The 9th Sunday after Pentecost - It is I; do not be afraid.

There's a form of the Prayers of the People that ends this way:  “When our eyes open, may it not be to end our devotions, but to expect your kingdom.”  Perhaps that should be broadened to this:  “When we gather to worship on Sunday, may it not be just to find solace and experience fellowship, but to expect your reign.”  What we say we hope for in the Lord's Prayer is God's kingdom to come—which we also describe as the reign of God or God's dominion.

Scripture describes the contrast between how things are now and what things will be like when God reigns.  That's what the miraculous signs and wonders in the stories in the Gospels mean!  We can also get glimpses of character of the reign of God in the legends of the saints.

In our gospel reading today we have the disciples in a boat experiencing difficult conditions.  Then they see Jesus.  The anxiety or fear they have felt because of the wind and rough seas becomes focused on Jesus.  Is this a vision, a ghost or really Jesus?  In fact, we know Jesus' presence—in whatever form—is the true Presence, because of the words the disciples hear, “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.”

Jesus uses the name of God that Moses and the ancient Hebrews discerned as they sought to know God—“I am who I am” or “I will be who I will be.”  Four simple letters is Hebrew—YHWH—becomes in Greek ego emmi, or as is translated in English in our reading this morning “ . . . it is I.  So God, present in Jesus, offers a glimpse of God's reign, in the words that follow—“do not be afraid.”

What does this glimpse of God's reign mean for us?  Until its full manifestation at the end of time, we can see it breaking through in some small—and not so small—ways.  In our prayers we may find that our eyes do become opened to see God's goodness in new ways.

Our human nature may cling to fear when we feel a situation spirals out of our control—weather, disease, violence.   An appropriate amount of fear can protect us sometimes, leading us to more careful and safer choices.  But when fear overwhelms us, we may find ourselves angry or critical or bitter or vengeful—with these negative emotions often directed toward someone innocent who just happens to be nearby.

God's reign will banish fear!! And since we believe that God's reign began with the life, death and resurrection of Jesus—although right now we can only see glimpses of it—let us reflect for a moment on how it could appear in our own lives and the in life of this Christian community. . .


Especially today we pray for healing, as people come forward to receive the laying on of hands and anointing.  We need to ask for God's help in overcoming our fear--sometimes experienced as worry--when we confront illness or serious difficulties.  An illness can be cured miraculously--with no discoverable reason for the cure--but healing is so much more than this.  Healing means finding the peace and love of God in all the circumstances of our lives.  Healing means knowing that Jesus' presence in our lives can free us from fear.  Healing is indeed a glimpse of God's reign!