Dark Night of Abram's Soul - Genesis 15

The Dark Night of Abram’s Soul

Genesis 15:1-21

I am told the words, Do not be afraid, appear some 365 times in the Bible (R.Rohr). That is one reminder for each and everyday of the year, except when we have a leap year...so one day this year, this month in fact, you can fear. The rest of the days, do not be afraid!!   

Slide: I like how F. Buechner says it: "Here is the world, terrible and beautiful things will happen. Don’t be afraid."

Easier said than done.

As we continue along our Lenten journey, I have encouraged members of my household, especially the two little ones and myself to give up for lent: Freaking out!

It’s funny the images and especially the songs which come to mind as I cobble together my sermons. Last week, It was devil went down to Georgia.

This week: Aw Freak out:

"All that pressure, Got you down.

Has your head spinning all around"

"Freak out."

No, this Lent I tell the kids and myself Don’t Freak Out! Lent is a period where we recognize our need for God, and in new ways discover how we might become closer to God and to others.

By not Freaking out! we are more pleasant to be around so others might care to be around us. And we are demonstrating a dependence on God, again, easier said than done...

Because we "aww freak out!"  

Why do we freak out?

Any number of reasons: In Star Wars: the Force Awakens, Kylo Ren kind of freaked out on several occasions when he received bad news! I freak out when I’m hungry--hangry moments?  And when I’m tired, and when I’m not getting my way, and when I’m disappointed. when I’m afraid, when I’m  fill in the blank:

In our passage from Genesis 15 we catch Abram, soon to be father of our faith Abraham, is kind of freaking out.

Why? He’s disappointed. He fears for his future.  He's losing his patience.

We can probably relate to this, but if we’re honest many,  if not most of our disappointments have come from unrealistic expectations we’ve set for ourselves. Why were we hoping for that outcome in the first place?  Had we consulted God before we set that expectation? or was it something we just felt like we deserved?

But for Abram, it was different than from most of us, because, at least according to the story in the bible, his expectation had actually been promised to him by the LORD--directly.

In Genesis chapter 12, the Lord tells him countless offspring!

Yet, many years pass and as Abram sees it,

he had been given no offspring---....except for his child born of his slave and foreigner--

Side note: here we see evidence of the prejudice of our forefathers all the way back to father Abram.  A sin we’re still trying to overcome...

So, because the Lord had promised and not yet fulfilled:

Slide: On a starry evening

Abram kind of freaks out.

Using his personal direct line to God--

which most clergy have of course --

He has this conversation, if we can call it that.

Abram questions…

God responds: “Do not be afraid!”

But, but..you promised!

“Here we go again,” says the patient Lord.  

Abram, go outside and count the stars, that’s how many your offspring will be…..

I wonder if this was kind of a trick God used to get Abram to fall asleep when Abram started freaking out. Like counting sheep.

Into the Storm - Mt 14:22-33

“Out into the storm”

Mt 14:22-33

Trust Exercises - part of Children’s sermon

This morning’s sermon is about trusting God even when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm.

As I mentioned last Sunday, many of the stories I will share with you in our lives together come from my experiences in the Southwest.  

One story is about a woman who gets too close to the edge of
the Grand Canyon, loses her balance, and slips over the edge.  

Just before falling 1000 feet, she grabs on to a root sticking out from the
edge.  "Help me!"  She screams.

"Is there anyone up there?  Help me!  Save me! Anyone up there?"

A voice answers, "I am the Lord.  I can save you. Do you trust me?  
Do you really want me to help you? "

"O, yes, Lord, I trust you!  Please help me."

"OK," the Lord says.  "I'll save you.  Now, let go."

"What?!"

"Just let go of that root you're holding on to, and I'll save you.  You
have to trust."

The woman pauses a moment, gulps, and then shouts out,

"Is there anyone else up there who can help?!"

-----

Falling 1000 feet is a much more scary prospect for most of us than falling into a lake.

If we’re able to swim, it’s likely most of us don’t worry too much about falling into a lake.  

And that’s all really the sea of Galilee is is a big lake.

So why was Peter, an experienced fisherman,

so frightened when he began to sink into the water?

Let’s step back a bit and look at what’s going on in this fascinating story told by Matthew in chapter 14.

First Jesus and the disciples have feed over 5000 people..

Wayne Moncrief, Miriam’s husband told me it may have been closer to 20000 fed.

And Now...Jesus is walking on water; Peter is trying to walk on water….

there is night there is day, there is a storm and there is calm.  

This painting by 19th Century Illustrator Gustave Gore that may help us imagine what is taking place as we look at this story...   

As a story-teller, this is one of Matthew’s more choppy narrations,

perhaps intentionally so:

First, it is evening when Jesus sent the disciples away on the boat and dismisses the crowd. Then, Jesus goes to the top of a mountain to pray.

The boat carrying the disciples is pushed far from the shore from the wind…

an important aspect: apparently these skilled fisherman who know how to navigate a boat, didn’t want to drift far, but the wind was overpowering.

Was this wind at night?

Does this mean the disciples tried to sleep out on the boat in the stormy sea?

Did Jesus fall asleep on the mountain before going down to meet them;

or did he go down after praying only to find them out at sea;

maybe he slept on the beach?

Either way, at dawn, he’s waited long enough,

they haven’t come back for him--

a little impatient?

“I’ll show them, not coming back to pick me up,”

Jesus decides to display a new power to his sea weary disciples,

he walks on the waves;

and by doing this, his already sleep deprived disciples are freaked out even more…

The way Mark tells the story, Jesus intends to walk past the boat…

almost like he’s trying to pull a little joke on them….

Imagine the foggy-eyed guys on the boat; who saw him first….

“Hey, Andrew, you’re not going to believe this!?? Look!”

“What is it, John?”

Apparently they don’t think: Aw, it’s just Jesus…
They turn to each other and scream...GHOST!!

The walking on waves figure speaks: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”