Mark’s narrative begins with with an introduction of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and Son of God. Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming the kingdom of God is near, and continued by teaching, healing, and exorcising. Now, in a pinnacle moment of the gospel, Jesus delegates this same messianic, saving work to the disciples. … More Happy Founding of the Church Day!
When people in the ancient stories crossed water, they were moving from something into something new – liberation, new mission, new creation. As the disciples move across the sea with Jesus, they are struck by a storm that interrupts there journey. But Jesus is there with them in the boat, and it is Jesus who invites them to greater understanding and faith. As we walk through the pandemic, do we recognize Jesus with us, or do we complain that he is asleep in the stern. … More A Little Grace to Dispel the Storm
This parable is an invitation to sit in the parabolic room of faith – to listen and perceive. This parable is also a way of understanding that Jesus is describing something mysterious and beyond perfect comprehension.
… More An Invitation to the Room of Faith
Jesus challenges us today to look beyond our borders and our walls, to see beyond any of the myriad self-imposed lines that we draw: religion, denomination, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and economic status – even the line of faith. God invites us to expand our family today in ways that are just as shocking as it was to Mark’s first-century audience.
We must be careful not to fall for the temptations of power, wealth, and lust that were a constant temptation to Israel and have always tempted humanity. For those who would name themselves Christian – that is, followers of Jesus the Christ – the challenge is to shift the allegiance away from the kingdoms and ideologies of this world unto the kingdom of God. We are invited to hold on to our hope in Christ – for justice, peace, and life – remaining strong against the repercussions that will come, staying faithful and refusing those “values” that don’t produce and demonstrate love. After all, to quote the Most Rev’d. Michael Curry, “If it’s not about love, it’s not about God.”
… More Where are you?
The power of the Nicodemus narrative is the way in which we readers, thousands of years later, are invited ourselves to be transformed. We are transformed not by information and facts but by God’s reality in creation. We are transformed because we have become witnesses not to an ideology but to the movement of God. We stand alongside Nicodemus bound by our physical bodies and limited perspective, and invited likewise to participate in the movement of God. … More The Divine Flow
We need to gather as God’s people right now and ask the Holy Spirit to instruct us, shape us, remake us, and commission us. We need a fresh language of bridge-building and new words to rekindle joy. We need the wind and fire of God to transform us and wrestle us from our complacency. It’s time for us to speak new words and tell new stories, to create new relationships and kindle old love. Here’s the thing: No matter how passionately I disagree with your opinions and beliefs, I cannot disagree with your experience. Once I have learned to hear and speak your story in the words that matter most to you, then I have stakes I never had before. I can no longer thrive at your expense. I can no longer make you my Other.
The Spirit broke down barriers on that Pentecost by loosening the tongues of the disciples and by opening the ears of the crowd so that they were able to hear each other. God compelled the disciples to engage, to press in, to linger, listen, and speak.
The Spirit has come, and silence is no longer an option.
… More The Spirit has come, silence is no longer an option.
