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June 20, 2021

Pentecost 4th Sunday After Pentecost, Year B
Deacon Cindy Roehl

We’ve been through a lot this past year. It’s great how things are getting back to some kind of normalcy, isn’t it? It’s feeling good.

Well, it’s been a couple months since I’ve given a sermon, and while I was anxious to get back up here to share something with you, I wasn’t quite sure when the Lord had today’s Gospel reading to be about the storm the disciples experienced while in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. My first thought was, not a storm! We’ve all been in a storm, haven’t we? Why couldn’t the reading today be about a healing or something. But then, there’s healing, and there’s healing.

We’re coming out of our storm for the most part, but let’s see how we can benefit by reviewing the disciples’ experience.

So, let’s start by asking the question, what is a storm? How would you describe a storm? Well, according to the internet, a storm is a violent disturbance of the atmosphere with strong winds and usually rain, thunder, lightning, or snow. That’s basically what we think about, isn’t it? Well, maybe not the snow. At least, not down here.

Let me provide some context to this passage. The previous couple days Jesus had been teaching to crowds of people by the Sea of Galilee, and healing people from various diseases. And, after a couple days like this, Jesus had grown tired. I know I would have been.

So, when the evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go across to the other side.” Remember those words. “Let us go across to the other side.” We’ll mention them again this morning.

After they were on their way in the boat a great windstorm arose, the type of which the Sea of Galilee was well known for. The fishing boats used by Galilean fishermen at that time, had low sides (so that the men could cast and draw in their fishing nets), and these boats would have been easily battered by the wind and waves. Mark tells us that the boat was quickly “being swamped.”

The disciples were confronted by fear, great fear. Can you imagine what they’re feeling? They’re thinking, “This boat is going down! We’re all going to die!” So they looked to the only One who might be able to do something, Jesus. But, where was He? He was in the stern of the boat, which is the back part of the boat. And He was asleep, on a nice comfy cushion…

Read the full sermon text HERE.


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