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

Throughout the summer, I have preached on themes inspired by the votive ship hanging over the baptismal font. It is a copy of the 1825 Restauration that brought the first Norwegian emigrants to America.  On July 4th, a replica of the original wooden sailing ship began its 98- day crossing of the Atlantic Ocean to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Norwegian immigration.  This week the ship arrived safely at the Caribbean Island of St. Martin. It is expected to be welcomed by a crowd of thousands including the Crown Prince of Norway in New York City next month on October 9^th.

Since the earliest days of the apostles, ships have been a symbol for the Church. In many houses of worship, the central part of the sanctuary is known as the nave which is derived from the Latin word for ship. For Christians, the ship is the vessel that carries them from baptism towards eternal life. Interestingly, another maritime figure is also connected to the faith and that is the anchor.  It is a symbol of stability and steadfastness in the storms of life and of the certainty of our hope in Christ. In the Letter to the Hebrews the author writes, “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain,  where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered.”  Anchors are at the heart of this morning’s sermon.

Let me begin with a brief summary of story so far. When the Apostle Paul returned to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey, there was anger among the religious authorities concerning his increased work with Gentiles and his conviction that Jesus was the Christ and rose from the dead.  Some falsely accused Paul of bringing a Gentile into the Temple and thereby defiling it.  An angry mob beat him and soon a riot broke out in the streets drawing the attention of the Roman commander. Paul was taken into custody and brought to Caesarea by the Sea for his own protection.  The Temple leaders wanted him returned to Jerusalem where he could be brought to trial and charged with agitating the crowds, but before he could reach Jerusalem Paul’s own nephew overheard 40 men discussing a plot to assassinate the Apostle on his way from Caesarea. After two years in prison in Caesarea with no trial in sight, Paul demanded that as a Roman citizen he had the right to plead his case before the emperor in Rome. He was assigned to the care and protection of a centurion named Julius and they would travel 1800 miles by ship. Regrettably, their journey was to begin at the time of the year when it was unsafe to travel by sea.  In the summer, the journey would have taken just a bit over 3 weeks, but it was considered dangerous and fool-hearty in late fall. Midway through their journey, off the coast of Crete, their ship was caught in a storm. A shipwreck was inevitable. That is where our lesson from the Book of Acts ended last week, and where we begin today.

My friends, as the Apostle Paul understood so well, you don’t need to be the cause of the storm to be caught in a shipwreck. You simply need to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  We can all experience severe storms, northeasters, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. These natural weather events create widespread destruction.  People lose their lives, properties are destroyed and daily activities are disrupted. Even though these weather events may be predicted, no one knows the degree to which they will destroy.  Then there are the personal storms and disasters that are equally unpredictable and disruptive. Life is turned up side down and you don’t know what tomorrow will bring. You simply wonder what are you supposed to do?

Of course, nobody likes the somebody who tells you, “Well, I told you so,” which the Apostle Paul did in no uncertain words, “Men, you should have listened to me” but then immediately he went on to say, “I urge you now to keep up your courage. For I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.” You see, it was no longer about Paul’s beliefs and someone else’s lack of judgement, that was at play.  The storm at sea and the impending shipwreck was really all about the Apostle’s confidence in what God could do.  But he was also aware, that the end of the journey would not be pretty.  As one comedian said, “It’s not the fall that gets you. It’s the sudden stop at the bottom.”  Paul told the 276 passengers honestly and candidly that the ship would run aground on some island, and that everything would be lost, but they would all be saved.

That word may not have sounded very reassuring to the passengers and crew- especially in one of the darkest hours of the night. There were some sailors on that grain ship who weren’t so sure about the Apostle Paul’s God.  They couldn’t see the land from the darkness, but they could hear the crashing of the waves on the shore. As they took the measurements of the depth of the water, they knew they were getting closer, and with each measurement they were growing more fearful.  They lowered the four stern anchors into the sea hoping that they would hold the ship firmly until sunrise. In the pretext of lowering the anchors, the sailors saw the fleeting possibility of escaping certain disaster. They began to lower the lifeboat over the side as well.  Paul then said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless the men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.”  Paul was confident of the angel’s message.  “Let the anchors hold. No one will lose his life if he stays on the ship,” and so reluctantly, the sailors cut the ropes and let the lifeboat slip away into the ink black sea. .

