Sunday, June 21, 2009

Storms & God

Today's Link
Attitude of Gratitude

Today's Saying
God is not a cosmic bellboy for whom we can press a button to get things done. ~Harry Emerson Fosdick

Today's Picture

Today the liturgical churches celebrate the third Sunday after Pentecost. The Gospel for the Sunday in the common lectionary is Mark 4:35-41..This is one of those texts that speaks to us best when everything is going wrong and God doesn’t seem to care. The disciples and Jesus are out on the lake and a big storm comes. Jesus has fallen sound asleep. The disciples are sure they are going to drown and wake up Jesus and say to him “ Don’t you care”.
I’ve been there. There have been those points on life when I wondered if God was asleep and wanted to scream at Him “ Don’t you care?”
In each situation there were two storms, one was going on around me and the other inside me.
As I grew in the faith I learned to allow him to still the internal storm and then trust him to carry me through the other.
But the first storm came when I was a kid and my brother got sick and I demanded of God that He heal him.
He didn’t.
AS I saw my mother suffering the internal storm became so great I could not see God and so for a time I believed there wasn’t any.
It took God some time to still that storm.
The wonder in the story which is the gospel and in my life is that God does still the storms. God doesn’t leave us.
God does care.
News from Pigeon Falls
The little town in my basement where the trains still run, dragons fly, and life is back to normal
Pastor Joan has Tammy and Tommy UK acolyting this morning and has worked them into the sermon. Here is part of that sermon:
We are so glad today to have Tommy and Tammy back with us this morning. For the last few weeks they have been the center of a storm that swirled around Pigeon Falls. They disappeared and then reappeared . Both their disappearance and reappearance where scary. Rumors have abounded. Some even wondered where was God in all of this.
A long time ago Jesus fell asleep in a boat with his disciples and a great storm came. They became very frightened. The storm inside of them was as bad as the storm outside of them. Finally they had to wake him up . They didn’t wake him up to save them. They wanted him to feel the storm with them. But instead Jesus stops the storm. Then they are afraid again. Jesus scares them. Then Jesus sets about stilling that storm as well.
I want to say to you this morning that there was a large group of people that knew God had not abandoned Tommy and Tammy. They knew he would still the storm. They talked to Him daily in prayer.
This morning the storm is over.
God does care.

Wrap UP
I am a bit better today. I went to Church. Then spent the day with family. My entire family was here all three kids, and all my grand kids. It was a great day. I , however, am now way behind on visiting blogs but I might catch up tomorrow. Well I might. Now I really need a breathing treatment,.
GBYA
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19 Comments:

Blogger anthonynorth said...

So often the inner storm can be so much more powerful than that on the outside.
Realising this brings great inner peace.

1:55 AM  
Blogger Voegtli said...

As anthonynorth says it right. But then, reading you since a long time, I guess that your life and your dedication to God has always made that you came out of all storms. One way or another.

5:13 AM  
Blogger Lou said...

Sometimes it seems God directs us into another storm from the one preceding..only in hindsight do we see His plan.

5:53 AM  
Blogger Melli said...

I absolutely LOVE that quote today! Non-believers think that because we ask God to do something and He doesn't do it that He doesn't exist. But God answers ALL prayers - they just forget that "no" IS an answer -- and God has a much better view of the BIG picture than we do!

Your sermon today is awesome as well... it's those inner storms that he calms so well. I was a depressed person even as far back as YOUNG teens - maybe even pre-teens... and while I never attempted suicide, I thought about it a great deal. But I learned, very early, that God will NOT let us die just cuz we want to! Once I realized that I knew I would make it through WHATEVER came my way - unless it was HIS will to take me home! That knowledge alone has stilled sooooooooo many storms! Whatever is going on, you just chill and pray, and God will work it all out. Isn't that GREAT?

6:01 AM  
Blogger Cherie said...

I'm so sorry that you had a rough day yesterday. I pray that today is better for you.

6:09 AM  
Blogger Finding Pam said...

Thanks for the great sermon. It took me a while to realise that God never leaves us, but we leave him.

Happy Fathers Day.

6:12 AM  
Blogger Nessa said...

I don't have anything to add to your sermon or to the comments above, other than, I know I would have an easier time if I wasn't always pushing God away. Thank goodness He won't go.

Happy Father's Day.

8:23 AM  
Blogger Baron's Life said...

Hopefully today will be better for you Dr. John
God had his plans....
Sunday Blessings to you and your family

10:09 AM  
Blogger Sue said...

May the Lord bless you on this Father's Day. Thanks for the great posting. I miss church today and needed to be reminded.

11:12 AM  
Blogger Cherie said...

Oh gosh, I forgot it being Father's Day on my original comment. My only excuse is that it was very early for me, and my brain was not fully functional yet. lol So Happy Father's Day! Sounds like you had a great day with your family. :)

4:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Father's Day to you Dr. John. I'm glad your feeling a bit better. That's good news. My lack of understanding what God is suppose to do and what we are suppose to do confuses me a great deal. You see I see the inner storm for example as cancer, a cold, AIDS, etc. and he doesn't help us in that regard. Maybe he's not suppose to but I would think he would. I enjoyed the read I must say and little by little I'm coming to understand more of all of this. Aloha my friend. Feel better

5:46 PM  
Blogger Jeni said...

What a great text and explanation of it. And, as someone above said too "No" is also an answer. A cousin of mine reminded me of this as another cousin of ours was dying of leukemia and of course, we were all praying for her that when the outcome seems bleak, no recovery seems possible that we should just pray for "Thy will be done" as Christ taught us to pray. And it does bring about peace to the inner pains from the outer storms around us.

6:25 PM  
Blogger Melli said...

I am sO happy that you had a better day today - and that your Father's Day was a good one! I know having all the kids there made your day!

Love you!

7:29 PM  
Anonymous quilly said...

I survived the traveling storm today. I cussed and griped almost ll the way through it, but when I finaly arrived here in one piece I did remember to thank God for being with me every step of the way -- especially those times I forgot to look for him.

10:39 PM  
Blogger A Lady's Life said...

I am so glad you had a very good day today. I liked the sermon and I understand inner storms.
I know if I ever got so upset over something when I was a kid over something I couldn't or didn't have control over, I'd cross myself three times and for some odd reason, it always made me feel better and safer.
I know God or his angel was always sitting beside me or walking along side me, so I was never alone.
Inner peace is important to have.

11:34 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Happy Father's Day to you, Dr. John!

2:18 PM  
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