Water-walking

Recently I was reading the story of Peter jumping out of the boat to join Jesus in, as Leonard Sweet puts it, some “water-walking.” Peter was so fixated on Jesus he fought past reason. He didn’t see the wind and waves; he saw Jesus. That’s why his first words were ones of hope, “Lord, if it is really you, tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him.

Can you imagine the thrill Peter must have felt? He was walking on the water, just like Jesus! He was the talk of the boat. I wonder how many other disciples considered joining Peter? Were they inspired by Peter’s step of faith or were they jealous, fearful and angry?

Whatever their speculation, it all came crashing down when Peter’s faith morphed into fear as he took his eyes off Jesus and began to consider what he was actually doing.

But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

Peter became consumed by his surroundings and then his surroundings began to consume him. He took his eyes off Jesus.

When faith gives way to fear we are consumed with all things immediate and all things human. When faith gives way to fear we lose sight of Jesus and focus on the wind and waves. Peter’s attention moved from the person of Jesus to his personal circumstances. Peter lost sight of the power of Jesus.

I see this challenge as the same whether I apply it to my personal life, the life of my church, or the life of our denomination. We need to be so preoccupied with Jesus that He becomes the lens through which we view life, not the other way around. Our churches need to be so preoccupied with Jesus that we really believe His words in Matthew: “I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out” (16:18, The Message).

We are not a fearful minority. We are not an ethnic enclave. We are the body of Christ and our mission is to declare the truth, the power, the love and freedom of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not even the gates of hell can stop us!

I know we believe that verse is true but many of us are not convinced that the church Jesus is referring to is the church we attend. Well, God intends your church and my church to be that church!

When I consider the future of the Canadian MB Conference I see us stepping out in faith to engage in the “water-walking” Jesus invites us to. I see the church as “the hope of the world” and the Conference as an encourager, supporter, equipper and motivator for the ministry of the local church.

Mennonite Brethren churches in Canada enjoy the benefit of being built on a foundation steeped in “water-walking.” Our spiritual forebears stepped out in faith to pursue the work of the Holy Spirit that became the MB church. Many of those early “water-walkers” stepped out in faith to immigrate to Canada.

Today we need to step out in faith to be a people who are informed by our past but with eyes clearly focused on Jesus who is inviting us to be “water-walkers” with a vibrant faith, which takes us through the wind and the waves in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Executive Board of the Canadian Conference will be working with the survey results being gathered coast to coast. In the months ahead I will outline a clearer picture of our future as a denomination. Please pray for the Board and executive staff as we meet to pray and consider the feedback we are receiving from around the country.

Jesus is inviting us to join Him in the midst of the wind and waves to live supernatural lives as “water-walkers.” Jesus is inviting us to be consumed with Him rather than the challenges we face. Jesus’ invitation is the same to us as it was to Peter: “Come on!”

Willy Reimer is pastor of Sunwest Christian Fellowship in Calgary and the moderator of the Canadian MB Conference.