Petersburg Bethel Presbyterian Church

09/06/2026

Correct copy

09/06/2026

Sorry no one was present in worship who is able to work the electronics to film the service. Here is the sermon summary
Sermon Summary: Exodus 12:1-14 & Matthew 26:17-30 “More Than Remembrance”

A quote from a poem by W. S. Merwin says: “What you come to remember becomes yourself…what you remember saves you. to remember is not to rehearse, but to hear what never has fallen silent….” These words taken from a poem about the death of a loved one is also a good opening for looking at today’s scripture readings.

What you remember saves you, can point us to the importance of remembering what God has done for us and how we are to respond. The Passover seder for the Jewish people is much more than a way to celebrate and remember God delivering them from slavery in Egypt. It is instead- a reliving of the first Passover and the start of the exodus journey.

The angel of death passed over every Jewish house- hold that marked its outside door with lamb’s blood.
The promise was when God saw the blood, death would not strike the firstborn males of those within.
Listen again to Exodus 12:13: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you….”

God commanded the doors be marked not because God needed to know where the Hebrew people were, but in order to help build their trust in God’s promises. It also was meant to teach them to act in faith and to obey God’s commands.

Thus, the Passover event played a formative role in Judaism and its people. it was, and still remains, in the minds of religious Jews- a night unlike any other. First, by God’s command the month in which the first Passover fell became the month that would begin the Jewish new year in the biblical calendar.

Secondly. while God protected his people from the other plagues he had sent to Egypt without the Hebrew people doing anything, this one was different. The people were required to act on their own behalf in order to receive the grace of God’s deliverance. This was not to say they earned God’s grace but rather they were to show a willingness to receive it.

Thirdly, the command about eating the feast taught them the importance of community and hospitality. Those with few people in their household were to go to a neighbor and eat with them. And this implied God’s command for homes to be opened, and people welcoming of those who came.

This original Passover meal was also meant to be nourishment for the journey ahead. The people were to eat it standing and ready to leave as soon as they were commanded to go. This formative event was also intended to teach the Hebrew people, and the Egyptians about God’s power.

Exodus 12:12 speaks about God’s judgement not only against pharaoh and the people who killed Hebrew infant boys, but also against the deities of Egypt. In ancient times when a people were defeated by another it was believed the gods of the victors overpowered the gods of the losers. Here the Lord God was showing he alone is God, and the idols of the Egyptians had no power to stop the angel of death, or otherwise inhibit the Lord’s judgement.

Finally, the observance of Passover by the Jewish people not only remembers what God has done, but points to expectations of what God will do. God, who delivered them on the special night is still active and working among his people; and so, celebrating Passover should inspire trust in the Lord.

This salvation event continues to define and refine those who remember in faith, and continue their commitment to God who delivered them. One of the characteristics of the Passover seder is the drinking four cups of w**e, each of which points to God’s actions.

The meaning of each cup is drawn from the message of Exodus chapter six, verses six and seven.
These verses record the promise God delivered through Moses to the Israelites., saying: “…I am the Lord. And I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God….”

Understanding a little about God’s command for the Jews to remember and celebrate the first Passover, and some of the symbolism of the feast is good to do. It is valuable for Christians in that we can perhaps see it was not a coincidence that Jesus’ Last Supper was a Passover seder. When Jesus broke the bread one last time, and offered the cup w**e one last time, he redefined the meaning of those elements.

His reference to the cup is especially significant because it directs our attention to the power of his blood for our redemption. Following Jesus’ death and resurrection we can see how this sacrament symbolizes the defining moment for everyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, because he chose to sacrifice himself for the sake of all people; for his father promised that by his blood the power of sin and death would be cancelled.

Like God’s command that the Israelites continue to enact the Passover feast, Jesus’ command to celebrate the Lord’s Supper is meant to help people remember and respond to the Lord’s saving act.
Jesus transformed the observance of Passover to point people to the new covenant God would form though his blood.

Our salvation by the blood of Christ frees us from condemnation due to our sin. However, like the Israelites had to mark their doors to show their acceptance of God’s grace, we must by faith, accept Christ’s sacrifice for our sakes. During the Last Supper, Jesus was pointing his disciples back to the first Passover and forward to his cross.

Of course they did not understand this at the time, but after his death and resurrection they would come to understand Jesus as the greatest and purist Passover lamb. His blood alone would rescue not only Jews but people from all races and nations, when they, by faith, believe in him.

