Storms and Calms
September 19, 2010
Rev. Susan E. Gilbert Zencka
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Psalm 29, Luke 8:22-25
Thursday, a day of storms tore through three boroughs of New York City. The storms included 2 likely tornados, and a microburst, and together the storms destroyed approximately 2,000 trees, and damaged many more.
This weekend, Hurricane Igor is bearing down on Bermuda – the island is expecting a direct hit which will come sometime later today.
When we think of storms, typically we are thinking of violent weather: tornado, hurricane, thunderstorm, blizzard. A storm is the kind of weather that makes a difference, if only for the moment. In the Bible, storms frequently were identified with a visit from God – when God made an appearance, it was often with thunder or lightening, or in Job God speaks out of the whirlwind. Interesting, because in our time, storms are usually thought of negatively – we are very aware of the danger they bring. I’ve always enjoyed thunderstorms, but a few years ago I was driving in NW Indiana with our middle son, Tyler, who was in high school at the time. We were driving somewhere during a storm that had been accompanied by many radio and siren warnings, suggesting that a tornado was possible. As we drove, we were nervously aware that since we were driving past shopping centers on a Sunday evening, there was no place nearby to take cover. Suddenly a bolt of lightning appeared, crossing the road in front of us – we were close enough to see the lightning pulse. It was the purest white light I have ever seen, and was simultaneously utterly terrifying and incredibly beautiful. Since then, I have had more respect for thunderstorms, having seen their power close up. And I have also appreciated why people have associated storms with God – this power beyond our taming, unpredictable and simultaneously mighty and beautiful – it does have some commonalities with God. I think in our time we have been less likely to think of God as wild and mighty, but then, we imagine that we have much of life under control.
And as we think of storms, ‘uncontrollable’ is perhaps the essential attribute. Whether in the moment we experience them more as dangerous or as beautiful, they are beyond our control. And that’s frightening. Although, realistically, it’s important to remember that an increase in storminess such as we are experiencing in this decade – with unusual storms such as blizzards in the District of Columbia and tornados in New York City – is not entirely beyond our control because it is one of the predicted dimensions of the climate change that we are beginning to experience, that is the result of the dramatic increase in carbon in the atmosphere because of human-caused pollution. While individual storms are certainly beyond our control, 97% of climatologists agree that global climate change is real, and is the result of human activity.
That aside, as we consider storms this morning, I also want to think about other events that are beyond our control. What kinds of events can be storm like? Any sudden, powerful event that impacts us powerfully and creates an emotional response: a job loss, a national emergency, a medical event, an explosion in a relationship – whatever the circumstances, storms come powerfully, often without warning, and have the power to change our lives. And when we experience these outer storms, we often find ourselves experiencing inner storms in response to the circumstances. And the inner storms have all the characteristics of powerful weather: they are strong, they feel uncontrollable, and they can be damaging. Our own emotions can be the worst part of any storm – our own fear, anger, grief, sweeping over us as the windstorm swept over the Sea of Galilee in this morning’s Gospel story. Being swept away by our emotions is very frightening – and I think most of us admire people who can still themselves in the midst of the storm as much as the disciples were amazed by Jesus being able to still the winds and the waters. And yet, each of us can learn to tame our responses.
Some folks are comfortable relying on prayer…others find it baffling, and slightly fantastic. And some are in the middle somewhere – believing that prayer somehow can make a difference, but feeling slightly odd presenting requests to the divine – somehow it feels at least out of scale to ask the Creator of the heavens and the earth to attend to our individual needs. And yet, there are double blind studies which show that hospital patients who were prayed for, even when they were unaware of the prayers, had better outcomes than those who didn’t. Prayer changes things.
I confess to having some of the same concerns about prayer as many of you – but I firmly believe in prayer, and I believe that it’s not too much to say: “God’s favorite working material is the human heart.” What I mean is that when we open our hearts to God, when we come to God with a willingness that we would be changed instead of an insistence that God would fix other people, I believe that God can change us. So the way I pray reflects that perspective.
