2001108 English Text

Worship Order November 8th 2020 German Church Atlanta

Prelude – Song: The storm is passing over Welcome Introduction: Family Linke Psalm 107 Meditation 107 Song 1: Jesus HÜchste Namen Sermon - Luke 8: 22-25 We live in stormy times... As individuals and families, as a community, as a society, as a world in an epidemic....

There are periods of calm and phases of change, of storm,in every human life and in every culture and society.

In our natural lives, there are upheavals where we leave a country, an apartment, a home to enter a new country, a new home while becoming a stranger. We are on the way to a new still unfamiliar home. And often these stormy phases of change, the adaptation to a new situation can take much longer than one would like.

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And also, in interpersonal areas we experience times of calm and times of storm and change. A relationship can last peacefully, harmoniously. One is certain despite some ups and downs of the partner, and yet suddenly everything can be questioned or suddenly everything can get into trouble. Phases of relationship bonding, of balance, of success of the relationship and then perhaps comes the phase of change, one is no longer sure of the partner. With this, we often experience a kind of storm in which we experience danger to one's own wellbeing. Fear of being abandoned or of being unloved arises.

And it can take a long time to calm down again and endure it and maybe even enjoy being alone and re-entering a period of calm.

Another example of phases of change and rest is retirement. From the phase of the regulated and structured world of work into a phase of change, into the transition phase, into a life without this structure and without the regulated working day. Here, too, flexibility is required. Here, too, there is a stormy period of change, of disorientation.

Our minds are afraid of not being needed anymore‌ And it often takes a long time for retirement to really become a restful space. Until you have structure, until you can find meaning and peace again.

And so human existence knows on the one hand, phases of calm, security, of the "regulated process", the phase of being together, of certainty and, on the other hand, phases of confusion, of uncontrollability, of 2

uncertainty, of change, of the lack of stability, of the storm, and then later the movement back into a phase of calm.

Surely you all also know such phases of calm and phases of change, of storm.

As a society and also as a world community, we are currently going through such a period of change, uncertainty, unrest and storm.

With the awareness of these two different phases that accompany our lives, we listened to the sermon text.

We imagine that a large crowd listened to Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. So many people gathered around Jesus and his disciples that Jesus proposed to transfer to the other side of the lake. And he said to them, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let us go over to the other side of the lake.â&#x20AC;? And they departed. But as they went, he fell asleep. And a whirlwind fell on the lake, and the boat filled up <with water>, and they were in danger.

And they came and awoke him, and said, Master, Master, we perish! And he arose, and threatened the wind and the waves of the water, and they calmed down, and there was silence. And he said to them, Where is your faith?

At that time it was not a big risk to go into a boat and leave. It would not be correct to mystify this stepping on the lake and to turn it into a dogma saying: "Well have extraordinary courage, get out into the floods, and now become open to change! " For the people back then, especially the fishermen, the boat was everyday life.

Change, storm movements, dear friends are arising in everyday life.

Everyday life maybe by taking a boat back then, just as today such periods 3

of uncertainty arise with our housing situation, our work or with relationships, These stormy times may not be part of everyday life, but they are part of life.

And now, on the stormy waters, in this boat without a solid base, the following happens: but while they were sailing, he (Jesus) fell asleep. And a whirlwind fell upon the sea, and the boat was filled with water, and they were in danger.

It is easy to see how the disciples and Jesus came from the resting phase of the mainland into change, into danger.

Not just in danger, but in danger of death, in fear of death. Our movements to another place, and movements and changes within ourselves bring about feelings of danger and fear, even sometimes fear of death.

Change, especially when it is caused by external circumstances, is rarely welcomed. Change does not always mean danger to the body, but often emotional and personal fear of the new, fear of the uncertainty. We all know such lowest points in our life story.

They always have to do with change.

Let us think back to our examples. A professional reorientation can plunge us into deep doubts. The loss and leaving of ties and relationships can be stormy. The political storms and the storm of a pandemic can frighten us.

The ground is taken from us, our feelings no longer find a hold. In a sense those experiences are often felt as moments of threatened survival.

The sudden strong winds on the lake put the disciples in fear of death.

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What may have caused you such deep anxiety recently, or what is your fear of death today?

But as they went, he (Jesus) fell asleep.

And a whirlwind fell on the lake, and the boat filled up <with water>, and they were in danger. But as they went, he fell asleep. And they came and awoke him, and said, Master, Master, we perish!

Can we see ourselves in the inner processes of these people, these disciples?

Jesus in the middle of the storm went deep into himself. So deep that he even fell asleep in the middle of the storm.

In it we see a surrendering, a letting go, a trusting â&#x20AC;Ś all these are other words for faith.

Jesus had access to faith as this deeper dimension of life. In our history this is shown by Jesus simply lying there in the midst of the storm and slumbering.

