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Last Sunday I preached about fear again - this time our text was John 6:16-6:21 Jesus walking on water during a storm. As a few people who missed Sunday have requested it, here are my sermon notes....
John 6:16-6:21
Jesus Walks on the Water
16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17got into a boat, and started across the lake to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18The lake became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20But he said to them, 'It is I; do not be afraid.' 21Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land towards which they were going.
The most repeated command in the bible is 'Do not be afraid'..
God came out in Jesus (Many thanks to Rev Robert Goss for the analogy)
God came out as a single amazing statement, and then repeatedly in each unfurling of the banner of the Good News.
John 6 is not a bit of history - it is primarily a theological statement of belief; it is a further 'coming out' a revelation as to the nature of God's lovingkindness to us - of our trust rewardied in surprising and glorious ways. It is a warning that perceived safety is no match for extraordinary possibilities, that the gunwales of a boat are no alternative to glory, to walking on the silvery spume and most importantly, walking with God.
We can only walk with God if we take all our masks off, and seek God above any other walk we may have embarked upon.
We can only walk with God if we stop fishing, if we stop sailing, if we stop sheltering, if we stop hiding, stop burying our dead, if we stop being defined as fishermen, wives, bankers, roués, in fact we need to stop being other than 'folk who walk with God' . We walk with God, not sneaking peeks from side to side to see how our fellow travelers view us; the only opinion that matters is God's opinion. Now it is not rocket science to grasp that all those features we possess that are inherent are God's plan for us and not our free will - to believe that somehow God 'hates things God has made' is counter logic, it is preposterous - frankly if God didn't like them that way they wouldn't be that way. God does not make mistakes, God hates nothing God has made and there are no orphans of God. Amen?
You all have a higher charge. It is a call greater than that of family, loved one's and friends. It is primarily a responsibility to your creator and it is a call to be authentic
No achievement, no matter how great is worth diddlysquat if someone other than you achieved it. If it wasn't truly you it was either an exercise is acting or deceit or both.
This is a coming out story - the closet is primarily (and everyone's closet, not just gay folk) about lack of faith. You may be saying 'I love God!' at the top of your voice, but your life narrative is screaming 'but not enough to take risks, not more than the stability I have, not more than the opinions of the people I have around me'.
Remember, Jesus understands and has prepared a salve for our fear - 'Do not be afraid!' the grasp of Jesus' hand drives away all fear for in it is perfect love.
Even when God leads us into the deep without the promise of perfect safety drowning with God is infinitely better than an eternity in the sticky bilges of a boat - perpetually terrified that the next wave will be the one to shatter your refuge and pitch you into the deep.
In our story, the safety of the boat was a fiction - it was only Jesus who got the thing back to safety, and he wasn't even in it! As all safety relied upon Christ then it may just as well have been without a boat at all. The disciples would have been better served abandoning the boat entirely and holding Jesus' hand - the boat was a mere token to calm them - an inch of oak between them and the deep - the deep that was controlled and calmed by God made flesh.
What are we afraid of? Why do we stay in the closet - why do we retard out social, emotional and spiritual development by clinging to a creed that says God is not to be trusted - God slips up and creates things that make me uncomfortable?
The wilderness of John the baptizer is to be treasured above all riches that lack God's presence and imprimatur. No family relationship, no status, no money or any other thing is worth turning our backs on God's intention for our lives - and that intention is written in the flesh and blood of our created natures. God intended for me to be male - God intended for me to be European, God intended for me to be Gay. End of story. I either live with this reality, or live without God's reality and substitute my own.
Let me let you into a secret - the all powerful maker of heaven and Earth - the wellspring of all love and happiness is a better judge of what is good for me than I am!
Amen. |
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Wednesday March 11th at 7.00pm Experiencing God and Book Study ('This Present Darkness') group begin, full details and sign up sheets available at church or email the pastor.
Beginning Tuesday March 3rd at 6.30pm Financial Peace University* (a major pastoral tool being offered through the church to help get a grip on those finances and break free of cycles of debt and overspend)
 We still need more recipes for our recipe book! Email them to pastor@bigeasymcc.com or else the book will be published with nothing but 140 variations on Steak and Kidney Pudding (provided by the pastor).
*We are offering this solely as a service and practical help to our members and those in the wider community, we make no money out of it!
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CHOIR REHEARSALS!!!! Choir rehearsal is on Thursday, and we need you for some great new projects!! If for any reason you are unable to make rehearsal, always ring Ken on 504 638 6178 | |
 Facts and Figures
Our collection last week was $2400, keeping us on track for our budget, and helping to make up the shortfall we had in January (the post Christmas slump!). 8305 people have now viewed our online video sermons on YouTube, and our website has had a total of 75,400 hits, not including web crawlers and robots. | |
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| Prayer requests...
Please keep in your prayers... Paris, Jessie, Misty Bohon, Lola, Lillian, Doug, Sarah and their lost child, we also pray for those in discernment for clergy training. Also remember Kathy and her work with the Gay/Straight alliance at Riverdale High, PFLAG, Forum for Equality, HRC and all who wish our city well, and work for its resurgance. Please also pray for our continued growth and outreach.
Please send prayer requests to Rev Clinton at pastor@bigeasymcc.com
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