Words of Welcome

    Mark 9:30-37 Muhammad Ali famously claimed he was the greatest. He said, “It’s hard to be humble when you’re as great as I am.” Now, Ali was a showman and that was part of his act. Politicians have been known to say something similar. You might hear them claim that only they can fix what’s wrong with our society. If you vote for someone else, the world might come to an end. Apparently, this messaging works because politicians keep making the claims, and people keep voting for them.  While people keep claiming greatness, I’m not sure God is impressed with these claims. Consider for a moment this word from the Wisdom of Solomon: “For the Lord of all will not stand in awe of anyone or show deference to greatness, because he himself made both small and great, and he takes thought for all alike.” ( Wisdom of Solomon 6:7 ). This morning we once again hear Jesus define his messianic calling in terms of his suffering and death, followed by his resurrection. His disciples still didn’t

  Mark 8:27-38 Jesus asked his disciples an important question: “Who do you say that I am?” It’s a question he asks us as well.  This is a perennial question partly because we know so little about the historical Jesus. Mark wrote the earliest gospel. It appeared sometime around the year 70, which is pretty close to Jesus’ own lifetime, but it left many questions unanswered. So, down through history people have gone on quests for the historical Jesus and written creeds to define the identity of Jesus. Is Jesus human, divine, or both? Mark doesn’t answer all of these questions, but he does invite us to join him on a journey of faith.  This morning’s reading from Mark 8 takes us to the region of Caesarea Philippi. This is another predominantly Gentile region well known for its pagan temples, including temples erected by Herod and his sons to honor the Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius.  While they were traveling north, after Jesus asked his disciples who the crowds thought he w

  Mark 7:24-37 Before we headed to Northminister last Sunday for our joint service, we spent time in John 6 . In John 6 we heard Jesus offer himself as the bread of life. This morning we heard a word of wisdom from Proverbs 22: “Those who are generous are blessed, for they share their bread with the poor” ( Prov. 22:9 ). Bread also figures in our Gospel reading from Mark 7. So, what’s with all this talk of bread? Could this talk of bread have spiritual implications? Mark 7 opens with Jesus having a conversation with a group of religious leaders about the religious importance of washing one’s hands before eating. This topic came up because Jesus’ disciples had neglected this religious rite. The issue isn’t hygiene but what tradition says about what it means to be clean or unclean in the eyes of God. According to Jesus, what makes us clean or unclean aren’t external things but what goes on in the heart ( Mk. 7:1-23 ). After Jesus had that discussion with the religious leaders, he h