Never Again

In today's reading from Genesis, God promised that "never again" would the creation be destroyed to eliminate the sin which infects it.  In today's gospel reading from Mark, we see how far God was willing to go to keep his promise and "remember the covenant" made to us.  In Christ, God was willing even to suffer temptation, and eventually death, in order to destroy death and the only power sin had over us.  Now, in our baptisms, we are free to live in community with our fellow sinners who stand redeemed by the same grace and love of God.

Ash Wednesday: Dusty like David

On Ash Wednesday, we hear the truth about ourselves - that we are dust, and to dust we shall return.  We remember that we're a lot like David - captive to sin, dusty indeed, but also chosen by God and filled with God's Spirit.  We're not able to repent quite enough, but during Lent especially, God gives us the privilege of deepening our faith and listening closer for God's voice.

What would the Jesus campaign for president be like?

Let's be clear - Jesus is no politician (thank the Lord).  But if he was, I think his campaign, at least from Mark's perspective, would have been pretty interesting.  Peter might have thought things were going pretty well through the first half of Mark's gospel, but then Jesus takes the message in a different direction - straight to the cross.

Who Are Our Neighbors?

Click to read the responses from the third session of our small group discussions:

"I do choose," Jesus says, to you (and those people, too)

Jesus stops along the way in this Sunday's reading from Mark to heal a leper who had confidence that Jesus was there even for him.  Jesus crossed the boundary separating this person with leprosy from the rest of society.  It is a hard truth that we create boundaries between us and other children of God all the time.  Yet Christ is in the business of breaking down those barriers, and drawing us all closer.  Christ reaches out to you, wherever you are, crossing whatever barriers separate you, to say, "I do choose" you!

Raised Up to Serve

Today's reading brings us to the bedside of Simon Peter's mother-in-law, who has been confined to bed by a serious fever.  Jesus lifts her up just as he will be raised up on the third day, so that she may serve just as he serves.  This is the model of our lives as Christians too - we are raised up by Christ from whatever confines us so that we may serve others.