Holy Communion, along with Baptism, are the only two sacraments Jesus personally commanded his church to observe. Both are signs that point us to God’s covenant promises through his Son. They should be understood and received as a way to act on our faith in God’s promises.

When thy are practiced merely as a ritual, while God can still work in us through them, they are not as effective as when observed as an act of faith in God’s grace through Jesus Christ. Both sacraments are important for Christians to observe. However, for the Lord’s Supper alone, the Savior said for us to “Do this in remembrance of me.”

His words make the sacrament, much like Passover, and yet it is also very much unlike that observance.
This sacrament is Christ’s call for us take and eat and drink, so that by faith we can reaffirm our new relationship with God through him. The reminder of his death for our sakes is also a call to repentance, and to seek the help of the Holy Spirit’s transforming power in our lives.

Along with our repentance the sacrament calls us to seek not only to be forgiven, but also to forgive others and ourselves. We are, in this sacrament, drawn not only to Christ’s cross but to the empty tomb and his resurrection; as well as to the promise of his second coming. Much like with the Passover meal, this sacrament points us to trust in God’s promises in the present and future.

In this sacred act the Holy Spirit nourishes our souls, and fills us with God’s grace which can increase our faith. It reminds us Jesus is with us always and invites us to welcome and respond to his presence.
So let us remember Jesus and his sacrifice, and let that memory move us to respond in faith to God’s grace and the Spirit’s call to follow where the Lord leads us. Amen

08/31/2026

Our teen group from Vacation Bible School made the news for creating our Blessing Box! We are so proud of their commitment to serving our local community. ❤️

Personal hygiene items are available in our Blessing Box, located in front of the church, and can be picked up at any time.

https://www.huntingdondailynews.com/news/religion/bethel-youth-lead-charge-to-serve-those-in-need/article_5df8b6e8-1f47-4504-857a-41677fe3992b.html?fbclid=IwcGRvZgNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA80Mzc2MjYzMTY5NzM3ODgAAR76p5xR8C6viGSd72diNdaHk6FYselqqWX1r_XxFZlAZsYai3sYXDZosPheMw_aem_73VEO81-P0Mpvc8eKJrvmQ

A tangible answer to prayer—that’s what the Blessings Box represents for the members of Petersburg Bethel Presbyterian Church. It is certainly much more than just a wooden structure on the

08/30/2026

Join us for worship this morning as we welcome Greg Anderson.

Petersburg-Bethel Presbyterian ChurchAugust 30, 2026Pulpit Supply...

08/23/2026

Sermon Summary: Exodus 2:1-10 and Matthew 16:13-20 “That is a Good Question”

There are questions we must contemplate in our lives, which lead us to seek more significant answers. Sometimes the point of a question is not so much to seek the right answer, but rather to encourage a person to think things through.

This was particularly true with the kind of teaching and learning Jewish rabbi’s, including Jesus often used. But it is still useful today. For example-when a Nobel prize winning scientist was asked how he became a scientist, he explained it was due to his mother. He said that every day after school she spoke with him about his day, and specifically wanted to know if he had asked a good question.

Thus, the man learned that good questions are as valuable, if not at times more so, than good answers. It is in the asking of questions we learn to analyze what we know, and contemplate what we still need to learn, or need to do. Questions may even change the course of a person’s life.

There are many biblical stories in which a question became a turning point in the story, or in the life of someone, as they choose how, or if- to answer. The story of baby Moses, found in Exodus two is one example of this kind of thing.

The Hebrew people, at the time were enslaved in Egypt, but pharaoh and his people felt threatened by the fast-growing population of slaves. You see Pharoah was afraid the Hebrew boys might grow to lead a revolt of the slaves. But he felt the girls were not a threat so they could live.

Ironically while the king of Egypt focused on Hebrew males, the King of Heaven worked through Hebrew females, along with pharaoh’s daughter. It began with midwives who would not kill the children, and then one woman placed her infant son in a waterproof basket. Then, she sent him down the river, with his sister, to see what happened.

The daughter of pharaoh came to the river that day and found the baby and recognized him as a child of the Hebrews. And if any Egyptian woman had the power to save the child, it would be her. And she did by drawing him out of the water.

The Bible says she took pity on the babe, but nothing else about what she was thinking or planning. It is then his sister steps forward and asks a question, helping the princess to make a decision. Exodus 2:7 records her words- “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child?”

