I've never done a blog before - never blogged? Is it a verb? Anyway, here goes...

This morning while walking with my two dogs and an Anglican friend, I was thinking about how much of a step it has been to move from our local traditional Anglican church to the Quaker meeting. Suddenly, into my head popped the story of Jesus walking on the waves and Peter stepping out of the boat. The story is something like this: 

Jesus had been praying all night, while the disciples went off fishing in a boat. In the morning, at first light, Jesus went out to them, walking on the water. It was stormy and they were fighting the wind when they saw Him. Naturally, they were terrified and he spoke to reassure them, 'Fear not, it is I.'

Peter said, 'Lord, if it's you, command me to walk to you on the water.' To which Jesus replied, 'Come.' Peter then climbed out of the boat and headed across the waves towards Jesus, but when he saw the waves, he was afraid and began to sink. He cried out 'Lord, save me.' Jesus immediately reached out his hand, grabbed Peter and together they climbed into the boat.

The point for me was that when Peter was in the boat, he was already in the middle of the 'Church' at that time, after all the other disciples were in the boat with him and Jesus was coming out to meet them. He was assured of a relationship with Jesus, but he wanted something more. When Peter stepped out of the boat, he turned physically away from the other disciples and faced towards Jesus in search of a deeper relationship with Jesus. Of course, to do so was to take a risk, Peter became overwhelmed by the task and began to sink. However, despite the apparent danger, Jesus was always in control and seized Peter the moment Peter asked for help.

In a way, stepping out of the safe 'boat' of Anglicanism is a risk, but if the reward is a deeper and deepening relationship with God, then the risk is worth it. Our faith life depends on the way we are facing: back into the boat or forwards towards the Lord. The moment we are 'out of our depth', like Peter, we can cry out, and we can be assured of an answer.