Mark 5:1-5

Mark 5:1-5 

English Standard Version 

  Sin isolates.  It always has, and it always will.  No matter what the sin is, it isolates us in some way, because sin has both a vertical and horizontal component.  It worms its way into our relationships and separates us, one from another, often slowly and subtly, but we end up on our own -- this man shows us the endgame of sin, where we're isolated and in pain -- this is the road sin wants to lead us each down, and we see Jesus pursuing him, just as Jesus pursues us, no matter where sin leads.

  So one way to fight against sin and its influence is to find people with whom you can be honest and forthright about your failures.  This is so hard for us, as members of a culture that celebrates success and hides any flaw or hint of failure, but it's key, because we're vulnerable and can confess, which can break the power of sin and the hold it has, preventing it from separating us -- the act of confession can actually bring us closer if we let it, pointing always to Jesus when we see healing and celebrate the pursuit of the love of God.

Mark 4:35-41

Mark 4:35-41 

English Standard Version 

  So as we're reading this, we read it as an isolated incident, a miracle that Jesus performs.  But it's so much more than this -- when we hear this, it should take us back to Genesis 1, when there was nothing other than watery chaos, and God spoke over all that there was, and then there was order.  God's voice brought order to the chaos.  To see Jesus do the same is to directly link him back to Genesis 1 and recognize that Jesus carries the same authority over the watery wind and storms, over the chaos, and that Jesus' voice also has creative powers.  To see him command the storms to be calm is to witness the author of creation exercise God's power.  To perform such a miracle, one could be no less than God, which means Jesus isn't just a wise teacher full of inspiring quotes, but very God of very God.  To invite someone like this into your life isn't to bring a consultant in who can advise you on how to improve -- it's to bring the Lord of creation in to worship and adore God in everything we are and do.

Mark 4:30-34

Mark 4:30-34 

English Standard Version 

  I think my favorite thing about following Jesus would've been the way he used things in the world around himself to point to God.  He had created all of it and so he knew it intimately, and he understood that it all pointed to God and existed to give God glory.  The whole of creation tells a story, and Jesus cared enough to listen.  Nowadays, it's so easy to get lost in ourselves, in whatever story that we are telling, that we miss the story creation is telling, that nature is singing, because we're so focused on the critical nature of here and now.  Jesus slows us down, takes us into the natural world, and makes us look around, makes us listen, and then takes all of the strands in the world and shows us how they lead back to God. 

  So as we walk, as we wait, may we listen, may we watch, and see how the world is pointing us to Christ.  It takes a slow heart to hear such cries, but it's an investment worth making!

Mark 4:26-29

Mark 4:26-29 

English Standard Version

  I sometimes watch the organist at church and I marvel at how she plays -- there's two sets of keyboards and what seems like 37 different pedals, as well as all the stops, and yet she knows how to manipulate all of it to make beautiful music.  It's a delight to watch organists plays, and the music is glorious.  I know not how it happens, but I'm glad it does.

  There are so many things that are simply beyond what my mind can grasp.  But that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate them -- I give thanks for flowers that unfold and for children that grow and for mountains that rise out of the sea.  Some of these things I understand pieces of it, but I know we're still learning so much.  As a people, we're learning about how we work with the bacteria that surround us and how nutrition in food works -- we know some basics, but every year we learn a little bit more.  I was listening to someone talk about how they knew carrots were healthy but they were still learning exactly why, and I laughed.  We are so limited, and yet we can still be in awe that it does work, that our bodies work as well as they do, that the planet keeps spinning and the flowers keep blooming.  Let us give thanks for the God that orchestrates all of it, and may we rejoice that the same God pours love and grace upon us, for God's mercies are new every morning.

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Also, the summary from yesterday's sermon can be found linked here.

Mark 4:21-25

Mark 4:21-25 

English Standard Version 

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  If you had to be judged based on how you judge others, how would you do?  It's easy to nitpick someone else's behaviors or words or choices.  But do you really stop and think about your own?  If so, we can easily come up with reasons to defend our choices -- but we often don't stop to give credit to the idea that someone else can also defend their choices!

