Jonah hid during the storm- in a comfort zone at the bottom of the boat, like so many Christians- who avoid God’s word, will, people, practices.
The disciples- freaked out in the middle of the storm- “we’re all gonna die!” they thought.
But Jesus- he faced the storm, went into it with peace and power, commanding the waves to be calm.
Pre-Christian, John Wesley (Methodism’s founder), was on a ship full of Moravians (from Moravia, surprisingly).…andthere was a tremendous storm, and Wesley flipped out, overcome by fear, cuddled up somewhere, afraid. But the Moravians, as Christians, stayed above deck, and sang loud boisterous songs, glorifying the Lord. They had bravery, courage, even in the face of death! Wow! No fear.
But why do so many of us Christians, who are offered power (Acts 1:8-9) say with our actions “don’t rock the boat, don’t move the boat, keep it still, don’t move, don’t change a thing?” No organism successfully survives by refusing to adapt to changes. And boats- in the midst of a storm do not stay afloat by simply keeping the anchor nailed down, refusing to move. Instead- you use the winds, maneuver the sails to adapt to the changing atmosphere, and SAIL! Oh, it’s a thrill, dangerous, but what’s the option? Sit there and sink, constantly afraid that you might …sink?
The emerging churches know this and that is partly why they are thriving. House churches and New church starts have the flexibility to adapt to our changing culture, but what about “traditional churches” with buildings and budgets- what would it look like for us to SAIL? What would it look like?