Furthermore, in life, I have come to believe that many of us spend an awful lot of time and energy on things that are beyond our control – we try to change and control other people instead of working on ourselves. In most situations we have no control over other people. It’s hard enough trying to control ourselves. But we would have more success in life if we could each remember: the only person I can control is me. I have a little mantra that I try to remember: on a really good day, if I’m paying attention and working hard at it, I can control some of my own behavior. I can never control anyone else.
So how does this relate to prayer? When we take time to ground ourselves in God, when we are willing to vulnerably open ourselves to God with the possibility that we can be changed, we may discover that we are able to find that place of stillness and peace within ourselves, during the emotional storms that are created when situations are out of control. This is a big deal.
So I reflect on it, I think that there are three kinds of things we can do to get to that place of peace and self-control, and Jesus modeled these throughout his ministry:
1. we can turn to God in prayer and meditation,
2. we can manage our own behavior, and
3. we can do what God does – care for others.
Let’s see how these play out. In many Gospel stories, Jesus uses these behaviors – sometimes all three. So let’s look at the story of Jesus stilling the storm. In this episode, as they are crossing the lake – Jesus takes a nap, and while he is sleeping, a storm comes, and the disciples become afraid and wake him up. And then the story tells us: And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
Upon waking, Jesus completely manages his own behavior – he doesn’t lose his temper, or become distracted. He then immediately cares for others – he rebukes the wind and the waves. And then he asks the disciples – “Where is your faith?” Taking it at face value, this is not an admonition, it’s just a question – and it is a question that reveals where Jesus is centered. He doesn’t harangue or argue this – he just asks once.
Let’s consider another story – the well-known story of Jesus on the night before his arrest. He is afraid. And so rather than trying to control the circumstances, he works on centering himself in God so that he can manage his own behavior. He prays all night – and by the morning, when the soldiers come to arrest him, he is able to be centered, calm, and at peace. He is not trying to control others, but to manage himself. And so even when the circumstances are not what he wants, he is able to stay in that centered place.
Now sometimes our ability to manage ourselves will have a good impact on a situation. But we need to fully realize that we don’t have the ability to control others – our best use of our energies is in managing ourselves, and centering ourselves in God.
Let me assure you of what many of you already know – I do not preach this morning’s message from a place of success in this. I continually work at these choices. Sometimes I do well, other times my emotions or the circumstances get the better of me. By the way, one of the choices Jesus made in today’s story was to take a nap – maybe he knew he needed to restore his own energy. When we take care of ourselves physically, it is easier to manage ourselves emotionally, so part of managing ourselves means eating well, sleeping enough, making exercise choices that will buoy our emotions and strengthen our bodies. This is not rocket science. It also means making choices with our time so that we are not overwhelmed, as Jesus often did. Jesus sometimes walked away from the crowds, or withdrew to a quiet place, or as in today’s story, took a nap. He managed his time so that he was not overwhelmed. And he regularly gathered with others to share a meal and enjoy one another – others even commented on his practicing of relaxing with others. Reading the Bible closely will give us some very basic advice about managing ourselves so that life does not become unmanageable, and so that when the storms hit, we can make some of the choices that Jesus made.
For the first few years I was here, many people urged me to exercise better self-care. Several people told me more than once to not do so much. One person bluntly told me that I needed to lose weight. And a couple of people reached out to me as the kids moved out to help me see that I needed to get a life – a life that wasn’t just about ministry, or our kids, but a life that involved nurturing me, too. Others cared about my ministry and wanted to help me learn to manage conflict better. And I also attended a seminar called CREDO, which is put on by the Presbyterian benefits plan and is about clergy wellness, because statistically, clergy are less healthy in many ways than the general population, partly because we tend to be workaholics who are not good at self care. I am so blessed to be in a congregation where so many people care enough about me, and my not burning out, that people could challenge me about my schedule, and even about my weight, and how I responded to stormy conditions. That’s tough love, but it is real love. I am very grateful. I am still in process on the plans I developed at CREDO – I am still working on getting healthy, still working to lose weight, to sleep enough, to exercise regularly, to manage my schedule, and to manage myself when conditions are stormy. I am doing MUCH better – I regularly take time off, I’ve developed interests – training my dog, and beginning to paint – that refresh and restore me, and give me time to enjoy other people. I’ve cut back on extra commitments. And I’m finding myself better able to manage myself and care for others as a result.
