TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST  

"THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HATH MADE, LET US REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT."  

1 Kings 19:9-18 Romans 9:1-5 Matthew 14:22-33 Psalm 106:4-12      

The image of a storm can be an appropriate metaphor for our spiritual lives. All kinds of waters threaten to drown us, whether they be illness, disaster, doubt, conflict, or a gnawing sense of anxiety. The forecast of a heavy storm can fill us with worry, for we know risks and dangers lie ahead.      

In the midst of storms we question God's presence. Why would God allow us to face something so potentially destructive? Why does God not rescue us from the depths of despair? Is this the way life is supposed to be?      

When the disciples are with Jesus on the sea, they encounter a great windstorm. Jesus tells them not to be afraid. Peter takes the risk of walking out to Jesus on the water. As Peter sinks, Jesus reaches out a hand to save him. Peter learns of both his own weakness, and the power of Jesus. The stillness following the storm is a sign of the peace that Christ gave to His disciples, and continues to bestow on the Church today. We seek that peace when we are overcome with the storms that life brings.      

God bestows a quiet stillness on us in worship, and in moments of prayer and contemplation. We may not be given answers to all our questions, but we are given an inner peace that transcends our rational minds. This presence at the depth of our being assures us that all is well, and that God is present.      

Our strength and hope are in the LORD                                                    We rest secure in His sure Word;                                                              And though we're tempted to despair,                                                      We know we're kept within His care.  

PRAY with me- Almighty and everlasting God, always more ready to hear than we to pray and always ready to give more than we either desire, or deserve,pour down on us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving us the things of which our consceince is afraid and giving us the good things we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Your  Son, our LORD. Amen