Creative Space for Wanderers
Read: In this remarkable conclusion to John Mark’s gospel, we read about the impossible, improbable, incomprehensible resurrection of Jesus! He has risen! Once again, the women take the initiative to do that which was uncomfortable at the very least: When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices …
Read: As a rule, I don’t get real excited about New Year’s celebrations, but I am hopeful that 2018 will be a year of change, redirection, refocus, and rebuilding for the ministry that Jesus has in mind for me. That’s probably not very unique, but in the last 4 or 5 years, significant changes have …
Continue reading “Mark: Crucifixion, Death, and Burial of Jesus”
A year ago I set out to blog through the Bible again, this time with an emphasis on deeper understanding and a desire to leave a legacy for my girls. It started when I was looking at some material I had sitting around: the Old Testament Challenge. That seemed like enough structure to get started, …
Read: Betrayal complete, now the leaders have their work cut out for them as they prepare their case against Jesus. Meanwhile, Peter is doing his very best not to be the one Jesus called out a few hours earlier: Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he …
Read: Christmas 2017 was celebrated yesterday. Lots of gifts were exchanged as a reminder of the incredible gift that Jesus is to our world. Today is Boxing Day, a day to reflect on the crescendo of the Christmas season (and pack-up stuff). We don’t really celebrate Boxing Day here, but I like the idea. Instead, …
Read: It’s almost Christmas and here I am writing about the trials and tribulations surrounding Jesus’ last days walking around in skin. Sure, I know how the story ends, goodness, but it’s still a challenge thinking about the disciples and those that surely knew Jesus of Nazareth well. At this point in His earthly ministry, …
Read: We come to the point where Jesus institutes a new tradition: The Lord’s Supper. This is a significant event among many during this period we refer to as Passion Week. It’s interesting that we only have a few verses to record this huge shift during the Passover feast. For hundreds of years, the Passover …
Read: One of the scenes portrayed frequently: Jesus and His disciples in the upper room to celebrate the Passover. This time, it’s quite different: the bread and wine were used to represent His body and blood. Our familiar “Lord’s Supper” begins not by eating the Seder meal, a tradition created after the time of Jesus …
Read: There will be signs, evidence that is hard to miss, but we don’t know when — no one knows when the day will come. Keep watch, but don’t let this paralyze you! Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. If Jesus’s words will outlast the world, it seems …
Read: In this short paragraph, John Mark provides prophetic words from Jesus, red letter words, about the end of time. It’s easy to fly through the text, but I would encourage us to use this paragraph as an opportunity to simply rest in the words and let the Spirit do the work. 24 “But in …