They went to him and woke him up, shouting, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing!’ 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?’

Luke 8:24-25a (NRSV)

Seasons don’t fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain
We can be like they are

Blue Oyster Cult

What is Fear, anyway?

It arrived with us at our beginning, and it remains one of the most consistent and universal emotions we share. As we look around the world, most of us can see pain and suffering. We can. imagine, for those in peril, fear as a real emotion. But we also have as many fears as hopes on most days in our own lives.

What to do?

One of the most famous quotes about fear is attributed to FDR in a speech where he said, “the only thing we have to fear…is fear itself.” It’s likely a paraphrase of a paraphrase (from Michel de Montaigne by way of Francis Bacon), but it does resonate. Fear is featured in pop culture and songs, like the BOC anthem above, as well as in folk songs, like “Mockingbird.” But what does it actually MEAN?

Fear is simply the emotion attached to the perception that something is a danger, either real or imagined.

Jesus felt fear, it seems, on the cross. We don’t know exactly why he felt that way, but it stood in sharp contrast to the passage we’ll discuss on Sunday. Luke 8:22-25 is the story of Jesus falling asleep in the storm. You can read all about it here. But it’s also the story of the disciples’ fear of the elements. And it’s further the story of their “lack of faith,” apparently.

But are the disciples faithless? I don’t think so. I think they just forgot how helpful faith can be in times of fear. When we are facing dangers, real or imagined, inviting Jesus in to walk with us through our challenges can be empowering. Forget everyone else’s baggage around faith. Forget all the things that have gone wrong in churches over the years. Consider instead that we are often leaving the dynamic tool of faith aside when we’re feeling fearful.

This week, the theme of Worship and our Kid’s Church curriculum is “Jesus has the power to calm our fears.”

Join us in worship on online via Facebook to find out more, and we look forward to seeing you then!