  May we be compassionate towards one another, and may God's grace shine through us as we offer grace to one another, realizing that the more we exhale grace, it becomes the atmosphere we breathe in as well.

Mark 4:14-20

Mark 4:14-20 

English Standard Version 

  As I listen to Jesus explain the parable, lately I've been amazed at the vast amounts of seed the sower throws.  A good sower knows their soil -- they know where the rocky soil is, they know the path, they know the thorns.  They are not surprised that there is soil that is less proficient than others.  But the seed ends up there anyway -- the sower does not throw seed dependent on the soil, but the sower throws seed freely, so that all may receive, no matter how poorly receptive some soil may seem to be.  Who knows what might happen there?  I've seen plenty of trees and weeds grow through cracks that wouldn't seem capable of nourishing plant life, but there they are, and nature prevails as a determined force.

  

Mark 4:10-13

Mark 4:10-13 

English Standard Version 

  I could never see the pictures in those Magic Eye books.  I tried -- I read the instructions and held the books at the right distance and tried to focus my eyes... but it never worked.  Not once.  It was right in front of my face, but I never could see through the picture to what was beyond.

  Sometimes, it seems like Jesus was painting pictures with words that were like the Magic Eye.  There was a story, but there was another story behind it, and you had to listen with your ears and with your heart to truly understand what Jesus was trying to say.  He was painting a picture of a God of grace and glory, but it was so easy to be focused on what we've always known and miss the new story Jesus was telling.  

  We're often in the same boat today.  We think we know everything, and so we listen with our ears, but our hearts and attention may be drifting elsewhere.  We're focused on the next thousand things we have to do, and we're not really expecting God to say anything new anyway, so we float along.  

  May the Holy Spirit wake each of us up, and may we spend our time wisely with God.  God wants us, body and soul, to be focused on the mercies of God, which are new every morning.  May we be amazed and delighted, refreshed and renewed, and discover that the more of God we receive, the more we want.  

Mark 4:1-9

Mark 4:1-9 

English Standard Version 

  There's so many different ways to read this passage.  I've read and preached it countless times over the years, and it's grown and challenged me in different ways over the years.  That's one of the things that I love most about Scripture -- it's not some static book to memorize and then leave alone.  You never outgrow it -- it grows with us, and we see it in different ways through the years.  Characters that we didn't appreciate when we were younger make more sense as we mature, and some of our favorite stories are read differently when looked at through the lens of adulthood.  The Bible is immensely challenging and wondrous, always teaching us, always leading us, and for thousands of years it has been a lighthouse for us as we sail through civilization.  

  May we continue to turn to it, asking big questions, and letting God draw us closer, grow us up, and guide us as disciples of the living God.

Mark 3:31-35

Mark 3:31-35 

English Standard Version 

  This is such a hard verse for us to interpret in modern American life.  Our culture values friends as much as family, often moreso, and the community a person has is often one they've built.  In the first century, the family was multi-generational and far more rigidly defined -- family was everything.  For Jesus to be this inclusive of everyone was a radical departure, and it likely left some people with mouths agape as they tried to discern exactly what Jesus was saying.

  But what a gift it is to us -- no matter where we come from and how lost we may feel, we're welcomed into the family of God.  This isn't just any family -- it's the family currently comprised of the Creator of the Universe, God's Holy Spirit, and the Savior of the world.  

  I want to join that family -- and Jesus has arms open wide to let us in!

  Now imagine how we can change the world, every day, by taking that understanding out into the community and welcoming others into our church with the same radical spirit of inclusivity.

Mark 3:22-30

Mark 3:22-30 

English Standard Version 

  Sometimes, when you decide you don't like someone, you'll come up with any argument to put them in a bad light.  Every once in a while, you haven't thought it all the way through because you're angry, so you just say the first thing that comes to your mind and hope no one picks it apart.  Usually, we get away with this -- I feel like we're not a society that delves deeply into arguments anyway.  We tend to accept whatever is presented at face value, which is an entirely different problem for another day.  

  The Pharisees are doing this with Jesus -- they're mad at him, so they pick up whatever objection comes to mind first.

  Only Jesus has time to delve deeply into things.  He can pick apart the flaws in their logic.  He can ask hard questions.

