Reflection for March 7 – Mary Kercher

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Todays Passage from the Bible – Mark 8:22-38

They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’ And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’ Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’ 

Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’

Reflection – Mary Kercher

Have you ever experienced a miracle? When I was in high school, I worked all summer long, saving up my money so I could buy contact lenses. At the end of the summer, I  was able to purchase them. Then one fall evening we had gone to a concert and on the way home walking down the sidewalk, I rubbed my eyes and when I got home, one of the contact lenses was missing. I was devastated! No insurance for contacts back then. So I went back to the place where I had rubbed my eyes with a flashlight and, lo and behold, I found that contact lens. At the time it seemed like such a wonderful miracle.

A couple of years later, I was at the beach with Barry, standing on a pier that went out into the ocean. Again something happened and a contact lens dropped through the pier to the sand below. I told Barry to stand right where we were and I went down under the pier and found the spot directly beneath him. And, once again, I  found that lens! Were there now two miracles? Oh yes, I must mention there were a lot of prayers involved, too!

Were these miracles? I don’t know; maybe the miracle was that God had blessed me with a talent for finding things. Just ask my husband who did not receive that talent! At any rate, I believe God had a hand in it.

Lord, help us to appreciate the miracles of life we see every day and to be sensitive to how you might want to work some miracles through us. Amen.

Reflection for March 5 – BC Eydt

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Today’s Passage from the Bible: Mark 7:24-37

 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, ‘Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.’ But she answered him, ‘Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.’ Then he said to her, ‘For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.’ So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’

Reflection – BC Eydt

At this point in Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has launched his public ministry and has been gathering many followers. He has been meeting with all sorts, including sinners and the dreaded tax collectors. Now, for the first time, he encounters a gentile, a Greek woman born in Syria. He’s very rude, suggesting she’s a dog. Why would Jesus be cruel to a stranger? Is he having a bad day? Very unlikely. There would be little reason for an author writing decades after someone’s death, as scholars believe Mark was, to highlight the deceased weaknesses, especially when it’s the divine Christ. Matthew, who had access to Mark’s Gospel, tells an even more elaborate version of the same story years later.

No, what Jesus is doing is testing the woman, as was the protocol for those seeking to be accepted by the Jews. She passes, and Jesus grants her request immediately. She receives Christ’s grace through her faith alone. She does not have to master the religious law, perform special tasks, or be free of sin.

These verses encourage me to ponder the mind of those receiving the Gospel in the first century of our Lord. They teach me that the Gospel is universal and not restricted to those in the land where Jesus preached.

Reflection for March 4 – Kristin Poe Moody

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Today’s Passage from the Bible: Mark 7:1-8, 14-23

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;  in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.” You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’

Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’

When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’ 

Reflection – Kristin Poe Moody

On first pass, my five-year-old would take this scripture as justification for not washing his hands, but here we find several profound themes and lessons about Jesus and his teachings that are particularly relevant to our faith and practice today.

  1. The Challenge to Empty Rituals: Jesus challenges the Pharisees and scribes who were strictly adhering to the Jewish traditions of ritual washing before eating. These traditions were meant to ensure purity but had become rigid requirements disconnected from their spiritual purpose. Jesus points out that adherence to these traditions without understanding their intent turns them into empty rituals. This theme encourages us to examine our own religious practices and traditions, urging us to focus on their spiritual significance rather than merely following them out of habit or obligation.
  2. Purity of the Heart Over Ritual Purity: Jesus shifts the focus from external purity, symbolized by the washing of hands, to the purity of the heart. He emphasizes that what truly defiles a person comes from within – from the heart – highlighting sins such as fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, and folly. This teaching invites us to introspection and to prioritize moral and spiritual integrity over external appearances or rituals. It’s a call to cultivate a heart that aligns with God’s commandments and to practice genuine love, compassion, and justice.
  3. Critique of Hypocrisy: By quoting Isaiah, Jesus directly criticizes the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy, indicating that their outward expressions of piety are disconnected from their inner spiritual state. Their worship and adherence to tradition become meaningless when their hearts are far from God. This critique serves as a warning against the danger of hypocrisy in our own lives. It challenges us to ensure that our outward expressions of faith genuinely reflect our inner commitment to God and to live consistently with the teachings of Jesus.
  4. Redefining “Defiled”: Jesus provides a radical reinterpretation of what it means to be defiled. By stating that nothing external can defile a person, but rather what comes out of the person can, he shifts the focus from ritual purity to ethical and moral behavior. This teaching underlines the importance of the words we speak and the actions we take, emphasizing that they are reflections of our inner state and have the power to defile us.

