This week, we're in Mark 6:45-56. This is the famous passage of Jesus walking on the water, followed by a completely non-famous passage about his healing work in Gennesaret. And as we come to this passage, we will end up talking a lot about paradigms. Paradigms are funny things. They're wildly important because they control the way in which we understand the world around u...
Keep ReadingThis Sunday's sermon text (Mark 6:30-44) will move us from the halls of Herod's palace out to the lakeside country. From a royal feast with all of the important, influential people in attendance to a crowd of peasants and farmers who forgot to bring dinner in their rush to hear the new prophet speak. The manipulation, lies, violence and twisted morality of the royal family...
Keep ReadingYou might have missed the news that two days after Christmas last month, Islamic State terrorists beheaded 10 Christians in Nigeria in retaliation for the death of one it leaders. It's a grim reminder that the forces of darkness are still coming after Christians, and that there is intense, brutal persecution still going on around the world. This Sunday's passage, Mark 6:14...
Keep ReadingHave you ever gone back to your hometown after being away for a few years? Sometimes those visits are wonderful, but often they can be disappointing or even painful. Perhaps you expect people to be very glad to see you, but then your interactions don't quite live up to that. Maybe you're just reminded of how glad you are that you left and have made a new life somewhere els...
Keep ReadingHappy New Year to you all! I hope that this holiday season has been a blessed one for all of you. I also hope that those of you that have been sick are on the mend! As we look forward to a big 2020, I think it's fitting that we talk about our passage for this week. We've finished our series in the Psalms for Advent, and we're hopping back into our series on Mark this week....
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