Building A Relationship With God

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle A

1 Kings 19: 9a, 11-13a; Romans 9: 1-5; 

Matthew 14: 22-33

In today's Gospel, Jesus has sent the apostles ahead of him on a boat, while he takes some alone time to pray with the Father. A storm blows in and the boat is endangered. Jesus walks across the water to the apostles, who mistake him for a ghost. “Fear not, it is I,” says the Lord.

In our first reading today, we hear of Elijah's expectations about where and how to see God. He looks for him in the wind, in the earthquake, in fire, and finally finds Him in the tiny whispering sound.

We have just heard two completely different accounts about relating to God. What should an encounter with God should look like?

Our faith journey with God is not a linear one. It does not go from A to B to C. The journey more closely resembles a “Family Circus” cartoon. It moves forward. It backs up. It loops around. It stops. It starts. It side-steps. This is normal.

No two faith journeys are the same. They are as individual as we are. There is no right way or wrong way to encounter God.

Our own journey of faith may be in various stages and all of these are OK. We may have a childlike relationship with God in which we call out to Him in desperation like Peter did when he was about to go under – Save me! And Jesus did just that. Jesus didn't say, I'll come rescue you when you have a mature faith. No, Jesus met Peter where he was, - in his fear.

Where do we find God? Where do we look? Where do we expect to find Him?

In the noisy, messy relationships we have with our loved ones? If that is where we are, God will make Himself known to us there. In the chaos of a crisis? God will calm the sea. When life is moving along OK? We may see God in the beauty of nature. In the joy of the birth of a child? God will be there to celebrate with us.

Elijah experienced God in the quiet stillness of a whisper. We know that we are created in the image of God. Perhaps we can take some time to ponder that relationship of the God within us – to settle ourselves and listen.

Wherever we are on our faith journey, God is there. All relationships take time and effort to nurture. We sustain friendships with other people by continually renewing them with conversation. We rekindle old friendships by making a phone call, taking the time from our daily routine. We hear much talk about spending “quality time” together with out families. How do we nurture our relationship with God?

Peter is invited to walk with Jesus. Peter leaves the boat, walking on the water. His journey lasts but a few steps before fear and disbelief set in, and Peter, the rock, begins to sink.

Frightened of his situation, Peter utters a simple prayer to Jesus: “Lord, save me!” It is a universal plea that I am certain we have all uttered at one time or another. “Lord, save me!” This prayer is usually spoken when the situation is dire, and the outcome seems hopeless. “Lord, save me!”

There are times in life when circumstances dictate that we fall back again to that primal prayer - “Lord, help me!” Hopefully though, our interactions with God will become more substantive. In other words, we don't just call on God when we need something. We set aside time for God – not just one hour on Sunday – but other times as well. We tell God what we are feeling. We listen for that tiny whispering voice that says “I am with you.”

Deacon Darryl Diemer
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time
August 10, 2014

Painting:  Lorenzo Venezianco, Christ Rescuing Peter From Drowning, 1370.