I imagine in the dark night of the soul, when life’s dangers seem greatest, we can all feel a bit like the anxious sailors.  You know that it’s not right thing to do, or the most honorable, but there is a possible escape route that few are aware of and it just might work for you.  Yet, you and I are commanded to stay on board ship for the sake of our fellow travelers. There is perhaps no more powerful command, or more demanding truth in scripture than Paul’s words to the centurion that we are all in this boat together. Paul knew and trusted that in uncertain times, the only anchor we have that holds us from the crashing shore is our trust in Christ. For he alone is holding us fast.

My friends, in the hours of a crisis, you can’t be running around searching for another solution, longing to escape in a lifeboat by yourself into a darkened sea. As a follower of Jesus, you must live and demonstrate your commitment to him and his great love for you, and those around you, by staying on board. We are in this boat together, and there is no true safety or security outside of Christ. That is your hope and anchor as well.

The Apostle Paul did however understand the weakness of the flesh and the temptation to flee, and so as daybreak finally dawned, he gave his fellow passengers encouragement. For fourteen days, they had battled the wind and wave, and he now encouraged them to eat. They needed nourishment for the physical struggle that was yet ahead.  “None of you will lose a hair from your heads,” he said. Then giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke the bread and  then began to eat. The bread he offered was an important reminder and gift. It is what we all need as a new day is dawning and the challenges become clearer in our sight.  We all need the strengthening power and witness of prayer and community to keep us close to Christ and to keep our hope in him.  The passengers and crew having eaten and placed their hope in Paul’s god, the together lightened the load of the ship by casting out the wheat.  Even by morning light, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed a bay with a beach on which the crew planned to run the ship ashore, if they could.

Finally, Paul had the sailors release the anchors into sea.  The sailors and passengers all knew that they were going to crash. Still, they trusted that the anchors dragging along the sea bottom, would position them for that final moment when their salvation was completely in the hands of God. It was wise counsel.  When the ship hit the reef and broke into pieces, the strong were able to swim ashore and the weak were able to use the wreckage to float to safety shore.  It is a word of advice for all of us facing an imminent shipwreck. You just can’t take the crash at full speed.  You need to position yourself before you hit and trust that you are in God’s care. In spite of the shipwreck and the storm, the Apostle Paul and all 276 souls made it ashore alive.  Not one life was lost.  All because they remained on the ship.

The story of the Apostle Paul’s Shipwreck may seem like an odd story for Rally Sunday. Traditionally, the church has focused on renewal, recommitment, and re-engaging the congregation with the church after the summer.  It is about registering for Sunday School and promoting volunteer opportunities.  Even the story of the 1825 Restauration leaving Norway with 52 passengers and arriving in New York 98 days later with 53 passengers seems a bit more optimistic and positive than the story of a shipwreck.

But my friends, these past weeks have taught us that you don’t need to be the cause of a storm to be caught in a shipwreck. Any storm can wreak havoc in your life. But as God’s people, “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered.”  This Jesus gives us a faith, a sense of direction and an ability to weather life’s storms. Shipwrecks do happen, but to avoid a shattered and broken life following the disaster, you must remember to remain on board. It is Christ that carries us through the storms, and it is Christ who delivers us safely to land again. That is the good news Paul wanted to share with all 276 passengers, even the soldiers who were preparing to kill him.  Yes, in times of trouble, you have to stay on board with Christ.

Be of good courage, dear friends, we are in this boat together and we have an anchor that keeps the soul steadfast and sure while the billows roll. Amen.

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