This passage from the Gospel invites us to focus on the sincerity of our faith and the purity of our hearts. It challenges us to examine our practices and beliefs, to ensure that they lead us closer to God and reflect his commandments of love and compassion. As followers of Christ, we are called to live out our faith with integrity, ensuring that our external practices are always rooted in genuine love and devotion to God.

Reflection for March 2 – Kristin Poe Moody

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Today’s passage from the Bible: Mark 6:45-56

Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray.

When evening came, the boat was out on the lake, and he was alone on the land. When he saw that they were straining at the oars against an adverse wind, he came towards them early in the morning, walking on the lake. He intended to pass them by. But when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ Then he got into the boat with them and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

Reflection – Kristin Poe Moody

In this scripture passage, several profound themes and lessons about Jesus and His ministry emerge, which resonate deeply with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as central to our faith journey. Reflecting on this passage, we can identify and explore these themes:

  1. Jesus as a Source of Peace and Calm in the Midst of Storms: The disciples, struggling against an adverse wind, represent all of us as we face the various challenges and storms of life. Jesus walking on water towards them, undeterred by the storm, symbolizes His divine authority over all creation, including the chaotic and seemingly insurmountable problems we face. His presence brings peace and calm, as evidenced when the wind ceased upon His entry into the boat. This teaches us to seek Jesus in our times of trouble, for with Him, we can find peace amidst our storms.
  2. Fear, Faith, and Recognition of Jesus: The disciples’ initial reaction to Jesus walking on the lake was fear, thinking He was a ghost. This mirrors our own fears when facing the unknown or when Jesus comes to us in ways we do not expect. Jesus’s response, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid,” is a powerful reminder of His constant presence and His call for us to recognize Him even in the most unexpected circumstances. It encourages us to move from fear to faith, trusting in His presence and His guidance.
  3. The Human Heart and Understanding: The passage notes that the disciples were “utterly astounded” because they did not understand about the loaves and their hearts were hardened. This points to a spiritual blindness and an inability to see and understand the fullness of Jesus’s identity and mission, despite the miracles they had witnessed. It serves as a call for openness to divine revelation and a warning against hard-heartedness that can prevent us from fully experiencing and responding to God’s presence and action in our lives.
  4. Jesus’s Healing Ministry and the Power of Faith: The narrative concludes with the people recognizing Jesus and bringing the sick to Him, demonstrating the widespread acknowledgment of His healing power. The faith of the people, believing that even touching the fringe of His cloak could heal them, underscores the theme of faith’s power to connect us with Jesus’s healing grace. This not only highlights Jesus’s compassion and willingness to heal but also invites us to approach Him with faith, believing in His power to bring healing and wholeness into our lives.
  5. Prayer and Solitude: Jesus’s retreat to the mountain to pray, before performing the miracle, emphasizes the importance of prayer and solitude in His ministry. It serves as an example for us to seek moments of solitude to connect with God, especially before making decisions or facing significant challenges. Prayer strengthens our relationship with God and equips us to navigate the difficulties of life with divine guidance and support.

In reflecting upon this passage, we are invited to deepen their faith in Jesus Christ, recognizing His authority over creation, His presence in the midst of our trials, and His power to heal and transform lives. We are called to move from fear to faith, to seek understanding through an open heart, and to embrace the importance of prayer and solitude in our spiritual journey.

Reflection for March 1 – Sharon Richardson

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Today’s passage from the Bible: Mark 6:30-44 

 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy something for themselves to eat.’ But he answered them, ‘You give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give it to them to eat?’ And he said to them, ‘How many loaves have you? Go and see.’ When they had found out, they said, ‘Five, and two fish.’ Then he ordered them to get all the people to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and of fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled; and they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men.

Reflection: Sharon Richardson

Probably one of the most well-known miracles performed by Jesus is the miraculous feeding of five thousand. Jesus and the disciples had been on the road and badly needed rest. They were moving to a place of retreat. But as people saw them departing they ran ahead to the next possible meet-up. Jesus saw the desperate need of a lost people and was moved to compassion for how much they needed Him.  He felt their needs, their hunger, their pain, and their injuries and was moved to the deepest level.

