At River Valley this weekend we jump back into Mark's Gospel with a fury. Following Peter's confession to Jesus: "You are the Christ," Jesus gives his disciples an earful about what lies ahead: Danger! Danger! Danger!
What are some of your thoughts, questions, impressions of this passage?
"He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. Mark 8:31
He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Mark 8:32
But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Mark 8:33
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Mark 8:34
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Mark 8:35
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Mark 8:36
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? Mark 8:37
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” Mark 8:38
And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
Wow! Whacha Think?
Friday, March 30, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Have You Seen This Yet?
Things It Takes Most Of Us 50 years to learn:
1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.
2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-saving time.
3. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.
5. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is: age 11.
6. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
7. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
8. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
9. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.
10. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and he decides to deliver a message to humanity, he will NOT use as his messenger a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle or in some cases, really bad make-up too.
11. You should not confuse your career with your life.
12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter/janitor, is not a nice person.
13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.
14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.
15. Your true friends love you, anyway.
16. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
1. The badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of helicopters in it.
2. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight-saving time.
3. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.
4. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep down inside, we ALL believe that we are above-average drivers.
5. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is: age 11.
6. There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
7. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.
8. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be "meetings."
9. The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to annoy people who are not in them.
10. If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all of its glories, and he decides to deliver a message to humanity, he will NOT use as his messenger a person on cable TV with a bad hairstyle or in some cases, really bad make-up too.
11. You should not confuse your career with your life.
12. A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter/janitor, is not a nice person.
13. No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously.
14. When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command. Very often, that individual is crazy.
15. Your true friends love you, anyway.
16. Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
Friday, March 23, 2007
CRASH!
At the weekend Gathering of River Valley this week we'll take a brief respite from our study of Mark's Gospel A friend of mine, Paul Goshorn, will be teaching...should be a great time. Paul is an associate pastor at Sciotoville United Methodist Church and is currently busy defending his title as "World's Greatest Emmaus/Chrysalis Weekend Spiritual Director." Paul is a fantastic communicator, despite his "freekishly large" stature...and will undoubtedly be asking this question this weekend:
"What does a rhino see at thirty-one feet?"
"What does a rhino see at thirty-one feet?"
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Turning the Corner
On our Sunday morning walk through Mark's Gospel, we have reached the halfway point. In this passage, Mark changes focus as we begin to see Jesus' journey to the Cross unfold before our eyes.
"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?'
He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.'
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Jesus sent him home, saying, 'Don’t go into the village.'
Mark 8:22-26
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them,
'Who do people say I am?'
They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.'
'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'
Peter answered, 'You are the Christ.'
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Mark 8:27-30
Ok. So...what do YOU say about this?
"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?'
He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.'
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Jesus sent him home, saying, 'Don’t go into the village.'
Mark 8:22-26
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them,
'Who do people say I am?'
They replied, 'Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.'
'But what about you?' he asked. 'Who do you say I am?'
Peter answered, 'You are the Christ.'
Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Mark 8:27-30
Ok. So...what do YOU say about this?
Friday, March 9, 2007
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Mark 8 this weekend at River Valley
We jump into chapter 8 this Sunday morning as we continue our journey through Mark's Gospel. What are some of your thoughts, questions, observations...?
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, Mark 8:1
“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:2
If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” Mark 8:3
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Mark 8:4
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. Mark 8:5
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. Mark 8:6
They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. Mark 8:7
The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Mark 8:8 About four thousand men were present.
And having sent them away, Mark 8:9
he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:10
The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. Mark 8:11
He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Mark 8:12 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. Mark 8:13
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Mark 8:14
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” Mark 8:15
They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Mark 8:16
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Mark 8:17
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? Mark 8:18
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied. Mark 8:19
“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” Mark 8:20
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:21
During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, Mark 8:1
“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. Mark 8:2
If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.” Mark 8:3
His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?” Mark 8:4
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. Mark 8:5
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. Mark 8:6
They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. Mark 8:7
The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Mark 8:8 About four thousand men were present.
And having sent them away, Mark 8:9
he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:10
The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. Mark 8:11
He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” Mark 8:12 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. Mark 8:13
The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. Mark 8:14
“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” Mark 8:15
They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.” Mark 8:16
Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Mark 8:17
Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? Mark 8:18
When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied. Mark 8:19
“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” Mark 8:20
He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” Mark 8:21
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
