7:29 - You must bring your offering from your sacrifice of well-beingOrdination - yikes.  I much prefer how we do it 31-35 - Jesus choosing new family.  Found vs chosen familyParable of the sower - Here and in Matthew.  Reads almost exactly the same3:21-25 - A bit of the sermon on the mount here.  Was the Sermon on the Mount truly one teaching in Matthew or a stitching together of many different t...  Read More

These are all still centering on Commandments 1-3 Mark doesn't have a similar flow to Matthew.  Not nearly so much of "sections"3:14-15 - Jesus sends them out to do the work right off the bat3:21 - His own family tries to restrain him and then notice the connection to tomorrow's reading Psalm 37:1-11 - Center for Action and Contemplation's saying is "the best criticism of the bad is the pracice of...  Read More

4:3 - the sing of the priest brings guilt on the people.  This was something deemed heretical by the early churchSomething to be said about communal confession and restitutionSin across the baordUnintentional sin - this is part of what we do with a prayer of confession in worship Notice the crowd Jesus hangs out withJesus is the new, but still wineskinSabbath is a gift of GodMan with the withered ...  Read More

Notice that the reading plan has longer sections in Leviticus.  Lots to skimRemember this - how do each of these laws fit with the original 10? So much pain and need - then and now1:41 - Great word here - compassion, pityJesus with compassion on the crowdParalyzed man - didn't ask for healing but received it as a gift Psalm 35:17-28 - RTW.  Pleading with God.  Truly pleading!  Wake up!  Get going!...  Read More

First day of the first month - begin with worship as we begin your new life togetherThey are seeking to follow the leading of God No birth story - just John and then Jesus' baptism.  This is the beginning of Mark's story.  It isn't as much about the fulfillment of prophecy but more about what Jesus said and did.  Look in Mark for how often the word "immediately" is used Psalm 35:1-16 - Exhorting i...  Read More

I love that these two artisans keep being named and lifted up38:21ff - HUGE amounts The women leave the tomb with fear and great joy.  What a combination!But they run into Jesus as they goMatthew gives only one resurrection time with all the disciples?  Why this and not others included? Psalm 34:11-22 - Read the whole (RTW) - The second half is one to remember when hard times come - vv 11, 15, 18,...  Read More

35:29 - All the people whose hearts made them willing to bring anything for the work that God had commanded by Moses to be done brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord.  1 cubit = 1.5 ft.  Meaning these curtains were 42 feet!Try to imagine what this might have looked like "Compelled"? - forced?  Paid?The charge isn't really a charge at all - the King of the Jews?  Sedition?Jesus quotes Psalm...  Read More

Moses intervenes before the peopleGod making a covenant with Israel via MosesMoses face - we are changed by our encouters with God.  Jacob, now Moses.  How are our changes obvious to others? Not much to say here other than the heartbreak of it all Psalm 33:12-22 - again, read the whole :-).  This is such a powerful description off faith, belief, and trust.  Love the last 3 verses Proverbs 9:1-6 - ...  Read More

Golden calf - why are we so quick to abandon God?  What are the golden calves we set up in place of God in our lives?God saying "time to start over again"?  and the Lord changed his mind.  These and then the slaughter in the camp - ok to not understand what to do with those things How do we deny Jesus ourselves?What did Judas expect to happen when he betrayed Jesus?Notice Matthew brings in more pr...  Read More

Continue reflecting - which of the commandments do these order/commands connect to?Sabbath as ESSENTIAL - how have we left this behind? Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.  We often focus on Judas and Peter but they all abandoned Jesus at this momentNotice that Jesus never truly defends himself Psalm 32 -Power of confession.  Letting out what we hold in.  Reflect on how shame controls us...  Read More

Ancient practices of sacrifices were common in that time.  Church adopting the practices of others.  And we still do this today - Christmas, hymns, etc.  Incense - Engaging all the senses in worship.  What senses do we regularly engage and which don't we? Why did Judas betray Jesus?  Doesn't really go into reasons.  Speculation of whether it was disappointment in the direction Jesus was goingJesus...  Read More

Symbols matter.  What are some symbols for you in your life?Again, how was all this done in the desert/wilderness? Still in "end stuff" stage.  Here it is how did we choose to live?  Connect the anointing to the details in the Exodus readings currently.  Why the extravagance?  Because it is God!   Psalm 31:1-18 - Again, read the whole if possible.  Shifts to a lament even after the affirmation Pro...  Read More