In the Wilderness

It's the second week of advent. Christmas decorations are appearing inside and outside. Christmas music has already been playing in the Dollar Store for a couple of weeks. The mall is getting busier. Mail carriers and couriers are working overtime burdened down with boxes and envelopes, the result of our online shopping. There is a feeling of bustle, of rising excitement, of anticipation. Christmas is coming.

For many though, that excitement seems hard to hold on too. Many find themselves trying to shake off feelings of loss, worry, discouragement. Many find themselves in a sort of wilderness rather than a place of comfort and joy, warmth and abundance. This sort of wilderness is all around us, experienced in many ways and in many places.

The book of Luke quotes the prophet Isaiah as John the Baptist is introduced. A voice crying out in the wildness, a voice that is heralding something new, a voice proclaiming hope from a place where hope is a rare commodity.

We'll spend some time this Sunday thinking about what John's message means for us as we prepare, in this Advent season, to greet our hope.

What is Solid?

Jesus goes for a walk with his disciples through the city of Jerusalem. They walk past the temple, and the disciples, marvel at the size of the stones that were used to build the temple. Huge stones, some of them weighing tonnes and tonnes look so solid, so unmoveable, everlasting almost. Jesus throws cold water on their awe, saying that all of those stones will be moved, will be broken down. the temple is not as solid as they might think.

That causes their earth to shift just a bit. If those stones aren't solid, then what can be?

This Sunday, we'll spend some time with this text, this story. We'll spend some time wondering what are the seemingly solid things in our lives, the things we rely on to hold firm. Are they are solid as we think they are? What is solid? What doesn't change?

The Widow's Coins

The widow with her two coins is a well-known story in the gospels. Jesus, sitting in the temple observes this woman giving her all, her rent money, her money for groceries, her money for heat and clothing. She is giving everything. We know this because Jesus tells us. Jesus knows this woman's condition and Mark records it for us.

We have often used this event, Jesus words, to promote generosity, to promote giving. We raise this woman as an example of trust, of giving back to God. She is often set up as an example to all of us.

But, is that really Jesus' intention as he points this woman out to his disciples? Does he really raise her as an example to be followed, or is he contrasting her with the scribes and leaders of the community that he points out in the verses prior to the entry of the poor widow?

We'll struggle with this on Sunday. We'll struggle with the examples Jesus points to and wonder what lesson he would have us learn from them.

Who's the Blind One Here

The Healing of Bartimaeus, Eustache Le Sueur 1625-1650

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem (we know what's going to happen there) going through the city of Jericho. He has a pretty big crowd with him, all heading in the same direction. A blind beggar is sitting on the side of the road, hears the commotion of all the people and hears the name Jesus whispered. He gets excited. Starts yelling to get Jesus attention. Folks in the crowd tell him to pipe down. Jesus is on a mission they say. there won't be any stopping to talk to a beggar.

Of course, Jesus stops, he visits, he heals.

This Sunday, we will spend some time with this story, wondering at Jesus willingness to stop, to love and to heal, and the feeling of the crowd that he wouldn't be willing to do those things.

The Upside Down Kingdom

What does success look like? Our society is very much built on hierarchies, power pyramids, where the goal is to work our way to the top of the pile. On our way to the top, we often leave behind some of ourselves, our ethics, our empathy. We scratch and scramble, tramp on the fingers and toes of others in our quest for what we perceive to be a success.

In our text this week, we hear James and John hanging on to that paradigm as they ask Jesus for positions of power in his coming kingdom. They want to be right at his side, on his left and his right hand.

Jesus surprises them with his response to their request. In his kingdom, he says, it's about service, it's about lifting others up, it's about being a servant. In his kingdom honour and power aren't found at the top but at the bottom. It seems to be upside down.

This Sunday, we'll spend some time with this teaching wondering how this teaching relates to our lives and the life of our church.

Let Go and Follow

What is keeping you from truly following Jesus? What is it that stands in the way of truly following, truly becoming a disciple of Jesus?

For a man who was on his knees in front of Jesus it was his wealth, his possessions. Jesus sees that roadblock, recognizes the thing that is standing in this man's way, and provides a solution. The solution is a bitter pill for the man to swallow. It's a difficult prescription. It's so difficult that it causes grief, it causes sorrow.

This Sunday, we'll spend some time with Jesus and this man, wondering about the things that stand in our way, things that stand in the way of us truly experiencing the kingdom of heaven in our own lives.

Crosses are Uncomfortable

This week our scripture reading from Mark (8:27-38) runs a gamut of emotions. We go from Peter's confident, maybe even triumphant, statement that Jesus is the Messiah Jesus talting about his death and calling Peter satan to a call for disciples to pick up their crosses, to give up their lives and follow.

There's a lot wrapped up here, a lot to digest, a lot of lessons that could be drawn out of these texts.

We've been focused over the past weeks on the broad theme of discipleship and this passage in its last verses, in particular, have something to say about what the life of a disciple looks like. Jesus doesn't make it look easy either. Crosses are uncomfortable things, deadly things. It seems that being a disciple involves giving something pretty important up to gain something even better.

Join us Sunday at 9:30 as we dig into Jesus words to us.