In her poem “In the Storm”, Mary Oliver invites us into a snowstorm in which birds, of various feathers, come together and shelter each other in the midst of the tumult. She notes some may find this hard to believe. Yet, she writes,
“Belief isn't always easy. But this much I have learned, if not enough else— to live with my eyes open.” (Oliver, 2006)
Oliver then muses about miracles, and invites us to consider kindness as a miracle. This Sunday, we enter into a familiar story of Jesus and a few disciples out in a boat during a strong storm. Jesus remains asleep. Filled with fear, the disciples call out to him and he stills the storm. We will spend some time this week considering how this story might invite us to consider the role fear, belief and the sense of miracle in our lives as individuals and community.
In our time of worship, we will also share inspiring music including hymns and musical offerings from our Sanctuary Singers (accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs), solo by Stephanie Conklin, a children’s moment, prayer and reflection, and a reading of the scripture passage based on Mark 4:35-41 by Connie Shakalis. The sermon title is “Asking For A Miracle, And Unexpected Grace Appears”. If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for decades, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or on the live stream at 10:30am this Sunday.
(Oliver, Mary. Thirst. Beacon Press, 2006.)