I long for the opportunity to let the Spirit simplify our faith and refocus us on following Jesus.
Following Jesus: Walking through Mark’s Gospel
From Pastor Chris
About 10 years ago I attended a funeral that included a hand bell selection. As I looked at the group in robes and gloves ringing praises to God, a thought entered my mind: how did we get from a radical rabbi teaching about the kingdom of God on the dusty roads of Galilee to this?
Don’t get me wrong, I love bell choirs. I’m simply acknowledging that followers of Jesus have created an institution that includes everything from hand bell choirs to ushers to nominating committees to building maintenance teams. Each one of these can be a beautiful expression of love for Jesus and his people. And the complexity of church life reminds us of how easy it can be for us to forget what created this whole thing in the first place: the call to follow Jesus.
I long for the opportunity to let the Spirit simplify our faith and refocus us on following Jesus. So on Sunday we are going to begin a journey through the gospel of Mark, which addresses two questions:
1. Who is Jesus?
2. What does it mean to follow him?
In preparation for our study, consider reading a chapter of Mark each day to get a sense of the quick-paced, Jesus-in-action nature of this account. And pray that the Spirit would unveil new truths about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him.
Contemporary church life may have many moving parts, but it doesn’t have to lose its heart. Let’s keep Jesus at the center as we study his life together.