It was mid January when the Costa Concordia ran aground off the tiny Tuscan island of Giglio. Yet stories relating to its sinking continue to fill the news. According to the most recent reports, 32 people of the more than 4200 passengers and crew are believed to have died, with 17 confirmed dead at the time of this writing. And this despite an abundance of modern navigational technology on a calm Mediterranean night.

By contrast, another magnificent ship—the ark upon which Noah and his family sailed—had no sophisticated instrumentation. In addition, a global storm of which there has been no equal likely raged as the flood waters came upon the earth. Yet, the ark enjoyed smooth sailing. After more than one year, its vast cargo of passengers—human and animal alike—were brought safely through the waters.

Of course, the ark did have one major advantage. God was watching over it in a very special way. That is not to say that God was not watching over the Costa Concordia or that He does not take interest in other modern ships. But the ark, unlike most other ships had only God as its pilot; and when God pilots a ship, He does it right.

That’s what we believe about His more recent ship. I am speaking of the ark of the Christian Church. Just as eight people were delivered from a sinful world and the water that destroyed it by entering the safety of Noah’s ark, so millions of people are still being delivered from the sinful world today by entering the Church of Jesus. His Church has been compared to an ark—a place of safety where the waters of holy baptism drown the sinful man/woman that lives within us.

As a result, we do not fear running aground. As passengers within the ark which God Himself is piloting, we know that there will be no 165 foot long gashes piercing the walls of the Church. For Jesus was pierced for us. He became the victim of our ship’s disaster. And by His blood, we are being brought safely to a new destination—God’s heavenly shore!

In His service,

Pastor Richard A. Frey