Loving God, you remind us that you are with us at all times – especially at those times when life seems stormy and chaotic and unpredictable.  Continue to strengthen us in our faith, and help us to experience the peace that only you can bring, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    I’d like to begin today with a few things related to Noah’s ark that you may not know.  First of all, as you read the story in Genesis (at least in some translations), you will soon discover that most of the measurements for the ark are given in cubits.  Do you have any idea how big a cubit is?...  It’s about as long as from your elbow to your finger tips (or about 18 inches).  So that might help you to understand if you’re reading it from one of the “cubit” translations!

    Another thing you might want to know is that this story belongs to the section of Genesis that is usually referred to as pre-history.  In other words, no exact dates are known, other than to say that it was a very long time ago.  In fact, because of its prehistoric nature, both cartoonists and writers have had a lot of fun with this story. (Show cartoon) So here’s a cartoon explaining why the dinosaurs were not on board.  (They took a Carnival Cruise instead.)

    One more thing that you may or may not know is that there are many cultures all around the world who tell the story of a great flood that covered the earth.  Obviously there was such an event at some point in the earth’s history, and different cultures have come up with different ways of attaching meaning to this great flood.  As Christians, the stories of the Hebrew people are part of our heritage, and the flood is described through the eyes of faith and in light of our relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth.

    One of the ways to describe the overarching story of the Bible is that it begins with God’s good creation and the entry of sin into the world, and then the rest of the Bible describes what God did about the problems that sin created.  The whole story of Noah’s ark helps us to think about one of the possible solutions to the problem of sin in the world.  In fact, if any of us were in God’s place, maybe we would want to simply wipe out the human race.  

    After all, the picture that we are given of what the world was like at the time of God’s covenant with Noah is not a pretty one.  Violence and murder seem to be commonplace.  Wickedness and evil seem to reign.  A small number of people are mentioned who actually “walked with God,” but they seem to be few and far between (Gen. 5:24; 6:9).

The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.  And the Lord was sorry that he had made humankind on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart.  So the Lord said, “I will blot out from the earth the human beings I have created – people together with animals and creeping things and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” (Gen. 6:5-7)

However, God stopped short of destroying everything, preserving through Noah and his family and the ark all that would be needed in order to start over again after the flood.

    Now, you may have noticed in the description of what the world was like before the flood that people didn’t really change all that much afterwards.  In fact, one of the youth at confirmation camp asked if God might send another flood, seeing as things in the world seem to be just as bad or worse than in Noah’s time.  However, the flood was a one time deal.  God’s covenant with all of creation promises that it won’t happen again.  Instead, God took a different approach in dealing with the sinfulness of humanity.

    God begins with Abram in order to call and to form a holy people.  God establishes a relationship with the Hebrew people and makes a number of covenants with them along the way - some of which we will hear about over the next few weeks.  God teaches them what living in community with one another is supposed to look like, and continually calls them to return to God and live as they have been created to live.  However, God knew that even then, human sinfulness would continue to rear its ugly head.

    And so, God himself came to live among us in the person of Jesus Christ, fulfilling covenants and promises that had been made many years before.  God came and shared all of what it means to be human, except sin.  And because of Jesus’ perfect life, and death, and resurrection, all those who put their faith in him receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.  While there is still plenty of evidence of sin in the world, the way is open for us to follow a different way, through Jesus.  Now it is us who are called to be the light of the world, allowing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to be made known through us.

    This is not to say, however, that there won’t be scary times, or stormy seas, or times when it seems as though God is taking forever to fulfill God’s promises.  Actually, there is a long history in the church of imagining that we, too, are in a boat – or an ark.  In fact, that’s the reason the main part of the church is called the nave.  It’s as if the church is a boat – a disciple-ship, if you will – navigating the chaotic and stormy waters that assail us in this world.  And so, two images to take with us today involving boats:

    First of all, imagine being on the ark with all of those animals for 150 days or more.  Imagine looking out the window every day and seeing nothing but water.  You know that God has promised to preserve you and your family and all of these animals, but really – how long is it going to take?!  Don’t we all have times when we know that God has promised salvation and healing, and we know that God has promised to be with us always, but it just doesn’t seem like God is hearing us?  Don’t we all have times when we cry out, “How long, O Lord?”  And so, today we are reminded that no matter how long it seems as though God is taking, our God keeps his promises.

    At the same time, we can imagine ourselves today being in the boat with Jesus in the midst of the storm.  Once again, I suspect that most of us have experienced times when we are afraid, and times when we really don’t think that we’re going to make it.  And yet, no matter what the chaos might be that is going on in our lives or surrounding us in this world, Jesus has the power to bring peace and calm.  And so, make sure that he is with you in the boat.  And having reminded yourselves that he is near, call on him for help, and trust him to calm the storm.

    While we might sometimes wish that God would simply take all the storms away, it doesn’t work that way.  In fact, we would never discover what God’s power can do if we never experienced times of weakness and fear, and even despair.  However, God’s power is greater than the wind and the waves, and God’s love for us is deeper than we could ever imagine.  And so, in the midst of the rain and the dark clouds and the wind, look to the light – and enjoy the hope and the promise of the rainbows.  For God’s promises are forever – which is a very long time, indeed!  Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Pentecost 13 (NL1)                            Genesis 6:16-22; 9:8-15
September 7, 2014                            Matthew 8:24-27
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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