Acts 27:27-44

This scripture guide is adapted from the Summer Settings sermon guide.

For purposes of practicality and relatability, this series considers the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea “oceans.”  The point is to relate our present-day affinity for the ocean, seashore, and beach to the ancients’ experiences with expansive bodies of salt water that take a long time to traverse. 

The Church as a Ship

One of the earliest symbols for the church was a ship.  This was a significant departure from the historic non-association of the Hebrews and Israelites with the sea and seaborne trade.  Their images were a mount and temple, their sacrifices livestock, birds, and grain, their feet on solid ground.  Yet they did not shy away from oceanic…