2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-21

MARK 4:35-41

Sermon at 10:30 service

(“Interactive sermon” with children)

June 22, 2003

I’d like to invite all the children over three years old to join me up here, in front of the altar, so that together we can explain today’s Gospel story to the grown-ups. Please sit facing me, right in front of the altar.

Have any of you ever been in a boat? (Responses.) What was it like? (Responses.) Was it fun? Was it ever a little scary? Were you with someone you trusted when you were in the boat? Did that make a big difference?

Today’s story from St. Mark’s Gospel tells about a time when some of Jesus’ closest grown-up followers were in a boat with him. Some of them were fishermen and had been in boats lots of times before and knew what to do in all kinds of weather, but sometimes there are storms that scare even experienced grown-ups. Let’s imagine that we’re in that boat with Jesus, and at first it’s a nice day. The boat is just swaying a bit, side-to-side. Can you sway side-to-side a little bit? But now a big storm comes up, and we're swaying side-to-side a lot more - and even moving up and down at the same time. Can you do that? And now there’s even water coming in the boat, and it starts getting scary. Now we can say to Jesus, “Jesus, this isn’t fun anymore. Make it stop!” Jesus has been asleep in the boat all this time – can you imagine? And then he stands up and he doesn’t talk to us but to the wind and sea and says (big voice) “Peace! Be still!” And suddenly (snap fingers) the wind and waves stop and the boat is perfectly safe, we all stop swaying and going up and down and take a deep breath and sit peacefully. And we all think, “Wow! Jesus did that just like that!” (Snap fingers).

We can learn two things from this story. First, Jesus is more powerful and more good than any wizard. Second, sometimes if things in our lives feel like they are getting out of our control in a scary way, we need to “LET GO AND LET GOD”.

Can you say that with me? (“Let go and let God.”) Let’s see if the grown-ups can catch on: everybody, “Let go and let God.” We can pray and ask for help, and God can give us good ideas and helpers – and might even send us to be someone else’s helper!

Good things can happen when we turn our wills over to God’s will, because God is more powerful than any of us and loves us very much. And remember, whatever “storms” you may get into in life, Jesus will be in your boat with you!

(The Rev.) Francis A. Hubbard

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church