  When we come to Jesus, we need to be prepared to think, to be challenged, to study, to learn.  Jesus asks much of us -- all of our hearts, minds, and bodies.  However we come, we are then challenged to build a foundation of faith, to grow, day by day, to learn.  Sometimes, it can be tough, and we want something easier, but Jesus is building us into people that will live forever.  Of course that's hard!  It's supposed to be!  

  So let us engage with all of heart, mind, and strength, and Jesus will build us up, not tear us down.  In our churches and communities, may we also be the kind of people that build one another up!

  

Mark 3:13-21

Mark 3:13-21 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus is the mentally strongest person who ever lived.  

  Even he needed a community to help him endure the trials he would face.  His family thought he was crazy, and much of the world around him was opposed to his mission and ministry.  He'd face constant opposition.  

  Thankfully, he had a group of people around him -- people of diverse backgrounds who brought different strengths to the group. They'd be together consistently throughout Jesus' ministry, and think of how much they learned in the way they relied upon one another.  I'm certain this became even more important after Jesus ascended into heaven and they had to lead the church on their own.

  May we each find such community.  Life is so hard to do on our own, and it can be incredibly challenging to sort out questions of faith without people to bounce these things off.  We should support and encourage one another, asking big questions and listening patiently as others explore the same questions we are asking.

Mark 3:7-12

Mark 3:7-12 

English Standard Version 

  One of the fascinating things about Mark's Gospel is that most people don't realize who Jesus is, but the unclean spirits and demons all know about him.  Jesus' identity is a mystery to many, despite the miraculous works he performs.

  When I think of our modern age, it doesn't seem that different.  People don't know who Jesus is.  They maybe think of him (if they think of him at all) as a nice teacher, but they don't believe that he has power and authority.  There's so much noise, so much to chase in this day and age, that we've lost touch with the spiritual world, relegated it to another time, choosing instead to believe in modernity and technology.  These things are fine, but they cannot save us, they cannot deliver us. They do a fine job of distracting us, but the core issues of loss and hurt and division are still there, no matter how much time we spend whistling past the graveyard.

  The demons get it.  They understand there is a far bigger world than this one, with greater powers at work.  They know, and they know who is in charge -- that's why they recognize and respect and fear Jesus.  

  May we keep perspective as well, and not get so caught up, so lost, in the day-to-day, that we miss the bigger picture.

Mark 3:1-6

Mark 3:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  The why shapes us.

  If you do a job for the money, you'll become obsessed with the money, and it'll become the only thing you can focus on.  If you get into a relationship for appearances, you'll be devastated when those change.  If you live in a community because you want the reputation to help you achieve something, then if that doesn't happen, you'll be crushed.  

  It's interesting that the Pharisees were watching Jesus interact with this man for the reason of catching him breaking a rule.  Their 'why' was to trip up Jesus and make themselves look good in the process.  They were guarding religion.  Jesus was grieved by this, because their why had distorted them, and they were unable to appreciate the miracle taking place before them.  All they wanted was to destroy Jesus.

  I pray that we're a people that seek things for the right reason.  May we serve others because it's the right thing to do.  May we worship God out of gratitude, not because we think others might like us more.  May we give because we realize how much we've been given.  In all these things, may God shape our hearts to view the world the way God does.

Mark 2:23-28

Mark 2:23-28 

English Standard Version 

  Systems can be very helpful -- every time I fly on a plane, I give thanks that the pilots have sophisticated systems that make the safety checks to ensure the plane is ready to fly.  Whenever I buy food at the grocery, I'm thankful for all the systems that are in place to keep food safe between the origin and my cart.  Systems are in place to keep us safe and to make things work better.

  But we can't fall in love with the system and forget what is behind it.  I think that's what the Pharisees did -- they saw the rules and rituals of the law and got so caught up in them that when Jesus came, their hearts were so woodenly attached to the law that they couldn't fall in love with the God who stood behind it, who created it so that all of life would be dedicated to God.  They'd long since forgotten what stood behind the system, and they missed Jesus because of it.

  Our habits and rituals ought to lead us to a position of awe for who God is and how God is at work.  The point is to draw us closer to God -- not to simply check something off a list.  May we pray for God's Spirit to inspire us, to teach us to love, to open our eyes and hearts to the ways God is at work in the world.  

