The Gospel of Mark moves at a breakneck pace because of the urgency of what Jesus has to accomplish. A storm on the Sea of Galilee has deposited Jesus and his disciples in Gentile territory, a place faithful Jews like them would not have voluntarily ventured at that time. Not
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Mark 4:1-34 • Parables of sower and mustard seed. Jesus taught in parables which is defined as a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle. The parable of the sower invites faithful followers to not worry about success on the first try, but rather to
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Jesus has just begun his public ministry and from the start it moves at a frenetic pace, reflecting the urgency of his message of God’s new world being at hand. Even as the words of his first Sabbath synagogue teaching are reverberating, it becomes apparent that a major need of
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Luke 2:22-40 • Jesus presented at the temple. What does it mean to be people of faith? What does it take to be a disciple? What will our faith require of us? The community of faith is all around us both within the temple and out in the world. We
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Elizabeth and Zechariah prepare to receive one of the most precious gifts, the gift of a child. Zechariah was visited by an angel and he was terrified, but the angel tells him to not be afraid, for his prayers have been heard. Zechariah names the child John, and suddenly he
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Unexpectedly, miraculously, Persian King Darius takes pity on the Israelites who are captive in Babylon, a newly acquired part of his empire. Central to his setting them free is his direction, God’s direction, that they return to Jerusalem to resume worship in the Temple. Within the year, the Israelites are
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Isaiah 40:1-11 • Comfort, O comfort my people. The second Sunday of Advent brings us the proclamation that God is here to comfort us. God does this through acts of service. God is depicted as a shepherd who cares for and feeds the flock. God’s love is expressed through acts
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The Hebrew Bible affirms Josiah as one of very few good kings of ancient Israel. Alongside his desire to have a strong relationship with God which includes restoring the Temple to the worship of the God of Israel. Beyond this, Josiah is humble and actively concerned about the welfare of
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Psalm 36 • God’s steadfast love extends to the heavens We currently have all that we need to live lives of faith in the world. To serve one another is the greatest gift we can offer. We are called to act out of abundance, to trust in God and all
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We often associate prophets with people who are enraged and who call out the people on what they are doing wrong. In the passage from the prophet Hosea we do not hear anger. Instead we hear compassion and the unending love of God. In this passage God is portrayed as
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