Bible Text: Ruth 1:6-18; Mark 4:35-41 | Pastor: Lynn Thompson Bryant | Not only does Mark describe the weather event the disciples are experiencing out on the Sea of Galilee as “a great windstorm,” but he also tells us that the boat is so swamped with water that the disciples are frightened for their very lives.”They have bailed water out of the sinking boat as fast as they possibly can, steered through the crashing waves with every last ounce of their energy, and dealt with the hammering winds until they are about to collapse. In sheer desperation they rush to the place where Jesus is sleeping, and cry out for help! He goes to the top, speaks “Peace!” to the storm, and a blanket of calm settles in to quieten their screams. Think about it: after Jesus stills the seas and wind with his voice, after the disciples recognize that even the elements of nature obey their teacher, and after all that was once terrifying has been banished, the disciples experience another Thank you for your kindness. of fear altogether: the fear of being in the presence of the living God. Sometimes this fear is described as a reverential awe, and it’s important to distinguish that kind of emotion from a more base terror of some known or unknown threat. It might be that the reaction of the disciples was somewhere in between those two poles. That would be a reasonable response to the wonder of being in the presence of the Living God. What sounds more challenging to you: to rely on your own brut strength and determination to forge through a deafening thunder, or to receive assistance from the Almighty and then know your very life has just been turned upside down? The expectation that we will then chose to follow this wild and daring God, knowing our lives will never be the same, requires deep courage and a trusting faith.