Reading 11—The Turning Point Read Mark 8:27-38 Near the middle of Mark’s gospel, Jesus, far from home in Caesarea Philippi, turns to his disciples and asks them two tough questions.  First, “Who do people say that I am?” to which they respond with a list of possibilities: John the Baptist; Elijah; or one of the […]

Reading 10—Well Fed Read Mark 8:1-26I was supposed to be asleep like the other kids at the day care center. It was nap time and one of the leaders was placing suckers on each cot as a tasty wake-up treat for us. Only I had no sucker on my cot! She must have missed me. […]

Reading 9—“He has done everything well” Mark 7:1-37 In this chapter of Mark, we see a lot of dissonance between Jesus’ ministry and the traditions or social norms of the society in which He lives. The Jewish traditions required a ceremonial hand washing before a meal, but Jesus allows His disciples to eat with unwashed […]

Reading 8—No Down Time Read Mark 6:31-53 Does this sound familiar: “Ugh! If I could just get some time for myself!” There are times in our lives when we feel overwhelmed with all our responsibilities. When that overwhelming feeling rears its head, all I want to do is be alone, to get away, and have […]

Reading 7—Who Is this Jesus?  Read Mark 6:1-30 Well, after Mark tells several stories of Jesus power over things like: nature (the sea and the wind); demonic powers (Gerasene demoniac); loss of life blood (woman with hemorrhage); and death (a child) one would think it would be easy to see that there is something up […]

Reading 6—United by a Shared Savior Read Mark 5:1-43 The fifth chapter of Mark’s Gospel presents us with three healing miracles that could not be more different from one another. We have, first, the healing of the demon-possessed man in the country of the Gerasenes, a Gentile region on the east side of the Sea […]

Reading 5–Seeds and Storms Read Mark 4:1-41 As a gardener, the thrill begins during the dark days of winter when the first seed catalogs arrive in the mail. In today’s reading from Mark, Jesus uses seeds, agricultural practices, light, and the humble mustard plant to teach about the reign and rule of God. Jesus used […]

Reading 4—Blessed and Highly Favored! Read Mark 3:1-35 In the Pentecostal and/or Evangelical traditions, people speak of being “anointed” or having an “anointing” on their lives. Those blessed enough to be perceived to have an anointing, are assumed to be favored, and very special in the eyes of God. Special circumstances surround them; they stand […]

Reading 3—Are You Hungry or Satisfied? Read Mark 2:1-28 “David … when he and his companions were hungry and in need … entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” (Mk 2:25-26)

Reading 02—So It Begins Read Mark 1:1-45 Taken separately, the brief individual scenes within Mark’s first chapter seem thin, with hardly enough detail to make a good story. But try reading Chapter 1 as one continuous narrative, or better yet, read it aloud, and you’ll feel the breathless intensity of a story that pulls you […]