Advent, Week 2: The Luxury of Peace

I realize I've totally bailed on my regular writings, but my energy and emotions have been wrapped up in preparing this meditation for today's weekday Advent worship service at our local church. It was incredibly challenging to work on this in a season when I feel admittedly Grinchy about "hope, peace, joy, and love"--it's hard …

Advent, Day 14: Going out to the wilderness

Today's reading: Mark 1:1-8And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.   (v. 5)the preparer is calling fora teamof workers to make the wayready for the Lord's arrival;from the desert he's calling outand expecting us …

Advent, Day 6: The Man in Red, and the Son of Man

Today's reading: Mark 13:24-37I have to make a confession: when I first clicked on the scripture link from textweek.com, and saw that today's reading was one of Those Apocalyptic Texts, I literally groaned out loud.Not that I don't LIKE apocalyptic texts... I do, as much as the next person! (Ha!) But they are hard, especially …

Easter Sunday: Risen!

Today's reading: Mark 16The Lord is risen!We've seen the stone rolled away. We've glanced inside the tomb, seen the empty space where his body had been placed. We've heard the good news, the great news: Death has no victory here! And we've heard the instruction: Go, and tell! The songs of this day help us …

Lent, Day 45: Day of Preparation.

Today's reading: Mark 15:42-47Forty-four days ago, on the first day of the Lenten season, we began this journey with John the Baptist and found ourselves, with him, "preparing the way" of the Lord. On that day I wrote about our call to preparation for the Lenten journey; a call not to concern ourselves with outcomes …

Lent, Day 44: What is good.

Today's reading: Mark 15:1-41it's good to know who you areespecially when you carrythe rights and responsibilitiesof a Kingit's good to know the truthabout motivesand motivations:not all accusers are victimsnot all mobs are righteousit's good to know that help is nearwhen the cross is simplytoo much to bearit's good to know what your faith is in("just …

Lent, Day 43: Body.

Today's reading: Mark 14"Take it; this is my body." (v. 22)the smellof perfume permeates the house(causing some to mutter"how dare she!" and maybe even"how dare he!")--the scent of sorrowlingers after the oilhas driedthe tasteof bread--unleavened,to remind them of God's faithfulness(even now);the taste of wine--the cup of life,poured out and poured outand poured out, andabundanteven nowthe …

Lent, Day 42: Come near. (A prayer.)

Today's reading: Mark 12:28-13:37Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (v. 31)Your kingdom is near, O God,so near we canfeel its breath(just as generationsbefore have felt it).Scattered to the winds,we await your call,anxious to be gathered closeand escorted deeper intothe eternityyou have already begun.We, whose every love andevery richnesscomes …

Lent, Day 41: Authority.

Today's reading: Mark 11:27-12:27For these couple of days, daily readings in large chunks will help us be on track for the stories of Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. The teachings of Jesus in Jerusalem seem to be a sort of last-ditch effort on his part, to enlighten the religious elite, to reassure the …

Lent, Day 40: Teaching.

Today's reading: Mark 11:12-26And he taught them... and the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching. (vv. 17a, 18b)little did we knowwhen he camehungry to the fruitless fig treehe'd be teaching usa lesson aboutthe power of his wordslittle did we knowwhen he camefurious to the once-holy templeupending the thieves' tableshe'd be teaching usa lesson aboutthe …