Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-015 (Devotional)

STORMY WEATHER AHEAD (Matthew 8: 23-27)

by Kim Thoday

The Bible shows us quite clearly that if the Church is following its Lord … we are in for stormy weather. If you think the Church is about smooth sailing … a cathedral on crystal water … then think again!

Lessons from the Lake (Matthew 8: 23-27)

1. The Church is likened to a boat … a boat takes us somewhere; a boat is always at the mercy of the sea; when we set sail in a boat there are no guarantees about the trip or the destination.

2. Jesus invites us into his boat to travel with Him to the other side … from Jewish territory into Gentile territory … from the known to the unknown, from the familiar to the unfamiliar, from security to insecurity, from safety to risk, from friends to strangers, from comfort to struggle, from control to grace, from patriotism to internationalism, from self-interest to selflessness, from hostility to hospitality, from the inner circle to class traitor … to die to self in order to find self.

3. This boat journey to the other side … leads straight into the path of a cataclysmic storm and we begin to fear for our lives … we were not prepared for this … this journey is much bigger than us after all …

4. In the middle of the storm, the One whom we follow appears asleep! And we are asking many times: “Jesus don’t you flamin’ care that our lives are going down the gurgler! What are you doing … where are you … are you asleep?”

5. Then in response to our desperation Jesus responds and has the audacity to question the reality of our faith as we stand with our mouths wide open as the raging storm is abruptly halted at his command.

6. And we continue to ask ourselves who on earth is this person we are following. And we realise that its only by continuing to follow that little by little we will find out … what sort of person is this?

May God continue to disturb you,

– Kim Thoday <>

Hewett Community Church of Christ, South Australia. http://www.hewett.org.au