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!