Taking better care of myself leaves me better able to manage myself in stormy times – to anchor myself in God, to reach out and care for others, to focus my energy on controlling myself instead of trying to control other people, during the inevitable stormy times that occur in life. And each of us has different challenges in how we respond to stormy times – some of us need to learn how draw on God’s strength in order to learn to speak up with more boldness, to take responsibility for our own needs or opinions or to seek justice for others and not expect others to do it all or advocate for us. Others of us need to learn to manage only ourselves, and not put our energies into convincing others. And many of us need to learn to say no, to learn that more activities do not necessarily make a fuller or richer life. Jesus learned to power down, to make space in his life to recharge, and we need to learn that too. There is a difference, by the way, between caring for others, as Jesus often did, and letting other-care preclude our own self-care.
So often, those of us who are least in control of ourselves spend the most energy trying to control others, either by convincing them, or by taking care of them. As I said, I’m not a perfect person – I make less wise choices frequently. But I’m learning that by managing myself on an ongoing basis so that I’m not frazzled and unwell, and by centering myself in God through prayer, I am able to make better choices about caring for others instead of focusing only on needy little me. It’s a process. And I can’t guarantee that when the next storm hits I’ll make the best choice. But the more I work on myself, and the more I center myself in God, the better the odds are that I will be able to manage myself and care for others.
There was a song about 15 years ago by a Christian singer named Scott Krippayne. I don’t always like Christian pop music, but I really liked this song – the chorus goes:
We aren’t in control of the storms, and even our own emotions can be stormy and out of control. And like stormy weather, our own stormy reactions can lead to significant damage – in relationships at work and at home, and in our own health. But we can make choices: to center in God through prayer, to focus on managing ourselves, and to reach out to care for others. And these choices can lead us to a place where we find peace even as the storms continue to rage…and sometimes these choices can create circumstances where the storms can ease.
Amen.
Frame Memorial Presbyterian Church
Texts: Psalm 29, Luke 8:22-25
Thursday, a day of storms tore through three boroughs of New York City. The storms included 2 likely tornados, and a microburst, and together the storms destroyed approximately 2,000 trees, and damaged many more.
This weekend, Hurricane Igor is bearing down on Bermuda – the island is expecting a direct hit which will come sometime later today.
When we think of storms, typically we are thinking of violent weather: tornado, hurricane, thunderstorm, blizzard. A storm is the kind of weather that makes a difference, if only for the moment. In the Bible, storms frequently were identified with a visit from God – when God made an appearance, it was often with thunder or lightening, or in Job God speaks out of the whirlwind. Interesting, because in our time, storms are usually thought of negatively – we are very aware of the danger they bring. I’ve always enjoyed thunderstorms, but a few years ago I was driving in NW Indiana with our middle son, Tyler, who was in high school at the time. We were driving somewhere during a storm that had been accompanied by many radio and siren warnings, suggesting that a tornado was possible. As we drove, we were nervously aware that since we were driving past shopping centers on a Sunday evening, there was no place nearby to take cover. Suddenly a bolt of lightning appeared, crossing the road in front of us – we were close enough to see the lightning pulse. It was the purest white light I have ever seen, and was simultaneously utterly terrifying and incredibly beautiful. Since then, I have had more respect for thunderstorms, having seen their power close up. And I have also appreciated why people have associated storms with God – this power beyond our taming, unpredictable and simultaneously mighty and beautiful – it does have some commonalities with God. I think in our time we have been less likely to think of God as wild and mighty, but then, we imagine that we have much of life under control.
And as we think of storms, ‘uncontrollable’ is perhaps the essential attribute. Whether in the moment we experience them more as dangerous or as beautiful, they are beyond our control. And that’s frightening. Although, realistically, it’s important to remember that an increase in storminess such as we are experiencing in this decade – with unusual storms such as blizzards in the District of Columbia and tornados in New York City – is not entirely beyond our control because it is one of the predicted dimensions of the climate change that we are beginning to experience, that is the result of the dramatic increase in carbon in the atmosphere because of human-caused pollution. While individual storms are certainly beyond our control, 97% of climatologists agree that global climate change is real, and is the result of human activity.