He also knew their hearts. They wanted to make Jesus king, a worldly king. They wanted a deal where Jesus would solve their problems and their needs on their time. Even aware of this He stopped His plan, ignored His own weariness and began teaching. The weary disciples were taken aback at this change and wanted Jesus to send the people away. Instead Jesus wanted to use the opportunity to demonstrate the power of prayer, reliance on God and God’s provision. Jesus knew what they needed most was nourishment of both kinds, spiritual and basic sustenance. There are times when the needs of others must take precedence over our own wants and needs.

In this miracle, I can’t help but think of the season of Lent. This season is to an opportunity to draw closer in our relationship with God. It is a time of prayer, repentance, a time to focus with renewed interest on our relationship with God (minimize the distractions of daily life), and yet it is a time to also look outward to the needs of others and share, share by giving. Many observe the season by giving up certain indulgences as a form of self-discipline and penance, in a way paralleling Jesus’ time in the desert.

The season of Lent reflects this period where Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Jesus fasted forty day and forty nights and he suffered much like the people of that day and even some today. Lent gives us time to remember His obedience to His Father as well as remember the death and resurrection of Jesus.

This miracle of the five loaves of bread and two fish demonstrates that things happen and have a purpose, and miracles come in the response to faith-filled prayer. Miracles don’t happen just because there are wants and desperate needs but when we share His compassion for the poor, the hungry, the hurting and particularly the lost we are drawn into His work through the power of prayer.  Jesus took the bread and fish and the first thing he did was lift them in prayer, giving thanks to His Father, God, from whom all gifts come, and the miracle occurred. There was plenty for all, so abundant that the disciples collected all the leftovers and nothing went to waste, good stewardship.

This miracle of the bread and fish teaches us that through prayer, though co-operation, though sharing, everyone is welcome and included and worth the time to change plans and allow God’s plan to take precedence over our own wants and needs.

Reflection for February 29 – Joanie Daniels

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Today’s Passage from the Bible: Mark 6:1-13

 He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. 

Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

Reflection: Joanie Daniels

This passage reminds me to take care of those who are with you, and don’t waste your time with people who don’t believe you or don’t believe IN you. Where I encounter Jesus in this passage is when he is amazed that people in his own home town did not believe that He, one of their own, could teach with knowledge or heal with his hands. He essentially says “You honor people who come from somewhere else who speak with wisdom, but don’t believe one of your own can do that, and are also offended on top of that. I’m not going to show you all the miracles I can truly do, it will be lost on you.”

Jesus then sends the twelve disciples out in groups of two, to depart so immediately that they should not bring food, no extra clothes, only a staff. I think Jesus did that so that each group of disciples could protect each other, encourage each other, reflect with each other, and not be alone in this great undertaking.

Reflection for February 28 – Karyne Whelan

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Today’s Passage from the Bible: Mark 5:21-43

 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ He looked all round to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

 Reflection: Karyne Whelan

If I am to be honest, I am a skeptic when it comes to healing ministry. I actually don’t like admitting this because I believe the Bible is the inspired word of God and know Jesus healed many people. I also know people personally who have been healed, including my father. However, I have witnessed some healing ministry that was manipulative and abusive, and in the church I was raised in they didn’t believe the gift of healing was for today. I wanted to believe in the gift of healing. Over the years of my spiritual journey this grappling has remained. So it is interesting that this passage that I randomly chose for the Lent reflection, Mark 5:21-43, focuses on two powerful stories intertwined which sheds light onto the compassionate healing ministry of Jesus.

My goal for the Lent 2024 journey is to meet Jesus in a new and fresh way so that when I arrive at Easter morning, I will feel I know Jesus better than I did going in. And to be changed. I had no idea that ten days into Lent Jesus would bring me to a place where I needed to meet Him in a new and fresh way as my healer. I had to confront my doubts.

Six days ago I had a wee heart scare while teaching Sunday School. Two days ago I found out I may have a blocked artery in my heart and was put on blood pressure meds and baby aspirin, my first time taking medication. I was stunned and am still stunned. Why? I feel I am too young for this possibility. And I know I have been proactive with my health due to a family history of heart disease. My dad died one and a half years ago from heart failure.

Yet here I am face to face with my first health crisis feeling incredible peace. Yes, I am nervous and scared. Yes, I asked God why is He allowing this to happen. “I need a break God,” I cried (I have been a caregiver to both my mom and dad. My mom had dementia and stopped eating so sadly she died two weeks before the pandemic lockdown, and as I mentioned my dad died a year and a half ago). I am exhausted from all the appointments and caregiving duties. Nevertheless, I cannot escape this crisis and must walk through it.

