In the Name of God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Krista Marie Concepcion, welcome to the boat!  In just a few minutes Krista will be baptized and welcomed as the newest member of Christ's church . . . and one of the ancient images used for the church is that of a boat.  You've probably noticed that the interiors of some churches resemble upside down boats . . . in fact, the fancy name for the part of the church you're all sitting in is 'nave' . . . which is from the Latin word for 'ship.'  Talk about the stormy seas of life and the safety to be found in the church is so familiar as to be hackneyed.  It's very common to think of the church as a boat.

And it's an image that can give us at least one way to look at today's Gospel story . . . the disciples are in a little boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm arises . . . the boat is battered by the wind and waves . . . and then the disciples see Jesus coming towards them . . . walking on the water!  I wonder which was more frightening . . . the storm or Jesus?  Like last week's story about the miracle of Jesus feeding thousands of people with just a few loaves of bread and a few fish, it does not help us much to try to figure out how exactly Jesus walked on the water, or what actually happened . . . it's hard to know where to draw the line between symbolism and history.

But that doesn't mean that we should just shrug our shoulders and stop thinking about the story . . . that imagery of the church as a boat can help us find some meaning in the story.  Let's tease it out a little . . . as one commentator has written, today's story is eloquent of human distress.  The storm comes up not when the disciples are out on some foolish adventure of their own choosing . . . remember, the story begins with Jesus "making" them get into the boat; some translations say that Jesus "commanded" them . . . so the disciples are simply following Jesus' orders when they are overtaken by a storm.  Troubles come to us whether we deserve them or not.  We all know of difficulties that the church has brought upon itself . . . but there is also a history of suffering and persecution brought to the church through no fault of its own.  Storms come to the righteous as well as to the wicked.  Today's Gospel was probably written during or not long after the reign of the Roman emperor, Nero.  He supposedly burned Christians alive as torches to light his gardens at night.  Storms indeed.

Most of us - thank heavens! - have no experience of persecution and torture.  But we all know about trouble . . . we all have experienced storms in our lives . . . some which we've created, some which have come to us through no fault of our own.  Many of us come to church to escape the storms of our lives, if only for a brief period.  We come to find rest, renewal and strength.  Perhaps we think of our little church as a haven from our troubles outside these doors . . . perhaps we come to be fed and strengthened to face the challenges of the coming week . . . perhaps we come to remember what is truly important in life and to renew our commitment to live as Godly people.  These are all good and right reasons to come to church.   We all need comfort and security, sustenance and nurture, renewal and strength . . . and the church is indeed the right place to come for these things.  The church should be a place of great safety. 

But that is not the whole of the story . . . and it is certainly not the end of the story.  The church is the one organization I can think of that exists not for itself.  Despite all of our talk about stewardship and membership numbers, we do not fundamentally exist as a church to sustain ourselves.  Jesus did not say, "Go and build buildings, recruit members, and write marketing plans."  He said, "Go and make disciples!"  Our fundamental reason to exist is to make disciples . . . to share the Good News we ourselves have received . . . to offer the comfort, rest, security, renewal and strength that we are given to those who have never experienced these gifts.  At some point, we will each be called out of the boat into the storm.

Peter is called out of the boat to do what Christ does - what God does - Peter is called to share in Jesus' power.  I believe that each and every one of us will be called out of the boat, so to speak, at least once in our lives as Christians . . . some of us may be called out many, many times.  Oh no, probably not as dramatically as Peter was.  I very much doubt that any of us will be asked to walk on water.  But in some small way, at least, we will each be called to do what Jesus does . . . to offer some healing, to share the Good News . . . with those who have never experienced it and so desperately need it.

Don't worry!  You won't have to find the strength on your own, you won't have to do it all by yourself . . . when you are called out, God will lead you and hold you up with God's grace.  What happens to Peter when he is called out of the boat?  Well, he does pretty darn well for a bit!  He actually walks on water!  I suspect that as he took those first few steps Peter's gaze, his attention, was fully on Jesus.  But he could only keep that intense focus outside of himself for a few moments.  Pretty quickly he remembered himself, Peter, and realized what he was doing.  He heard the howling of the wind and felt the water moving beneath his feet.  "What's happening?!  What's going on?!  This is impossible!"  And he begins to sink.

Long ago, back in the great days of the tall ships, those magnificent sailing vessels, when a new hand climbed the narrow rope ladder to the crow's nest for the first time, the old hands on deck would cry, "Look up!  Look up!"  If the young sailor looked down, he might become dizzy and fall.  Faith is strong when its motive is pure, and when its eyes are fixed on Christ.  If you look at today's Gospel story again, you'll see that Peter's motives are rather mixed.  He not only wants a proof of Jesus' divinity, it looks to me like he wants to be singled out - to be "special" - to be important, as one who is just like Jesus would be important.  No wonder his attention, his focus, shifts from Jesus to himself.  No wonder he begins to sink.  "You of little faith.  Why did you doubt?"  But Christ never fails even a weak and divided faith:  "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him."  Trust in Christ is never misplaced trust.  Even with a weak and divided faith, even with less than pure motives, in Christ impossible things can be done, and impossible challenges met and overcome.

Don't worry, when you are called out into the storm, that your faith is too weak, that your motives are impure . . . just like Peter, Jesus will hold you up.  Remember Jesus' last words to his friends, after he sends them out to make disciples of all nations?  He says to them, " Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Welcome to the boat, Krista!  May your spirit be nurtured and deepen in Christ.  May you find in the church a haven, a place of comfort, security, sustenance, and growth . . . a loving family to always welcome you home.  May you grow strong in the faith!  And when Christ calls you out into the stormy world to share all the gifts you have been given with those who have never known them . . . may God put daring in your feet!

Amen. 

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