That aside, as we consider storms this morning, I also want to think about other events that are beyond our control. What kinds of events can be storm like? Any sudden, powerful event that impacts us powerfully and creates an emotional response: a job loss, a national emergency, a medical event, an explosion in a relationship – whatever the circumstances, storms come powerfully, often without warning, and have the power to change our lives. And when we experience these outer storms, we often find ourselves experiencing inner storms in response to the circumstances. And the inner storms have all the characteristics of powerful weather: they are strong, they feel uncontrollable, and they can be damaging. Our own emotions can be the worst part of any storm – our own fear, anger, grief, sweeping over us as the windstorm swept over the Sea of Galilee in this morning’s Gospel story. Being swept away by our emotions is very frightening – and I think most of us admire people who can still themselves in the midst of the storm as much as the disciples were amazed by Jesus being able to still the winds and the waters. And yet, each of us can learn to tame our responses.
Some folks are comfortable relying on prayer…others find it baffling, and slightly fantastic. And some are in the middle somewhere – believing that prayer somehow can make a difference, but feeling slightly odd presenting requests to the divine – somehow it feels at least out of scale to ask the Creator of the heavens and the earth to attend to our individual needs. And yet, there are double blind studies which show that hospital patients who were prayed for, even when they were unaware of the prayers, had better outcomes than those who didn’t. Prayer changes things.
I confess to having some of the same concerns about prayer as many of you – but I firmly believe in prayer, and I believe that it’s not too much to say: “God’s favorite working material is the human heart.” What I mean is that when we open our hearts to God, when we come to God with a willingness that we would be changed instead of an insistence that God would fix other people, I believe that God can change us. So the way I pray reflects that perspective.
Furthermore, in life, I have come to believe that many of us spend an awful lot of time and energy on things that are beyond our control – we try to change and control other people instead of working on ourselves. In most situations we have no control over other people. It’s hard enough trying to control ourselves. But we would have more success in life if we could each remember: the only person I can control is me. I have a little mantra that I try to remember: on a really good day, if I’m paying attention and working hard at it, I can control some of my own behavior. I can never control anyone else.
So how does this relate to prayer? When we take time to ground ourselves in God, when we are willing to vulnerably open ourselves to God with the possibility that we can be changed, we may discover that we are able to find that place of stillness and peace within ourselves, during the emotional storms that are created when situations are out of control. This is a big deal.
So I reflect on it, I think that there are three kinds of things we can do to get to that place of peace and self-control, and Jesus modeled these throughout his ministry:
1. we can turn to God in prayer and meditation,
2. we can manage our own behavior, and
3. we can do what God does – care for others.
Let’s see how these play out. In many Gospel stories, Jesus uses these behaviors – sometimes all three. So let’s look at the story of Jesus stilling the storm. In this episode, as they are crossing the lake – Jesus takes a nap, and while he is sleeping, a storm comes, and the disciples become afraid and wake him up. And then the story tells us: And he woke up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?”
Upon waking, Jesus completely manages his own behavior – he doesn’t lose his temper, or become distracted. He then immediately cares for others – he rebukes the wind and the waves. And then he asks the disciples – “Where is your faith?” Taking it at face value, this is not an admonition, it’s just a question – and it is a question that reveals where Jesus is centered. He doesn’t harangue or argue this – he just asks once.
Let’s consider another story – the well-known story of Jesus on the night before his arrest. He is afraid. And so rather than trying to control the circumstances, he works on centering himself in God so that he can manage his own behavior. He prays all night – and by the morning, when the soldiers come to arrest him, he is able to be centered, calm, and at peace. He is not trying to control others, but to manage himself. And so even when the circumstances are not what he wants, he is able to stay in that centered place.
Now sometimes our ability to manage ourselves will have a good impact on a situation. But we need to fully realize that we don’t have the ability to control others – our best use of our energies is in managing ourselves, and centering ourselves in God.