This question prompted a life altering decision for pharaoh’s daughter, the baby, and eventually both of their peoples. She said yes, and his sister got the mother of moses to nurse him until he was old enough to go to his adoptive mother.

And so, we can see the questions people ask can make a big difference in the choices we make. Jesus, also had the skill of asking questions that could change people’s perspective and lives. In today’s reading, Jesus and the twelve were apart from other people, when he questioned them.

Jesus’ first question concerned the disciple’s observations about what other people said about him. In this way he tested how well his disciples listened to and observed other people. The answers they gave to Jesus were reasonable assumptions based on the people’s understanding of their religious teachings.

Then the Savior asked a really good question: “Who do you say that I am?” in other words, Jesus was pushing his disciples to think about what they knew about him, from their own experiences with him. it should be of no surprise that his question, and the answer peter gave, is a turning point in the gospel story. indeed, peter’s response told Jesus more than the man’s observations and thoughts.

It revealed to him that his Father had chosen Peter for a special leadership role in the church Jesus would build. The Savior knew from the answer he was given it was not intellect or perception that gave Peter the “right answer”, but God’s Spirit.

We should note, however, if you read more of this gospel story, knowing the right answer and understanding it are often two different things. This is why questions are especially helpful when they motivate us to think things through.

But in the gospel passage, for the moment, the answer itself was enough for Jesus He declared to Peter “On this rock I will build my church, and the gate of hades will not overcome it.” The latter part of the statement is significant because it tells us the final outcome of the role of Christ’s Church which is to prevail against the power of evil, sin, and death.

But the question is-What did Jesus mean by saying he would build the church “on this rock”? More specifically, how does the Bible reveal what Jesus intended? What Jesus probably said was -Peter’s confession about him is the foundation upon which the Christian Church is built.

This declaration, along with that of Peter having the keys to the Kingdom, is something that requires further investigation. First, it is helpful to know that the scribes and pharisees were said to have the keys to the Kingdom because they interpreted and enforced Jewish law.

This means they had the power to admit or exclude people from the temple, which for the Jews meant from being accepted or rejected by God. So, we see that a key symbolizes the authority and responsibly to provide or withhold access.

It is with this in mind we must look again at Jesus; statement about Peter, and the keys. Specifically of the possible meaning of the spiritual authority Jesus granted to him and the church. Some think Jesus meant for Peter to have the role of overseer of the church on earth, being in charge of the major decisions and rules about membership, etc.

The book of Acts tells us that Peter was the first to preach the good news about Jesus on Pentecost.
His sermon was in sense an unlocking of the door to salvation by inviting his fellow Jews to believe in Jesus. In Acts 2:36, Peter declares- “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Then those present asked a question that had the power to change their lives: “What shall we do?” It was then Peter unlocked for them the way of salvation by faith in Jesus the crucified and risen Messiah. But while Peter took the lead among the apostles for a while, soon after that, he did not have exclusive authority in the early church.

Much to the contrary Peter had to explain himself to his fellow apostles more than once. We are also told that there was a counsel of apostles who made the rules for the church. Furthermore, in Matthew 18:18 Jesus said that the leaders of church would have the authority to bind and loose, meaning forbid and allow.

And so, we can see that while Peter had an important role to fulfill, he did not have exclusive authority in the early church. Another misunderstanding about the Savior’s words is in the idea that Peter is the gatekeeper of the “pearly gates”- meaning heaven.

There are numerous jokes and cartoons about souls encountering peter seeking entrance into heaven.
My favorite one is about someone in heaven who comes to Peter and asks him- “Who are all these new people?” He replies- “I have no idea.” When he was asked how that could be since he is the gate keeper, Peter answers- “I don’t not know because Jesus has been helping people into heaven over the back fence again, just like he has done before.”

The story reminds us that it really is God through Jesus, and not Peter, who is in charge of granting or denying salvation and thus access to heaven. This confirms that the foundation for Christ’s Church is not Peter himself, but rather his confession of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God. And this means all Christians have a part in being responsible for the building of the church, upon the foundation Jesus laid.

So, we see how the Bible also offers examples of God asking questions in order to motivate people to think, in order to help them learn more about him and his will. Let us close with the most important question Jesus asks: “Who do you say that I am? It is a question to think about and act upon, again and again, because as we age and encounter more life experiences, blessings, and trials, the answer remains an important guide for us. Amen

08/23/2026

Join us for worship this morning.

Petersburg-Bethel Presbyterian ChurchAugust 23, 2026Rev. Lori Dan...

