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Sermon August 9, 2020
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers,
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Tenth Sunday After Pentecost, Proper 14, Year A, Track 2
http://www.lectionarypage.net/YearA_RCL/Pentecost/AProp14_RCL.html
But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ Matthew 14:30-31
One time I was able to me Barbara Feldon. Do you remember or know who she is? She played Agent 99 on the TV show Get Smart.
Ms. Feldon had gotten connected to Girls Incorporated. I was the executive director of the organization in Harrisburg. Each year Girls Incorporated held a fundraising luncheon at the Waldorf Astoria at noon. The organization invited staff and participants in the program to come to this luncheon. We were seated at different tables and, really, we barely had a chance to eat because we were peppered with questions the whole time. It was quite an experience. The service at the Waldorf is something I will always remember. And the reactions of the young women and the adults were priceless too. Many had never been to New York City and were excited to see the tall buildings and the many limousines.
The luncheons also honored and highlighted various distinguished women. The reporter Charlayne Hunter Gault is one of the people I remember meeting and hearing.
One year as we were waiting for the luncheon to begin I spied Barbara Feldon. I excitedly pointed her out to my group of staff and young women. There’s "Agent 99 from Get Smart.” I said. The young women attending the luncheon looked at me puzzled. They had never heard of her.
Later on that afternoon I was able to go up and speak to her. I apologized for being excited and only thinking of her as Agent 99. She said on the contrary that those were very good years and she didn't mind that I was excited to meet her. I was then able to connect with her a couple of other times. She actually was from Pittsburgh and we had that Pennsylvania connection. She was so kind and easy to talk to and very interested in what was happening with the young women.
Once she agreed to send in a recording for an event that honored women in communications in the Harrisburg area. In her recording, she shared this poem, which was written in the 1960s by Christopher Logue: (https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/312273-come-to-the-edge-we-might-fall-come-to-the )
Come to the edge he said
we can't we’re afraid they responded
come to the edge he said
we can't we will fall they said
come to the edge he said
and so they came
and he pushed them
and they flew
As I was reading the familiar story in our Gospel today about how Jesus walked on the water, what caught my attention this time was Peter. Not Peter sinking into the water, but Peter first of all, having the courage to ask Jesus to help him walk across the water. And then as he started to sink, asking Jesus to save him. Jesus didn't let him sink. Jesus immediately reached out his hand and brought him up out of the water.
Most often I think in this story we remember the rebuke, “you of little faith.” And we feel badly for Peter and for ourselves that we don't have more faith. But I think we need to remember the courage it takes, the courage it took Peter, to ask Jesus for what we call the “leap of faith.”
What excites you, but fear is holding you back from taking the next step? Something that you keep getting drawn toward or keeps coming up as you live your life? It doesn’t have to be as huge as asking Jesus to walk on the water and it has to be like what Peter must have felt when he asked Jesus to walk on the water.
We might say Peter was too impulsive and should have thought more about it before he asked. We might think Peter should have considered every angle of what might and could happen. Prudence and consideration certainly have their place.
Yet, we must consider that we really could accomplish that thing that keeps calling us and seems elusive. We must consider that we could walk on the water. We must consider that we could come to the edge and fly.
The great thing about taking that “leap of faith,” is that we do not do it alone. Peter was part of a group of Disciples led by Jesus. He was not alone when it didn’t work out. We are not alone. We have each other and this church called Nativity and St. Stephen. If we will reach out to each other and share our dreams and our fears. Sharing ourselves with each other is challenging. We don’t like to feel that vulnerable. But it is this community working and striving to live as Christ taught, that provides the safety to take the leap of faith.
When Peter became afraid and started to sink, Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him. Yes, the text says, Immediately. The text says that Jesus caught him.
We have Jesus and we have each other and this community. Like Peter, when we take that risk, we can cry, “Lord, save me!” and Jesus will immediately be there and catch us. And so will this community.
Amen