Let me assure you of what many of you already know – I do not preach this morning’s message from a place of success in this. I continually work at these choices. Sometimes I do well, other times my emotions or the circumstances get the better of me. By the way, one of the choices Jesus made in today’s story was to take a nap – maybe he knew he needed to restore his own energy. When we take care of ourselves physically, it is easier to manage ourselves emotionally, so part of managing ourselves means eating well, sleeping enough, making exercise choices that will buoy our emotions and strengthen our bodies. This is not rocket science. It also means making choices with our time so that we are not overwhelmed, as Jesus often did. Jesus sometimes walked away from the crowds, or withdrew to a quiet place, or as in today’s story, took a nap. He managed his time so that he was not overwhelmed. And he regularly gathered with others to share a meal and enjoy one another – others even commented on his practicing of relaxing with others. Reading the Bible closely will give us some very basic advice about managing ourselves so that life does not become unmanageable, and so that when the storms hit, we can make some of the choices that Jesus made.
For the first few years I was here, many people urged me to exercise better self-care. Several people told me more than once to not do so much. One person bluntly told me that I needed to lose weight. And a couple of people reached out to me as the kids moved out to help me see that I needed to get a life – a life that wasn’t just about ministry, or our kids, but a life that involved nurturing me, too. Others cared about my ministry and wanted to help me learn to manage conflict better. And I also attended a seminar called CREDO, which is put on by the Presbyterian benefits plan and is about clergy wellness, because statistically, clergy are less healthy in many ways than the general population, partly because we tend to be workaholics who are not good at self care. I am so blessed to be in a congregation where so many people care enough about me, and my not burning out, that people could challenge me about my schedule, and even about my weight, and how I responded to stormy conditions. That’s tough love, but it is real love. I am very grateful. I am still in process on the plans I developed at CREDO – I am still working on getting healthy, still working to lose weight, to sleep enough, to exercise regularly, to manage my schedule, and to manage myself when conditions are stormy. I am doing MUCH better – I regularly take time off, I’ve developed interests – training my dog, and beginning to paint – that refresh and restore me, and give me time to enjoy other people. I’ve cut back on extra commitments. And I’m finding myself better able to manage myself and care for others as a result.
Taking better care of myself leaves me better able to manage myself in stormy times – to anchor myself in God, to reach out and care for others, to focus my energy on controlling myself instead of trying to control other people, during the inevitable stormy times that occur in life. And each of us has different challenges in how we respond to stormy times – some of us need to learn how draw on God’s strength in order to learn to speak up with more boldness, to take responsibility for our own needs or opinions or to seek justice for others and not expect others to do it all or advocate for us. Others of us need to learn to manage only ourselves, and not put our energies into convincing others. And many of us need to learn to say no, to learn that more activities do not necessarily make a fuller or richer life. Jesus learned to power down, to make space in his life to recharge, and we need to learn that too. There is a difference, by the way, between caring for others, as Jesus often did, and letting other-care preclude our own self-care.
So often, those of us who are least in control of ourselves spend the most energy trying to control others, either by convincing them, or by taking care of them. As I said, I’m not a perfect person – I make less wise choices frequently. But I’m learning that by managing myself on an ongoing basis so that I’m not frazzled and unwell, and by centering myself in God through prayer, I am able to make better choices about caring for others instead of focusing only on needy little me. It’s a process. And I can’t guarantee that when the next storm hits I’ll make the best choice. But the more I work on myself, and the more I center myself in God, the better the odds are that I will be able to manage myself and care for others.
There was a song about 15 years ago by a Christian singer named Scott Krippayne. I don’t always like Christian pop music, but I really liked this song – the chorus goes:
Sometimes He calms the storm with a whispered "Peace be still"He can settle any sea but it doesn't mean He willSometimes He holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wildSometimes He calms the storm…and other times He calms His child.
We aren’t in control of the storms, and even our own emotions can be stormy and out of control. And like stormy weather, our own stormy reactions can lead to significant damage – in relationships at work and at home, and in our own health. But we can make choices: to center in God through prayer, to focus on managing ourselves, and to reach out to care for others. And these choices can lead us to a place where we find peace even as the storms continue to rage…and sometimes these choices can create circumstances where the storms can ease.
Sometimes He holds us close and lets the wind and waves go wildSometimes He calms the storm…and other times He calms His child.
Amen.