February 1, 2009 "Deeds of Renowned"

Mark’s story in Chapter 1 verses 21-28 tells a story of Jesus visit to the synagogue in Capernaum with his new recruits Simon, Andrew, James and John. There is no discussion whether the 4 fishermen were regular attendees of Sabbath services at the synagogue, however Jesus was. Many focus on Mark’s dramatic account of Jesus healing a man of an unclean spirit. But this story is so much more….There are no magic wands or incantations, no gyrations or formulaic prophetic expressions spoken like: “Thus says the Lord.” First the unclean spirit interrupts and confronts Jesus saying: “I know who you are, the Holy One of God” as if calling him out to a duel. This is High Noon in the synagogue. Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness in training to combat the forces of evil with which he will butt heads, as it were, throughout Mark’s gospel. In these 2 verses (25 and 26), Mark’s Jesus shows us just how ready he is!

January 25, 2009 "Discipleship Is A Team Sport"

Glorious God, for better or worse we have followed the lead and direction of numerous people in our lives. Whether, parents or siblings, close friends, teachers or mentors, even celebrities, we emulated and even idolized them. We lingered close and followed in order to learn from them or to achieve some status, gain some privilege or bolster our self esteem. When disappointed or disillusioned by their humanness we might have felt lost or betrayed. Remind us Almighty God that even the hard lessons learned in this life are of great value. As those who have decided to follow Jesus, help us to understand that we follow not blindly, but with our eyes, our hearts and our minds wide open. We confess not always being mindful of what we might be asked to sacrifice as Jesus’ disciples. Even so we follow trusting that the journey builds spiritual muscle preparing us well for all that lies ahead. Amen.