Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The votive ship hanging over the baptismal fount is a copy of the 1825 Restauration that brought the first Norwegian emigrants to America from Stavanger, Norway. Ever since Jesus first walked the face of the earth, ships, like the Restauration, have been an important symbol of the Christian church. For some people, the ship represents the church tossed on the sea of disbelief and yet providing safety against every storm.  For others the ship represents the Christian journey protecting is precious cargo and delivering it to a safe harbor. Personally, I think the ship represents the challenge of the Christian calling.  Sometimes, we are sent to the other side where we would not choose to go on our own. This morning, I would like us to meditate on the story of Jesus’ calming the Sea of Galilee with its comforting message that wherever God sends you, you travel safely and are never alone.

The disciples’ journey across the Sea of Galilee begins at the end of Jesus’ long day of teaching on northwestern corner of sea in the Cove of the Sower. The crowds were growing greater every day, and that day was no exception. The numbers were so great that Jesus taught them while sitting one of the disciples’ fishing boats.  Afterwards, Jesus suggested to the disciples  that they continue their work elsewhere. “Let us go now to the other side.”  So as the sun was setting in the west, they headed east.   It was a wonderful stretch of water.  Other boats accompanied them as they journeyed across the waters, until they noticed that they were heading to the other side, the Greek side of the sea, the region known as the Galilee of the Gentiles.

That’s how the Christian journey often begins.  We are carried along effortlessly, enjoying the company of fellow travelers as we glide gleefully across the waves with the winds to our backs.   It is the experience that we wish for our children and those we love.  We want faith to be easy.  Yes, God is in his heaven and all is at peace on the earth.  As for Jesus?  He is just another passenger on the way.

And while the disciples were journeying to the other side, a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat.  Quickly, the other ships turned to shore, and the disciples discovered they were on their own, and their boat was already being swamped.   That is how quickly life changes.  A loved one is injured in a car accident, a spouse is diagnosed with a dreaded disease, a treasured family member dies, your company lets you go after years of loyal service all in the name of rightsizing. You’re heading out together with the support of friends and neighbors, across to the other side, and then suddenly, when the going gets tough, you discover you’re moving nowhere against a strong head wind, and your fellow travelers have abandoned the cause.  Faith offers no immunity from pain and sorrow. There is no religious elixir which prevents creation’s natural misfortunes.  Now, suddenly you turn to your trusted Savior, and it seems as if he is sound asleep.

Truthfully, the storm shouldn’t have surprised the disciples, especially those who were fisherman.  In ancient times, the Sea of Galilee was notorious for its storms.  As a seasoned sailor once said all the water in the ocean cannot sink a ship- so long as it stays outside- but the danger arises when the water gets inside the ship. You can often buffet the storms along your Christian journey, so long as your defenses are strong.  But when you have been weakened, when the destination is unknown, and when anxiety and fear trouble you, your faith may suddenly be challenged and you feel alone.  That is when the waters and the seas of trouble begin to pour in.

Several years ago now, I was visiting with a close friend who was both a chaplain at the hospital and a patient in the same place.  He was battling an aggressive form of cancer and had been undergoing chemotherapy. I asked him how he was doing.  In his usual self-deprecating way, he answered, “I feel like my body has been injected with a poison every three weeks for the past four months, so that I can experience everything the typical cancer patient feels.”  I had to say, “Well, that’s not just a feeling.  You have been injected with a poison every three weeks for past four months, but I don’t think you have to know everything about the disease to be a good chaplain.”   My friend and colleague remained positive and optimistic even in the midst of his own personal storm, and he continued his work as a chaplain offering comfort and hope to those facing disease and death every day.  How you may ask?  By faith. He knew and trusted that Jesus was his fellow traveler who promised to be with him throughout the long journey.  It was that knowledge and assurance that had been nurtured in prayer, in meditating on scripture, in receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion and gathering together in the company of believers in worship.  Jesus was there accompanying him. The same promise is there for you as well.

You see, with Jesus aboard, no ship is truly out of control.  The promise of this story for you and for me is that when there is something on the other side that Jesus needs you to do,, he will get you there safely.  For the disciples, Jesus was there in the stern all along, at the rudder, guiding the little vessel to its safe harbor.  And he will do the same for you.  Of course, the reality for the disciples, and for you and me, is that the journey may not always be rosy.  It may have its own set of challenges – but Jesus promises to be with you and to stay with you.  And in the moment when your fear is great and your faith is weak, he cries out, “Peace!  Be still!”

Navy sailors around the world have a unique tradition for whistles. The name of the whistle or pipe spelled Boatswain, but is pronounced Bosun The name actually comes from an old Norwegian word Botsvenn, the boat friend.  You may recall seeing a whistle in the Sound of Music. Captain von Trapp used the whistle for calling his children. Whistles were important for communicating orders and instructions to the crew, particularly when voices couldn’t be heard over the sounds of the wind and sea. While modern technology has largely replaced their use for routine commands, the pipe remains a significant part of naval ceremonies and traditions. One particular command is still practiced. It is the Still Whistle.  If there is a sudden urgency aboard ship, the “still whistle” is blown.  It’s a high pitched whistle that calls the crew to a moment of silence in a time of crisis.  When the “still whistle” is blown, sailors aboard know that it means. Stop. A command is coming.

It seems that both the storm and the fears of the disciples were calmed by the words of Jesus. “Peace! Be still!” that day.  At that dark hour, Jesus boldly demonstrated his sovereignty over all creation and all the disciples could do was ponder, “Who then is this that even the wind and sea obey him?”   It is amazing what you can do when you have power of your fellow traveler with you and claim it; when you know the value of stillness and practice it; when you do not give into panic but instead, recall the words and promise of Jesus, “Let us go now to the other side.”

And what do you receive?  Simply said, you discover a peace that passes all understanding.  It is the peace of Christ which cannot be taken from you. You discover a calm that no storm can disturb. You discover a gentle rest that no sleepless night can trouble.  In all these things, you become a marvel to yourself and to others by the confidence of your faith.

The Restauration, like the ship in this morning’s gospel, was originally built for hauling fish, and was given the unusual name “Emanuel” God with us.  It certainly wasn’t outfitted as a comfortable passenger ship. Prior to its voyage to America in 1825, when it was renamed the Restauration, it sailed no further than the coast of Sweden and Denmark, carrying its cargo of herring and returning with grain. The emigrants aboard the ship, however, leaving Norway believed that God had prepared something for them do on the other side of Atlantic, and they trusted that Jesus would be their fellow traveler on their journey, offering them his steadfast presence and his gifts of divine sovereignty against any storm the Atlantic might offer.

My friends, sleepless nights and swamped ships will always be a part of life.  But when you know Jesus, not simply as a fellow passenger on your journey, but as a friend and Savior, you can move forward to the other side with the assurance that you will never travel alone.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passing all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.