Sermon on Esther 3

Mark 2:18-22

Mark 2:18-22 

English Standard Version 

  Our oldest enters middle school this year.  I remember what a change it was for me -- there were different classes in different rooms, and expectations were raised.  There was more work to do, and less play.  Things changed between elementary and middle school, and I had to change with it, or I would have been left behind.

  Life changes on us all the time -- we're headed in one direction with a set of assumptions, and then circumstances change, sometimes due to decisions we've made, usually not.  Often change is forced upon us.  We then have a choice -- will we adapt, or stubbornly cling to what may no longer be an effective way of dealing with things?  

  When Jesus came, it was a change in how we related to God.  People weren't ready for this, and many opted to cling to old traditions rather than be open to how God might be moving in a new way.  It's hard to change, but when we open ourselves up to the Holy Spirit, God might ask for something unexpected.  God might lead us into something new that requires a new way of thinking or behaving or serving.  God equips us as we go, but it's often not easy, and we often feel very, very unprepared.  

  So may we pray for the wisdom to hold lightly to our ways of thinking, and let God lead us and guide us into what might come next, even if it doesn't look exactly like we think it might!

Mark 2:15-17

Mark 2:15-17 

English Standard Version 

  Them and us.  Democrats and Republicans.  Red states and blue states.  Urban and rural.  Those seem to be the strongest dividing mechanisms in our country today, but we come up with plenty of others.  Some are innocuous, while others are deeper divisions.  It feels like the pandemic, in combination with recent elections, have amplified the ways we are divided.  The rhetoric is intense.

  So maybe it's comforting to read that two thousand years ago, some people looked at Jesus and wondered why he would associate with a certain group of people.  They assumed Jesus, as a religious figure, had come to see them, and they had little time or interest in people such as tax collectors and sinners.

  But Jesus came for those far from God, those willing to be corrected, those willing to listen.  Jesus came and spent time with the broken.

  Who in society would you write off, and what would be your reaction if that group of people was the first group Jesus went to see?  

  The breadth and freedom of God's grace is astounding to us.  It doesn't always make sense to our worldly way of thinking.  May we be very cautious in drawing lines between groups of people, and may we be wise in recognizing God's radical love for all people.

  And if God loves and serves all people, then we ought to be prepared to do the very same...

Mark 2:13-14

Mark 2:13-14 

English Standard Version 

  In the modern church era of everyone being welcome and being able to hide anonymously in a big crowd, this one doesn't jump off the page as radically inclusive. 

  But in the 1st century, when tax collectors were absolutely reviled, it's a pretty big scandal for Jesus to call one as a disciple.  Tax collectors were typically Jews who opted to work for Rome, which meant they were seen as traitors working for the invading superpower.  Not only that, but they also had the backing of the Roman army which meant they could collect as much as they wanted, even if it was far above what was actually owed -- as long as Rome got paid the proper amount, they turned a blind eye to corruption, so most tax collectors took a little (or a lot) extra for themselves.  

  But Jesus loved Levi, so he invited him to come and follow.  

  He loves each of us, no matter what, with a love so pure and so intense that it will stop at nothing to reach you.

  Let yourself be loved by the author and creator of the universe.  

Mark 2:5-12

Mark 2:5-12 

English Standard Version 

  In Chattanooga, there is a tow truck hall of fame.  I never went when we lived there, but I probably should have.  Nobody appreciates tow trucks when their car is working well, but when it breaks down, you're very, very glad they exist.  

  Every time I read this, I think of the people who have carried me when I am weak.  There are times when I've been literally broken, and when my body hasn't worked properly, others have come alongside to help me make it through daily life.  Other times, I've been emotionally broken, and others have patiently come near to support me through those difficult chapters.  

  I will always love the way verse 5 is worded.  The friends of the paralytic lower him down through the roof in front of Jesus, and Jesus looks up at the friends and sees their faith, and then he forgives the sins of the paralytic.  

  There's a lot of different ways that we could go with the interpretation of this, but mostly, I like to stop and appreciate that the faith of the friends matters.  