08/16/2026

Sermon Summary Is 56:1-8 & Mt 15:1-20
When commissioned in 1936, the Queen Mary was the most awe-inspiring ocean-going vessel in the world.
The ship was retired from regular passenger service in 1967 after making 1,001 Atlantic Ocean crossings, and transporting troops during World War Two.

The ship had three great smokestacks, which during her decades of service, had at least 30 coats of paint applied to them. When the smokestacks were removed for maintenance after her decommissioning, it was discovered that they were nothing but shells. They crumbled when they lifted off the liner and placed on the docks. It was then discovered that the steel smokestacks had rusted so badly that only the paint held them together. The shiny paint made them look great on the outside, while the inside of them had decayed.

This story can be a metaphor for the pharisees who confronted Jesus. The Savior, used examples from his time, but the message is the same. He warned his opponents and warns his followers today to not let pleasant appearances, or speech that is pleasing to us lead us to assume all is well.

God, we are reminded looks beyond words and actions into the heart. The Lord knows our motivations and the sincerity of, or lack of our devotion to him. This, of course, is not just a New Testament teaching, but the same message fills the Old Testament.

Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Joel 2:13 proclaims: “Do not tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead. return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love….”

In Psalm 51, a repentant king David prayed: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” All of these verses and many more connect us to Jesus’ words to the pharisees, the crowd, and to his disciples.

The reading from Isaiah 56 touches upon the same theme, as it tells the Israelites, whom God will soon be returning to Jerusalem, God’s will for them. The prophet describes how to worship the Lord with their lives.
Foreigners, eunuchs and others are acceptable to God, even if not to God’s people, when they keep the sabbath and the other commandments. The Lord will not forget those who were devoted to him, and that will be their legacy. The same is true for the remnant that remained in the promised land, and for returning exiles.

The worship of all will be pleasing to the Lord when they also honor the sabbath and the other nine commandments. But the warning is given that acceptable worship is not simply going through the motions of religion. People must also uphold justice and do what is right in God’s sight in their daily lives.

To worship God, remember is not just to practice religion, it is to live by faith in the Lord in ways that enable our lives to reflect of love of God. Added to this is the love of others that propel us to do what is right and just. To live otherwise is to be a hypocrite in the original meaning of the word.

The word originally describes someone who puts on a mask and plays a role; what we would call today acting. The bible warns while we may fool others and perhaps at times ourselves, God sees within. This is a warning to all believers to not play a role but to truly follow Jesus. Sadly, there have been and still are instances when Christians have not been just or done what is right.

More harm and cruelty have been done in the name of Jesus than we would like to think about or admit; all of which goes against the Lord’s command to love. This brings us back to the Savior’s words to the pharisees, and his warning about what is clean and unclean.

All Jesus said, which is recorded in the gospel reading from Matthew- is relevant to his followers today, including what he said about tradition. The pharisees challenged Jesus to explain why he permits his disciples to break the oral laws, called also the tradition of the elders.
These were rules not given by God, but instituted later as a way of applying the Torah in life. The issue over hand washing was not about germs or hygiene, but was a reference to ritual washing before meals. The pharisees in particular were anxious to have all Jews follow this and other ritual purity rules.

Again, this kind of washing of hands and forearms was not required by God, but in the eyes of the scribes and pharisees it rose to the same level. Jesus was not saying all tradition is wrong, but rather it is only valuable when it compliments God’s law.

To place tradition of any kind on an equal basis to the Ten Commandments which teach love of God and love of others is wrong. While the pharisees might have been sincere in their outward devotions, they were also sincerely wrong to think those practices alone pleased God.

Remember Micah 6:8- “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Sadly, many religious people in the time of Jesus and even today forget this. Outward practice of religion, worship that honors and pleases God is an extension of our relationship with him.

While there may be times due to outer or inner turmoil the best we can do is put on a good face and go through the motions in our daily lives and worship, as a practice this is not good. Making a habit of going through the motions in worship services or serving God does us little good, when our hearts are far from God. This is what Jesus meant when he spoke about not becoming unclean by what we eat or drink.

Some of what we consume might not be beneficial to our body, indeed it can at time be harmful; however, nothing we eat or drink can touch our souls. Instead, it is what is in our hearts-that causes sin. Our inner state of being leads to words, actions, or a failure to do so in ways that please or displease God.

