Text: Mark 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.
Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.
The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"
Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

The Sea of Galilee was a barrier between Galilee, which was Jewish territory and Decapolis, which was Gentile country. Mark tells us that Jesus made the transition six times during his ministry. Life is full of transitions. It just never stands still. Today we're marking a transition in the lives of you young people today. You're moving into adult faith as you continue into adult life. We know life's one long journey from the cradle to the grave. And we're changing all the way, growing, developing, stretching and being stretched. There are quite a few who see such change as something terrible and want to fight it all the way. These people have learnt that times of transition are usually difficult and stormy, and so they complain bitterly, live in fear, or stubbornly refuse to leave the shore.

Can you imagine the extraordinary change that the first Christians faced. Their long held Jewish beliefs were tipped upside down. How could the one God of the O.T. have a Son? Laws that were so critical in helping people understand who they were, laws that kept their world and society neat and ordered were thrown out and replaced with love and acceptance of all. Suddenly those despised by society and even old enemies became brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus had utterly changed their world. Perhaps Mark was thinking of these people when he wrote this part of his book. In the previous chapter Jesus sits on the side of the lake teaching his disciples about God's Kingdom. It's like a man sewing seed. It's like seed growing quietly despite us and it's like a bush in which birds can nest safely and securely, but now Jesus leads his disciples across the lake and on their journey they encounter a violent, life threatening storm. The type of storm the early Christians were actually living.

The change forced on our own society in the last 50 years has also been staggering. Think of the enormous changes in scientific knowledge. Do you know, just before the first astronaughts walked on the moon, I spoke to a woman who expressed her real fears that if they did, it would mean the end of the world. "God put us on this earth" she said, "we can't go walking around on other planets, he won't be happy. We'll either be punished or it will mean God's not there." I've always wondered whether her faith make the transition I never saw her again." And what about computers, the Internet, medical advancement, I mean we're struggling to come to terms with IVF programmes, cloning, euthanasia, powerful drugs and so on. And what about the changes in society, attitudes to women, homosexuals, immigration, aborigines and so on. What is right , what is wrong? Half the time we don't understand what it all means, and yet we're expected to have an attitude, make decisions and vote responsibly.

Some solve it by saying it's all bad, because it's new. Others say it's all good, because it's new. Most worry about where it will all lead and dream of their childhood before they left the safe shore, when life was much simpler, safe and uncomplicated.

And I might be very wrong but my guess is that you teenagers don't really understand what I'm making a big song and dance about. Your world isn't as complicated as the one I'm describing. My guess is that you didn't think the Internet was something you needed to have an attitude about. There's a simple explanation, for you this world isn't complicated, it's your world. It's the only one you know. The bad news is that this world won't stay like this. It's going to continue to change and become unfamiliar and complicated.

But like those early Christians, we know all about the storms of transition and change. What we want to know are the answers? We look in the Bible and while the principles are there, there's no clear black and white answers. The problems we face weren't even dreamt about when it was written. We look to the church and it's still studying the particular topic, or revising an earlier statement that is now inadequate and out of date. We pray to God for answers so that we know which way to go, what to tell our children, and who to vote for, but we hear no clear voice from the heaven. Is he asleep?

The amazing thing about Mark's story is that that's exactly what Jesus is doing. He's up the back of the boat out to it, as if he hasn't got a care in the world. What sort of an answer is that? The disciples want action, they want answers, reassurance; they'd settle for anything but Jesus is sleeping on a cushion.

Many people can tell of powerful personal miracles - I've got one - when Anna was born she was three months premature. The doctor had told me to expect the worst. Because of her low birth weight the odds were stacked against her. I arrived home after midnight. It was a Saturday night, I had to take services the next day, but I also knew I needed to pray - pray like I'd never prayed before. I needed to wrestle with God for the life of my child. About 30 seconds into my prayer, I was horrified, I was drifting off to sleep. Feeling very inadequate and guilty I tried again. The same thing happened. What sort of a concerned father, pastor and pray-er falls to sleep in the middle of such an important prayer? The third time it happened, the real truth suddenly dawned and the miracle happened, I stopped praying and slept in the loving arms of my God.

So often we interpret sleep and inactivity as a negative. For the disciples it showed a complete lack of care. But in the Bible, sleep is often a sign of faith and trust, (Psalm 4:8 NIV) "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." (Lev 26:6 NIV) "I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid." If we believe our loving God is in control, what's the use of getting ourselves in a panic. Perhaps we need to appreciate the wonderful ability to sleep in the middle of the chaos of life as just a an important a display of faith and trust. But I wonder whether many people would dare to list sleeping along with other things we claim as miracles.

For the sake of his disciples and the early Christians and you and me, Jesus clearly displays God's presence: "He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"

Then the wind died down and it was completely calm."

But there's a small but special aspect to this story we shouldn't miss. In both Matthew's and Luke's account of this story the disciples show their fear in the middle of their stormy transition. Both writers have the disciples saying, "Save us Lord! We're about to die!" In Mark, during the storm, these experienced fishermen seem to be in control enough to rebuke Jesus for his lack of activity: "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" But after Jesus calms the wind and waves, after all is quiet, it's then we read "They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Who is this who has such power over the forces of chaos? It's the one who a little later will display similar amazing power over the final great transition journey, from life to death to life, and find the same reaction in his followers (Mark 16:8 GNB) "So they went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."

Dear young people don't fear life, not even when your world changes and you find yourself struggling to adjust. The one thing that doesn't change, even in the midst of change itself is the powerful presence of the loving arms of your God. They first wrapt around you in your baptism. You're invited to snuggle in, at every celebration of the Lord's Supper. There's awesome power in those arms, terrifying power, and it's all there for you. Don't live in fear of anything. Live boldly inspired by the One in whom we can rest.....

"Good place to end," I thought when I wrote this sermon. But as I re-read it I realised that I'd made history. I'm sure that never before has a confirmation sermon been about sleep and rest. We want them to be active and doing things in the church. But let's remember the pressure our young people face in our modern world, even though they don't understand it all. Let's remember the sad suicide rate and the anorexia. And let's never forget, fear is what paralyses and makes is good for nothing. But it's faith and trust that enables us both to sleep and live.

© Copyright Rev. K.W. Stiller.