Week of Epiphany 2, Year One
[Go to Mission St Clare for an online version of the Daily Office including today’s scripture readings.]
Today’s Readings for the Daily Office:
Psalms 31 (morning) // 35 (evening)
Isaiah 45:18-25
Ephesians 6:1-9
Mark 4:35-41
The gospel text for this morning has inspired me to keep my thoughts brief and get a bit more sleep.
In today’s gospel, the disciples find Jesus infuriatingly asleep on their boat as they try to cope with the turmoil of wind and waves. While they were full of fear and worry, there was Jesus “in the stern, asleep on the cushion.” He wasn’t reacting, fighting, or even calmly meditating. His consciousness was completely free and detached from his turbulent and overwhelming environment, his head resting on a comfortable pillow.
The disciples accuse Jesus of being uncaring, but what Jesus wants to give them isn’t a big reaction or show of sympathy. Instead, he wants to give them (and us) a sense of peace, stillness, and faith. So, rather than grabbing a bucket or joining the panic, Jesus commands the wind and the sea to calm down.
Perhaps it’s easier said than done, but, when life gives us winds and waves, we might consider sleeping through the storm. Surely some extra sleep can’t hurt.
Lora Walsh blogs about taking risks and seeking grace at A Daily Scandal. She serves as curate of Grace Episcopal Church in Siloam Springs and as director of the Ark Fellows, an Episcopal Service Corps program sponsored by St. Paul’s in Fayetteville, Arkansas.