So this passage in Mark is timely. I was drawn to the story of the hemorrhaging woman. I admire her courage and her deep faith that Jesus would heal her from this embarrassing and horrible disease. She faced her fears and the jostling crowds to assert herself to get near to Jesus to just touch his robe. She knew without a doubt she would be healed. She was changed from meeting Jesus. Yet Jesus was also changed from meeting this woman. He felt energy discharging from him. I love that. Maybe it was this energy that propelled and encouraged Him further to heal Jairus’ daughter?

I am inspired to face my fears and assert myself through my doubts and the noise of all the upcoming medical tests to get close to Jesus, touch Him and be changed. To be healed. I need His energy to swaddle me tight. Tears are flowing down my cheeks as I write this reflection. I know Jesus is working in me to meet me in a new and fresh way. I didn’t expect it so soon! Clearly, Jesus wants me to know him as my healer.

I pray for you, my fellow sojourners, that you will encounter Jesus in a new and fresh way this Lenten season as well. I am sorry if this post is too self-reflective. But it is my prayer and intention that my story can encourage you today. I am still on this journey of knowing Jesus better than I did going into Lent. Stay tuned. And just maybe I need to ask Rev. Kate to pray over me for healing!

Reflection for February 27 – Larry Poe

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Today’s Bible Passage: Mark 5:1-20

 They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; and the unclean spirits begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

 Reflection:  Larry Poe

In the fifth chapter of Mark, Jesus demonstrates his divinity in three instances: freeing a man possessed of evil spirits; healing a woman of her chronic illness; and raising a young girl from the dead. The last two encounters speak to the depth of one’s faith in Jesus’ power to heal, and in his power over death. These and other exemplars of the centrality of faith found throughout the Bible have guided my life-long faith journey and speak to how I encounter Jesus in my daily life. My faith is strengthened by such words of Jesus as spoken to the women he healed, saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well.”

In my life, I’ve sought to develop such an unshakeable faith in Jesus Christ without any doubt that he can do all things. On my faith journey, my faith continues to grow through active participation in my faith community through formal worship Services and spiritual enrichment ministries such as our Lunch & Learn group and our daily Night Prayers group.

Reflection for February 26

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Mark 4:35-41

 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, ‘Let us go across to the other side.’ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. A great gale arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’

 Reflection – Karen Hile

How amazing it would be to simply say a few words and have the wind, waves, weather do your bidding! Yet this is what Jesus does. I can feel the confusion, the agitation of his followers. Here they are, trying to get away from overwhelming crowds of people trying to see Jesus, but they escape only to find themselves amidst a stormy sea. Everything seems chaos. I imagine noise, people shouting, misunderstandings abounding, people arguing over what to do. And in all this uproar, Jesus sleeps. Wow! Wouldn’t that be nice, to be able to block out all the noise and concerns of the world for a while and have faith that all will work out well? Jesus gives us that reassurance.

The next time I am in a noisy and confusing place or position, I will think of this story. I will slow down, calm myself, and have faith that the waters will still themselves and all will be quiet and peaceful once more.

Reflection for February 24

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Mark 4:21-34

 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’

He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’

With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. 

Reflection – Karen Hile

As with yesterday’s post, as a gardener I love the analogy Jesus draws of the tiny little mustard seed being the Kingdom of God. This seed grows quickly and profusely until it becomes a sturdy shrub 2-3 feet high and at least as wide. As Jesus points out, birds can rest in it. We may be the birds, finding a niche for ourselves in God’s Kingdom. I imagine I am a small songbird, a black-capped chickadee pecking at a birdfeeder in winter, or perhaps a colorful summer goldfinch, munching on the seeds of a purple coneflower.

Out of its native Middle East, the mustard plant is invasive, choking out other plants; in 44 of the lower 48 states, black mustard is considered a noxious weed.* Furthermore, here it is an annual seed, dying when the season grows too cold. Most mustard plants readily self-seed, however, so that the next year a new plant or plants will spring up whether we like it or not. Once sown, it is hard to eradicate.

Maybe this is the point: we wouldn’t want to – and couldn’t – abolish God’s love. It is here, whether or not we ask it to be; it spreads quickly yet is sturdy; it can hold us; and it isn’t going away. There is something fierce and giant beyond our imagination that comes from a miniscule seed. This is the wonder of God.

*Source: naturecollective.org