Boat

The Church is never compared to a boat in Scripture, but around the third century, Christians recognized a parallel to their own experience in the gospel stories that involved a boat. As a symbol for the Church, the boat helped them envision how to remain faithful followers of Jesus while their community was rocked by horrific persecution, political upheaval, and doctrinal disputes. It’s no wonder that these early brothers and sisters saw their own story in the plight of the apostles in a sinking boat, crying out to Jesus, ​“Teacher, don’t you care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38)

Our boats may be rocked by different waves, but we can find encouragement in this symbol, too.

In the gospels, the boat is a sacramental space for learning to see that God is intimately concerned with the everyday work and struggles of his people. Labor is not separate from discipleship. In the same way, life in the Church must integrate following Christ with the fullness of our daily experiences — our vocations, relationships, and public interactions.

A friend of mine was able to ride in a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee that was similar to the ones the disciples used. She marveled at its size — much larger than you’d think. There’s no way one person could have managed a fishing boat like that alone, she observed. We need one another — in our local congregations and as the wider Church — in order to proclaim the gospel and be fishers of men.

The idea of working together as the ship’s crew is reflected in nautical elements in church architecture. The 4^th century Apostolic Constitutions gives these instructions: ​“Call an assembly of the Church, as one command[ing] a great ship,… charging the deacons as mariners to prepare places for the brethren as for passengers… Let the building be long, with its head to the east, with its vestries on both sides at the east end, and so it will be like a ship.”The place where the people sit in some church buildings is still called the nave (related to our words ​“navy” and ​“navigate”). You could even say that any physical space where we gather for Christian worship, learning, service, and fellowship becomes a holy vessel.

Finally, in the gospels, the boat is a place where hearts are revealed. At sea, the disciples must face their limits, fears, failures, and under-formed faith. But Jesus turns the boat into an intimate classroom to instruct and heal them. He tells his friends, ​“Do not fear,” and provides experiences
to build their faith. Here they witness miracles, learn to recognize Jesus’ voice, and, most importantly, spend time with their Master.

Disciples today are still ​“in the boat” with Jesus. Following him means journeying together as local congregations and pulling together as the Church universal. So what happens if we sense the boat veering off course or see great storms on the horizon? In these moments we may wonder whether we should jump ship. But sticking it out together in the Church is a critical means God is using to transform us from selfish, bent creatures into radiant, Christlike partners in the kingdom of God.