He falls asleep while entrusting himself to the forces of nature. He is grounded in a deeper reality than his disciples who suffer from existential fear of death.

This image that Jesus was deeply grounded, that he was deeply connected with the dimension of God, was also reported to us when the Gospels talk about how Jesus often went for days into silence, and spent times by himself in the desert... there he sought the presence of God, he refueled, he found the depth of his being.

And out of this silence, out of this deeper attachment to God, he got up in our story, arose from his sleep and threatened the wind and the waves of 5

water; and they calmed down, and there was silence.

Can we learn something from this story?

We are quickly ready to say that we can learn something. Many children in Sunday school are being told this simplified answer: "Whenever we are in need, we call Jesus in prayer, and he will help us." But that is too easy. This is actually not the core of this story.

That would be too superficial, indeed it is not even the point of the matter. It is not a question of learning anything from the behavior of the disciples! That would not have got to the bottom of the matter.

But what is this experience about?

It is Jesus himself who immediately follows the teaching of this story. Jesus said to them, "Where is your faith?" In the gospel of Mark, who tells this story as well, Jesus says: Why are you so afraid? Don't you have faith yet?

Some of us may find this question of Jesus: Where is your faith? moralistic or even shaming. But when we look more closely at the context and formulation of his words: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Where is your faith?â&#x20AC;? Jesus does not mean this moralistic or accusingly. Rather, Jesus was able to use this practical example, in which he looked back at this storm situation, to explain what faith is.

He did not actively expect this faith from the disciples. He did not say this sentence because he would have expected faith in this situation and wanted to say to the disciples: "The next time in the storm simply apply faith, then it works."

No, it was about him being able to teach particularly well through the 6

drama of the situation what faith can do, what faith is, and how much we have reason to believe.

We humans often misunderstand faith as "doing something more", "trying a little harder"..."If you only believed more, then this or that would be better, this or that prayer would change things." We misunderstand faith to mean: “If only you would believe a little more.”

But In this situation, Jesus did not expect the disciples to do anything more in their fear of death. What would they have done, please? ...

No. Jesus hoped they would do a little less!

My dear friends, and I speak with the deepest conviction to all of you who are here listening: If you're in a storm now, when you are down on the bottom of the waves. And you don't see a way out. Then don't do anything more, but rather: let go. Let go of your frenzied thoughts. Go deeper!

When Jesus tells the disciples about this storm, "Where is your faith, then he means, “Where is your not worrying?”

I don't know how you have been doing, but I've had several nights in the last weeks and months where I couldn't sleep.

My head just didn't want to switch off.

I imagined all the bad things that could happen... I felt helpless and my racing thoughts brought forth a lot of feelings that just didn't let me sleep. That was my inner storm experience... and maybe you all have similar moments happen to you in these days and weeks.

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When I was tossing and turning, I suddenly remembered the example of Jesus: "Do less. Don't worry. Release, relax, trust.... " And so, I began to breathe deeply. I breathed as deeply as if I was asleep, even though I was awake. Then I started to catch myself with my thoughts that were projecting all bad things in the future. I brought my thinking to the here and now only. I started to intentionally feel my body in the present and began to release my muscle tensions. Faith begins in our bodies. And as I breathed and relaxed, I imagined Jesus whispering into my ear. For example, I said to myself: "Don't worry. I am the light of the world, you will not remain in the dark." And I breathed, I relaxed and whispered to myself. And when my thoughts began to race again and my fear tried to pull me into the future, I called my thoughts back. “Come here thoughts, come here feelings”... Let go.

Come breathe with me. Feel the warmth of my body. I am alive. I am here. I'm not alone.

And when I breathed like this, relaxed and talked to myself, I would fall asleep again. Sometimes I had to do this two or three times in one night.

Whenever the storms are raging, we have plenty of opportunity to practice what trust and faith are really about.

In all our storm times in life, this lesson that Jesus taught about “doing-lessnot-more-in-the-storm” is very valuable and relieving.

When we enter into silence like Jesus did, when we, like him, practice the letting go of our sorrows, we will find a serenity that can calm our fears.

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The wind and the storm around us may not subside immediately. But within us, our thoughts and our feelings, they become quiet. Fear does not have the last word in us.

Just as Jesus has shown it, we can fall asleep even when the storm blows around us. We can let go. Our worries, our fear of the future, our fear of death... Because we are not alone in the storm. We are held by the invisible but powerful presence of the One who leads nature and also us to silence and peace.

Let's take the this storm story with us into our everyday lives. Let’s practice to rest and sleep even when the hustle and waves of life are roaring around us.

A comforting story. How amazing that we can awaken Jesus in us. How good that by trusting we have access to a deeper presence in us. A presence that wants to calm and hold us in all the storms of our lives.

Amen Intercessory Prayer Blessing Postlude – song: You’ll never walk alone

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