Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Where fear can make us believe that we aren’t worthy or relevant, there is inherent value in facing your fears and doing things that take you out of your comfort zone. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is seen calming the waters of the Sea of Galilee with a verbal rebuke. Some clergy play it safe and interpret the gospel as it written, literal and infallible: Jesus is God and has the authority to command the waters, much like helping disturbed people find peace. Other clergy dig a little deeper into its meaning and see the story as transitional: Jesus moves from the Jewish community of Capernaum across the Sea of Galilee to a community of Gentiles. Now, it’s a spiritual journey symbolic of God’s authority in human affairs. Still other clergy take a risk and ask you view it through another lens, one that may be uncomfortable to you suggesting that the story may have been embellished by the gospel writer and allegorical, much like the story of Jonah and the whale. In our summer worship series, “Just Askin’–The Questions Jesus Asked Tell Us About Him and Ourselves,” we examine Jesus’ rather infrequent yet affecting questions.

Join Pastor Tony Minear, Ph.D. as he digs deeper behind the story of Jesus’ calming of the seas to the uncomfortable. Discover a new relevancy to your life through this reflection and dialogue. What is it that scares you? Take courage in crossing the sea to the other side and discovering who Jesus is for you.

Recorded live at Church of the Beatitudes, Phoenix, AZ: 7/28/19

Scripture Reader: Tamika Simmons

Preaching: Rev. Tony Minear, Ph.D.

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41