Mark 4: 35:41 Gospel reading for Sunday 24th June 2012
Buried within the bigger picture of this story is a classic example of the Gospel informing the activities of all Lutheran schools. What is going on in the bigger picture of things here? If we step back away from the peep hole of this small seven-verse section of Mark's Gospel, we note that there is an on-going agenda here. Jesus has been incredibly busy teaching, healing and talking to the people. Crowds have built up and are following Him with excitement and expectation. There is something quite profound, something of the unexpected, the surprise right there in the opening verse. At the close of a busy day, Jesus in effect says something like this to His disciples ..."Hey boys ... we've got more work to do, let's go across to the other side of the lake."
What is that work? They are on a mission. When we look at where Jesus is headed, it is obviously into "uncharted" territory. He is intending to go into an area where He is not known. In effect they are off to take the good news of Jesus to the community!
What a powerful reminder for us in Lutheran schools. We are on a mission. We are charged with the task of bringing the good news of the hope and healing of Jesus to people in our community. Where is our lake? For most of us, we are right in the midst of that lake. Our lake is our school community. We are surrounded on all sides by a gathering of people to whom we can deliver the message. In seeking authenticity, that's a task that we must all take seriously.
Let's take the analogy, the imagery, the metaphor, a little further. Picture the staff of a Lutheran school as the team of people who are the crew of the boat. For the moment, perhaps that can be a rowing boat. A question that we need to ask ourselves as staff in Lutheran schools is: Are we in the boat? That in turn becomes a more personal question: "Am I in the boat?"
Let's play around with the imagery a little. Ideally we want to have everyone in the boat. Ideally we want everyone to be finely-tuned athletes, with peak fitness, muscle strength and endurance for the task of rowing. We don't want people asleep in the back of the boat. We don't want team members quitting on the job. We want people to be unconditionally rowing, but not just when there are influential observers. We don't want crew members who are just coming along for the ride, neither do we want people overboard, either jumping out voluntarily, being pushed or accidentally falling. Last of all, in an ideal setting, we don't want any of our team members sitting back on the shore, refusing to be a part of the team in the boat.
We cannot expect all crew members when they step into the boat for the first time, to automatically be prepared and equipped for the task. The reality is that we will have a wide spectrum of readiness ... and that's OK, but it does highlight the essential nature of the task of spiritual leadership of a Lutheran school, which includes encouraging and equipping ALL crew members for the task.
This is arguably a rather obscure thread in the story of Jesus calms the storm. I don't for a moment want to give the impression that my thinking on this or any other passage is THE interpretation. In fact, that's the beauty of scripture. There are so many layers and if amongst all of that there are different perspectives that are helpful to different groups of people, then that's fantastic. I do however believe that the "on a mission" thread of Jesus calms the storm, certainly brings a whole new set of imagery. For example, it's no easy task going out and spreading the Word ... there will be storms ... we may even be at times operating in hostile territory!
A Lutheran school … is a place that knows why it exists!
Nev
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