  Surround yourself with people who will carry you when you are weak.  Be the type of friend who carries others when they are weak.  This is what a community of faith does -- we're the type of people who aren't perfect but have faith in Jesus' ability to heal, and so despite our own limitations, we can lift people before Jesus and let him do the miracles he can do.  Trust in Jesus, but let's continue to be a community where people aren't abandoned or left on their own or forgotten when they're ailing.

Mark 2:1-4

Mark 2:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  How many hours would you stand in line to get free tickets to the Super Bowl?  Or how long would you wait on hold to buy tickets to Taylor Swift?  I remember waiting in the pouring rain once to watch the Olympic torch pass by -- it was a cool moment, although probably more enjoyable in the sunshine.  

  The church is very different now -- we don't struggle for lack of access to a church.  Most of us don't have to work very hard to find a church nearby.  I can look out the front window of my house and see one.  

  In Jesus' time, the people flocked to him, and they were willing to overcome great obstacles to be in front of him.  They had such faith in his power to perform miracles that these friends were willing to climb onto a roof and lower their friend through a newly-cut hole so that he could encounter Jesus.  They did serious work so that they could meet Jesus in person.

  I heard a pastor say the greatest sin in most of our lives was a lack of enough love for God.  I think there's something to that.  The degree of our love isn't what saves us -- that's what Christ's work on the cross does, and we can't add to that.  But it's easy in America to have such a comfortable faith that we stop pursuing growth in God.  I think that's dangerous, for individuals as well as the community of faith.  I'm certainly guilty of getting comfortable and lazy at times.  So I need to repent for a lack of love for Jesus, and I have much to learn from these friends for their dedication and devotion and belief that the struggle to come before Jesus is entirely worth it.

Sermon on Esther 2 (August 6 2023)

Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40-45 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus knows everything about us, all of our faults and weaknesses, even the ones we successfully manage to hide from everyone around us (even those closest to us), and yet still, when confronted by our brokenness, Jesus is constantly moved with pity.

  The leper certainly hadn't done anything wrong to cause leprosy, but we've all done plenty of things wrong to deserve separation.  But Jesus doesn't separate from us -- he moves towards us in pity and love, seeking to heal the divide.  Jesus loves us and takes on our uncleanness, our brokenness, and we are made clean.

  Such is the love of Jesus.

  Where is there brokenness in your community, in your neighborhood, that you might be tempted to pull back from, and how can you be moved with pity to move towards that in love?

Mark 1:35-39

Mark 1:35-39 

English Standard Version 

  Jesus was perfect in every way.  He was fully human and fully God.  How did he start his day?  He spent time on his own in prayer.

  It baffles me that I think I can get through a day without prayer.  I do it often... I get so wrapped up in whatever it is that I'm doing.  I get busy, and I tell myself that I'll get around to it, and I don't.  Time and time again it happens, and it's probably the reason that I so often feel unmoored, drifting in the surf, battered by so many waves.  So often, it feels like everyone is looking for us, demanding something of us, asking for more... but Jesus leaves it behind, anchoring himself in prayer before action.  It's his first priority.  

  May we make it ours, that before we preach or teach or serve or do anything, we pray first, and then go.

Mark 1:29-34

Mark 1:29-34 

English Standard Version 

  If someone gave you a million dollars, how would you thank them?  

  There's plenty of stories about people entering lives in ordained service because they made promises to God when they were sick or desperate and found their prayers answered.  I don't think God works like a vending machine, where if you deposit a promise you get your prayer answered as you want, but if you make such a promise to God, then you should probably keep it.  It's a much harder thing to simply make your request and say, "Thy will be done," but I think that's how Jesus calls us to pray.

  Either way, when something dramatic happens in our life as a gift, we want to say thank you.  Here, Simon's mother-in-law is healed, and she begins to serve.  That's her way of saying thank you.  And perhaps it best reflects what our natural state is -- when released from whatever binds us, we begin to serve.

  So when we reflect on all the things that God has done for us, we should naturally begin to serve.  That should be our orientation.  It tells me that heaven is a place of service, because we've been restored, so we serve one another as our way of saying thank you.

  How can you practice that today?  Who can you serve?