to know if Jesus is real and is who he says he is. Jesus bids him to come, and Peter steps out.

Peter's initial enthusiasm mirrors the action of most disciples in the initial stage of belief: He is excited, confident, and steps out of the boat. Our love and commitment override our natural fear and doubt when our faith is new. I still remember the day I stood before the 1st Presbyterian Church of Rancho Cordova, CA congregation. It was the fall of 1973. I was in 6^th grade, and I proclaimed my faith in Christ, joining the church. I was warmly welcomed, given a membership certificate, and received my first Bible from my parents. It was a good day! I stepped out of the boat with a strong faith and walked confidently towards Jesus.

Fast forward six months, and I learned that I would not be attending Junior high school with any of the friends I had known for most of my life. We were moving to the Bay Area, so my dad could work as a purchasing agent for a hospital. I still remember our last night in Rancho Cordova, playing my final little league game with my team, being unable to stick around for the trophy presentation, getting into our family car, and driving to our new home. I didn't really get to say goodbye to my friends or teammates. I felt like I had been sucker punched in the stomach as we drove away from everyone and everything I knew. I focused on my fear, felt grief about leaving everything familiar, and began to sink. I felt as if I was in over my head. I remember praying often, asking Jesus for help and strength, and wondering why things weren't perfect after proclaiming my faith. All I could do at that moment was reach out to Jesus and ask for help and understanding.

Life is difficult. We experience the storms of harsh treatment by others, the loss of a loved one, devastating health issues, and other difficulties. In such times, fear and doubt reassert themselves as we take our focus away from Christ and begin to sink. When our attention is taken away from Christ, when the concerns of this life overwhelm us, we begin to sink, just as Peter did when he saw the storm around him- just as I did sitting in the back seat of our car, watching everything I knew and loved fade into the distance. 

19th-century French novelist Victor Hugo wrote, "Have courage for the great struggles of life and patience for the small ones. And when you laboriously accomplish your daily tasks, sleep in peace. Jesus is awake."  

The second illustration concerning faith is this: If there is a storm you are facing right now, rest assured Jesus will defy nature to reach you, help you, and give you courage and peace. Jesus tells us here and now - "Take heart. It is I. Have no fear." Keep your eyes upon Christ and have confidence in your faith, no matter how big the storm.

17th-century Biblical commentator Matthew Henry said, "Christ bade Peter come, not only that he might walk upon the water, and so know his Lord's power, but that he might know his own weakness. The Lord often lets his servants have their choice, to humble and prove them, and to show the greatness of his grace."

The third illustration of faith is this:

From our difficulties and failures, we can realize we are not in control and may sink a bit, and in doing so, we can learn more about ourselves and our weaknesses, embrace humility, and grow in new ways. Malachi 3:2 says, "God is like a refiner's fire." During those difficult times in the fire, we learn that we are not in control of everything, need Jesus' help, and are melted and changed.

Now let us consider the disciples' response upon Jesus's entering the boat, as the storm died down and calm returned to the Sea of Galilee. They proclaimed in one voice, "Truly you are the Son of God!" Jesus got them through the storm. In looking back upon those challenging moments in our lives, in hindsight, one can often find the hand of God guiding us through the dankness. The result can be a strengthening of faith, just as it was for the disciples.

Many of us here this morning have had some cataclysmic event or time in our life, and in getting through it, we were able to proclaim two things.

1. Christ knows our predicament.
2. Christ acts to save us.

Such moments are absolutely determinative for our faith. Only as we discover Christ's faithfulness can we live in gratitude. Only as we experience tribulation and peace are we truly capable of this affirmation of faith recorded at the end of this passage by the disciples: "Truly you are the Son of God."

The fourth illustration about faith is this:

Storms can strengthen our faith and our understanding of who Jesus is.

Knowing no one, I learned more about Jesus as I moved into a new home and went to a junior high, feeling friendless and alone. Those lessons about the Messiah were learned in life's struggles and in the church where we landed. It became a place of safety and comfort, a place to learn more about Jesus and my faith. That personal experience leads us to the following illustration about faith in this morning's story concerning the boat itself.

We call the gathering space just outside the church the "narthex." ( or at least, I do😊. The term refers to a porch or gathering space outside the main worship space. Early Christians used this term to refer to the outer entrance where penitents (those who had committed serious sins) and catechumens (converts preparing for baptism) gathered for worship. Penitents and catechumens were not permitted to worship with other Christians in the main worship space until they had completed their orientation or reorientation to Christian life. Today, the narthex is an interface between the church and the world, a space for welcoming.

This gathering space is also referred to as a nave. The word comes from the Latin Navis or ship. Calling a narthex a nave was meant to remind those who attended worship that they were entering a ship, protecting those inside it from the waves and buffets of the world. Since the early 4th century, architects have used the symbol of a boat to stand for the church, as seen in many stained-glass windows and sanctuary designs. The sanctuary here, built in 1962, resembles an upside-down boat.

If the boat represents the church, we can consider that it symbolizes a place of safety and comfort. Furthermore, the boat helps us on our journey of faith through life's storms.

What of the waters that the boat sails upon? The sea or "the waters" is frequently depicted in the Hebrew Scriptures as chaotic, beginning with the Genesis creation story in which the chaotic waters "are held at bay in the creative act of God, but always threatening." The seas do just that in this morning's story, becoming a barrier between the disciples and the security of the presence of their Messiah.

Our boat here is surrounded by chaos, injustice, violence, oppression, suspicion, warfare, and greed. Yet the power and presence of Christ can bring us peace as we worship and feel Christ's presence.

So, my fellow shipmates, we are all in this boat together. You and I are about to head out into the stormy, chaotic sea we call life. The waves and wind await. Like Peter, we are called to venture from this place of safety, from the boat out into the seas of chaos. Jesus reaches out his hand and says, "Come." If we keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus, if we remember we do not face the storms alone, and if we remember that Jesus is always there, reaching out his hand in aid, we will find the courage to walk upon those waters and not sink. May we go from this place today and step out in faith, saying, "Here I come, Lord!" Amen.

Closing prayer:

Holy God,

There are days when the wind is loud.

There are days when the rain tears through the trees, and the storms of life beg our attention.

So just as You stilled the wind and the sea through Jesus, still our wandering hearts.

Quiet our restless minds.

Reach out your hand to us and pull us toward Your embrace so that we might know,

really know, how beloved we genuinely are.

With one foot out of the boat, we pray, Amen.