Approaching the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

James B. Janknegt - Calming the Storm

camps is "Thy Kingdom Come." These three words reside at the core of "The Lord's Prayer." We spent a great deal of time at Family Camp this past weekend pondering and praying about the theme of where and how is God Reign already present and emerging among us? Possibilities included spending time with close friends, helping someone in need, and many others.

The disciples in the boat with Jesus during the storm on the  Sea of Galilee certainly observed one characteristic of God's reign: calmness in the midst of terrifying chaos. Their lives were in immediate peril, even as their rabbi, teacher, and close friend remained as cool as the other side of the pillow. He literally and spiritually saved their lives. Their terror is not far removed from our own. We all call upon God to rescue us from trials and tribulations. That's another key statement within The Lord's Prayer. We beckon God to abide with us in the most critically frightening times of our lives.

There is hardly if ever any evidence of panic in Jesus' life. He is confidently present to life's circumstances regardless of stormy or sunny conditions. The question for us then becomes: do we have enough faith to abide in our faith in Jesus even as we strive not to be drowned by our anxieties or swallowed by the depths of doubt? 

 David Ewart offers a key entering more calmly into God's realm as a faithful Christian. He writes: "The real miracle of this story is NOT Jesus calming the storm. The real miracle is Jesus' calm while the storm is raging. His calm is not simply the suppression of fear. His calm arises from within his faith; from within his trust in God's caring - no matter what the actual circumstances. Thus, the moral of this story is NOT: run to Jesus when you are in a crisis and he will make the storm go away. Rather the moral is: run to Jesus when you are in crisis and learn from him the source of his calm."

Climbing into the boat with Jesus means we're in for a rough ride at times. The waves of life's Sea of Galilee are rarely as calm as we would like for them to be. The coming of God's Kingdom or Reign means reciting the Lord's Prayer more often than we think as well as striving to believe in what we say. Our world becomes more Christ-like with each day that we forgive someone who has hurt us  even as we offer thanks for God-given graces in the form of food, friendship, and faith in The One who dwells among us.

I hope that you will gain a deeper sense of becoming a resident of God's Kingdom throughout this summer. Sitting by the campfire at Procter after a long day is one good place to observe the calm and loving presence of our Lord who with the Creator and Holy Spirit neither slumbers nor sleeps. May our worship services and your circle of friendly disciples here in St. James' boat be a place of refuge and nourishment too.

Blessings Along The Way,

Jim+ 

Tonight !!!! - N or M Meeting - Cleves Drive In - 6:00 PM

Friday - 7 PM - St. James' Night at the Y - contact Michelle Evans for more information.

Sunday - 8:30 AM - Adult Christian Education
9:30 AM - Holy Eucharist -  Please be here as we commission and wish Godspeed to Anne Griffiths, Sabrina Peelman, and Kim Taber prior to their departure on the MVERN Pilgrimage to Sablino Russia
 

The Episcopal Community Services Foundation is offering some great outreach and recreational activities later this summer. BikeFest 2012 offers participants a chance to ride in one of three events. Your efforts will help to fight against homelessness and poverty even as you (support someone or) ride around Ohio. ECSF is also hosting a "Grantseekers Workshop" in July.  Contact Fr. Jim if you're interested in participating in any of these terrific and faithful opportunities.

We're just three weeks away from hosting our World Choir Games Friendship Concert. Let's put our best and most joyful heart and soul into what promises to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Contact Jane to volunteer and learn more about our event.
 

TB Pasquale has written a short but worthwhile article about living as a faithful and buoyant Christian. She writes: "In the world right now there are many waves in the ocean and many are reaching up for a breath of air and a hand to carry them back to the boat of hope. The beautiful gift we are given is the tireless grasp of a God who will always be there to pull us from the waves and into the boat." (The Buoyancy of Faith, para. #2) You can read more of TB's blog here and/or read all of the article here.