Meet Him in Galilee

I've come to appreciate how Mark ends his Gospel.  I love the image of sitting underneath the cross where I realize He died for me and then being transported back to Galilee where I find the risen Christ and begin the process of discipleship all over again.

So many commented today on the impact of the Bible reading during the sermon.  In my Mark reading this week I read silently until I came to the text I knew I would be preaching.  I then began to read aloud.  Hearing the words in my ears as well as in my imagination (as we all do when we read silently) made a difference in how I understood the significance of Jesus' death for me.  "He bore it all that I might live!" we used to sing.  Jesus wants us to admit our failures, but he doesn't want us to stay there!  He wants us to live!  Receive the gift of grace and get back to Galilee.  We'll be much better followers now than when we first  began!

Reaching the end of preaching on the Gospel of Mark was actually an emotional experience for me.  The past 27 sermons I have preached have all been prepared by reading the Gospel in it's entirety and then focusing attention upon the specific text to be addressed in that week's sermon.  As I mentioned this morning I feel like my friend Mark, who I've enjoyed spending time with and getting to know, is leaving.  I know we'll visit from time to time but it will not be the same.  May I honor Mark's friendship by learning and living the lessons he has taught.  What about you?  What has Mark taught you that will make a difference in your life?

Bringing It All Together

Two comments that I have sought to live by:

• "When you mess up, fess up." 

• "Confession is to be as wide as the sin."

I got to demonstrate both of these this morning as my attempt at humor was made at the expense of another.  Some tried to assure me that my comments were not inappropriate but I felt in my spirit that they were.  I take seriously the scripture,  "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his  tongue , he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26).  

Immediately after I made the joke I regretted it, and as I began preaching my spirit was troubled.  When the Holy Spirit is nudging you it is best to pay attention.  The Spirit continued to bother me as we read Psalm 118 together.  During the singing of the three praise songs I knew I needed to let the congregation in on my internal struggle before we ate the bread and drank the cup together. 

I hope that God used the sermon to do some good, but all I can reflect on this afternoon is the lesson the Spirit was teaching me.  Two other passages come to my mind this afternoon,   "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1).  God does hold teachers to a higher standard simply because we to be among the most mature spiritually.  "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Timothy 4:16).  I want my life example to preach as loudly as my formal sermons.  I want my heart to be sensitive enough so that I don't let "small things" go unnoticed and grow into "big things". 

Extravagant Expressions

One of the questions I wrote for our small groups was to look at the principle players in the sermon narrative (Mark 14:1-11) and talk about which one you can relate too.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I relate better to the angry disciples than anyone else.  I understand their argument, "This could have been sold and the money given to the poor."  I've spent my entire life living frugally so that I could have something to share with others.  To see such extravagant "waste" as displayed by this woman would probably have brought out in me the same reaction as the disciples. 

I don't see myself much in the woman.  I've had my moments of "unrestrained" praise and thanksgiving, mostly in private.  So, I guess I can understand her a little.  However, to think of pouring out an entire year's salary (supposing the disciples calculations were correct) is a tough pill for me to swallow. 

In spite of my own shortcomings in this area, I'm so glad the woman did what she did.  The last act of kindness shown to my Lord before his terrible suffering was given as an extravagant expression of love and thanksgiving.  When I see this woman in glory I'm going to give her a hug and thank her for doing what the more "practical minded" disciples could not.  I'm going to thank her for pushing me to look at ways that I might be stifling the Spirit within me by resisting his impulses to loosen up and be more expressive to the one who gave everything for me.