Real faith in God is not found in being busy, but in our relationship with the Lord. And this relationship is rooted in our hearts, minds, and souls. Jesus’ opponents either did not understand or accept this truth.
Jesus accused the pharisees of spiritual blindness because -they thought following tradition was a sign of their virtue and righteousness.

They even used tradition as a reason to allow themselves and others to not fully abide by the commandment to honor your father and mother. You see the tradition of the elders allowed a man to dedicate money to God or the temple.

The problem was, this sometimes meant a son whose parents were in need of support could get out of helping them, because he promised his money to God. Jesus was teaching God’s demand to care for your parents was more important than this tradition. This was only one example of how some pharisees placed human made laws above God’s commands.

Remember, love is central to understanding and following the Ten Commandments. Jesus emphasized this when he said the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and soul, and mind. And he said this is tied to the command to love your neighbor as yourself.

The first half of the Ten Commandments teach how to love God and the second focus on how to love others. Any religious words or practices that violate either love of God or love of neighbor as self, fail to follow God’s will. Worship services and worshiping God in our lives must flow out of love, or it is not authentic.

Jesus knows our hearts will not always be right, which is why he came to die for our sin. His words also warn us to not blindly follow other leaders of any kind or blindly follow our own desires. This is why knowing and admitting our hearts, and the hearts of others, are not always in the right place and often turn from, God is so important. Realizing this is the first step of a repentance, that leads us back to our relationship with God.
God has promised to show us compassion and forgiveness when our repentance is sincere. And this promise is sealed in the blood of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Jesus saves us and the Holy Spirit transforms us so we might better maintain justice and do what is right in God’s sight.

May our hearts be more and more open to the Lord that our worship together or alone be a true reflection of our love for the Lord our Savior and God. May we worship God in our lives by seeking justice for all and doing what is right in God’s sight. Amen

08/16/2026

Join us for worship this morning.

Petersburg-Bethel Presbyterian ChurchAugust 16, 2026Rev. Lori Dan...

08/09/2026

Sermon Summary: 1 Kings 19:7-16 & Matthew 14:22-33 “God With Us in Calm and Storms”

Fear is a powerful force in both of today’s Scripture readings. It is also a common human emotion; one intended to help with self-preservation. Of course, like with all other emotions in people, we at times let them control us rather than warn or guide us.

I came across a wonderful acronym for fear, it says: Forget Everything And Run! The flight response to fear is well documented, as is the fight response. But at times fear can cause us to freeze-to not be able to think or act or even speak. Other times people may respond to fear by trying to do several things at once.

The prophet Elijah offers us an example of fear causing one to flee. In all fairness to him it will help for us to see a little of what had been happening in his life and service to the Lord. He was called to proclaim to king Ahab, queen Jezebel and the people of Israel God’s judgement.

They did not repent, and when at his command, Elijah prayed for the rain to stop it did for a few years, while the prophet found refuge outside of Israel. While staying with a non-Jewish widow and her young son, God provided food for them. and when the boy died, Elijah prayed and God brought him back to life.

Then God commanded him to pray for rain and it did. but the repentance of the king and people was short lived. Jezebel’s influence was strong, which led Elijah to challenge 450 prophets of Baal to a test to see who worshipped the living God.

While Baal did not respond to his prophets, God sent fire from heaven to burn Elijah’s sacrifice. Elijah then commanded the people to kill all of the prophets of Baal, which not surprisingly, enraged Jezebel.
She sent a message to Elijah promising she would kill him by the next day.

The faithful prophet, who again and again experienced God’s power working through him, had by that time reached physical, mental, and spiritual burnout. He became so overwhelmed with fear Elijah panicked and fled as far and fast as he was able. When he went far enough into the wilderness and felt safe, he stopped and told God he had had enough and he wanted to die.

His overwork, along with feeling stress and discouragement plunged Elijah into a deep depression, and then he fell further into despair. Naturally God told him to stop feeling sorry for himself, to get a grip and have faith. Oh wait-that is not how God responded to Elijah’s feelings, words, and action.

First, God let him sleep. next, after a while, God sent an angel to wake him and make him eat and drink.
Then God let Elijah sleep some more, before waking him again and making him eat and drink a second time. After he felt strong enough to move, he traveled again, this time not fleeing away, but going towards God’s Mountain. Elijah spent the night in a cave there and was ready to listen when God spoke.

Notice, the Lord still did not scold him or command his prophet to get back to work right now.
Instead, God asks him why he has come to the mountain, and then God listens. Elijah freely vents all of his frustration and disappointment. His words suggest he felt like a failure, which implies he was also upset with God.

