Week of 6/3. Texts: Psalm 81:1-10, Mark 2:23-3:6

Transcription

1 And now we have told you our stories, O God: named our worries and shared our delights, confessed our sins and witnessed you among us. Now tell us your story, O Holy God, write it upon our hearts in the silence of prayer. Tell us again of your magnitude over the earth, of your presence in every breath, of your love in all of life. Write upon our hearts your story of the living stone that is a foundation for a place where all are welcome in your light. We hold onto your story above our own, grateful in the knowledge that you are a sheltering God When we despair that justice and healing may never come, when we feel lost in all that is unknown, we hold onto your story: that you too are supremely unknown yet you know every one and you know every story. You name us. You hold all in your hand. You continue to live out your story of faithfulness. Let your story be full of life within us and within the world, we pray. We ask these things in Jesus name. - Rachel Hackenberg

2 Texts: Psalm 81:1-10, Mark 2:23-3:6 Week of 6/3 Is the Sabbath No Longer Sacred? When was the last time you woke up and felt truly rested? A time where you got a full eight hours of blissful sleep with no interruptions- no barking dogs, trash trucks, s or kids running in and around? Or what about a time when you felt completely at peace? Where were you? What allowed for this to happen? In Mark s Gospel, we get a glimpse into a culture that valued Sabbath. Sabbath was a day of rest, sanctioned by God and enforced by the religious authority. It was not a time to take naps and be lazy, but it was a sacred time set aside for God. Jesus pushes the boundaries of what constitutes the sabbath by picking wheat and healing the hands of man who was crippled. Jesus shows us that part of resting in God is responding to the needs of those around us. To heal the sick, feed the hungry and spend time with the ones we love. What would it look like if we set aside an hour, or a morning or a whole day to spend time with God? What would you have to give up? What would you gain? This summer we are going to be exploring the art of storytelling. Whether you feel like a good storyteller or not, telling stories is a great spiritual practice! Each week we will try out a new practice to help us sharpen our storytelling skills. Mark s Gospel is notorious for being abrupt and lacking description. Pick a few verses from the assigned passage for the week (Mark 2:23-3:6) and rewrite them in the box below using your own words, adding adjectives as you go. What did the fields smell like, look like, sound like, as Jesus and the disciples collected the grain? What did the face of the man with the shriveled hand look like when Jesus healed him? Have some fun with this!

3 Week of 6/10 Texts: Psalm 130, Mark 3:20-35 Come on, folks! Give Jesus a Break!!! This summer we are going to be exploring the art of storytelling. Whether you feel like a good storyteller or not, telling stories is a great spiritual practice! Each week we will try out a new practice to help us sharpen our storytelling skills. This week, let s take a closer look at the words themselves. How do certain words evoke memories, smells, images? Read through this passage one time and underline all the action words. Read it again and circle the descriptive words. Read it one final time and highlight any nouns. How does the passage change each time through? How can our choice of words change the ability to communicate our story to others? Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, He has gone out of his mind. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons. And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come But no one can enter a strong man s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin for they had said, He has an unclean spirit. Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you. And he replied, Who are my mother and my brothers? And looking at those who sat around him, he said, Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.

4 Texts: Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15, Mark 4:26-34 Week of 6/17 Really! Just How Big is a Mustard Seed? This summer we are going to be exploring the art of storytelling. Whether you feel like a good storyteller or not, telling stories is a great spiritual practice! Each week we will try out a new practice to help us sharpen our storytelling skills. This is what the kingdom of God is like What do you think the kingdom of God is like? Mark uses the example of a mustard seed. The smallest of all seeds on earth but when it is planted and grows, it becomes large and lush with big branches. How does this imagery help us to see the kingdom through Mark s eyes or Jesus eyes? If you were to write this parable, what would you compare the kingdom of God to? The Kingdom of God is like It smells like It sounds like It looks like It makes me feel

5 Week of 6/24 Texts: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32, Mark 4: Jesus - A Bridge Over Troubled Waters?! This summer we are going to be exploring the art of storytelling. Whether you feel like a good storyteller or not, telling stories is a great spiritual practice! Each week we will try out a new practice to help us sharpen our storytelling skills. Think about a time where you felt really scared or nervous. What was going through your mind? What were the circumstances surrounding this event? Imagine if Jesus had yelled in the midst of it all, Quiet! Be Still! Write down your story and incorporate the phrase Quiet! Be Still and then share it with someone this week. What do you notice? What emotions arise in you? How does this change the way you see Jesus?