The Lord promises to give him a revelation and commands him to be ready to stand before him, because he would come to his prophet. The lord unleashes forces of nature that often were understood to be signs of God’s presence and power. There was a hurricane force wind storm, this was followed by an earthquake, and then came fire. but the prophet did not sense God’s presence in any of those things, although he probably expected to.

Finally, there was nothing but a profound silence, and it was in the calm Elijah felt Ggod’s presence.
He stood outside the cave and listened until he heard a gentile whisper, a still small voice. God comes to him in peace and gentleness, and asks again why Elijah has come to the mountain.
The prophet repeats how, in spite of his faithfulness to God’s commands, neither the people nor the king and queen have turned to the lord in repentance. He expresses his belief that he alone is faithful. Again, God listens and does not say Elijah is overreacting and needs to stop being negative.

Instead, God gives Elijah a new assignment. And this on the surface may seem like God has not heard anything his prophet has told him. It might seem to some a callous response to Elijah’s mental and emotional trauma. And yet in his new directions, the Lord is issuing a promise that all Elijah has said and done has not been in vain.

God gives him a message of hope by telling him to anoint a new king over Aram, and a new king over Israel. Implied in those commands is the promise the rule of the current kings is coming to an end. and God sees a new future that will soon come to pass. Those two kings, God promised, would be his instruments of divine justice.

Finally, Elijah is told to anoint Elisha to be his eventual replacement. In this command the promise is made Elijah’s work will have an end, and yet Elisha will build on what Elijah has done, which has not been in vain. So, we can see that God really heard Elijah and responded directly to his words and feelings, in God’s own way.

And while Elijah at one point felt abandoned by God, he learned that the lord was with him. He also learned that God’s power can be found in quietness and gentleness, as much as in loud and powerful revelations.

This brings us to look at the gospel reading and the fear of the disciples, who are met by Jesus in the midst of a powerful storm. This incident happened after Jesus fed over 5000 people, in the miracle of the loaves and fishes. Then Jesus sent his disciples away to row across the water, while he dismissed the crowd and went to pray alone.

Then a storm came upon them in the boat and they struggled to control the boat and row to safety. What frightens them is seeing some form walking towards them on the water. They fear it is ghost, mostly like an evil spirit, come to harm them. Fear led to panic, until they hear a familiar voice. Jesus calls to them, identifying himself and offering reassurance to them.

One commentary on this gospel passage points out the powerful meaning of Jesus’ statement: “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.” The commentary says that the whole gospel message is wrapped up in the reassurance Jesus’ words offer. this indeed is something for us to think about.

There are many people who at times, like Elijah, may feel their lives or service to God is a failure. Other times, servants of evil seem to prosper while we wait for God to act. Or we face personal or family circumstances that are uncertain or frighting due to death, illness, finances. It can be helpful in these and at all times to remember Jesus’ promise he is with us always; and focus on his words “take heart it is I, do not be afraid.”

Yes, Jesus’ call to not fear because he is close by can be helpful in our lives, as can Peter’s response to Jesus. Impulsive and enthusiastic Peter, reacts with fear mixed with faith, and calls out to Jesus. Ii is as if Peter just has to do something to show his faith is greater than his fear.

This inspires him to ask Jesus to command him to walk on the water to him. The Lord does so, and Peter steps out onto the rough waters during the ongoing storm. He does really well until the wind and waves distract peter and he realizes what he is doing. Yes, Peter takes his focus off Jesus, and as expected begins to sink beneath the water; calling out to the Lord to save him.

The Lord expresses his disappointment that peter took his eyes off of him, letting fear overpower his faith. From Peter we can learn to both think before we act, which peter often did not do. And when we believe Jesus is calling us to respond with faith we should, just like Peter did.

We also need to learn from his failure to keep his focus on Jesus instead of what was happening around him. Let us also remember when he began to sink, Peter called out to the Lord. We are called to do the same. Jesus calls us to a faith that will seek and find the Lord in both calm and storms.

We can also learn from both Bible passages that even though things will not always go our way, even when we are serving God, the Lord is still with us. The ongoing message of all of Scripture is about God’s faithful love and the promise of his presence with us always.

Truly, faith is not ignoring difficulties or pretending there is never any reason to feel afraid. Instead, it is focusing on God, through prayer and scripture, in all circumstances. And faith is learning to listen to his call in the sound of silence, as well as in the noise of the storm. Amen