[RCL] Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38 God’s truth is unchangeable. But it’s not predictable. Do you ever wish we lived in precedented times? Maybe live a week without a once-in-a-hundred-years catastrophe, without shock and surprise in the news, without a rupture in our day-to-day that might make things feel out of…

[RCL] Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Psalm 22:22-30; Romans 4:13-25; Mark 8:31-38 Imagine the scene. You are one of the group of Galileans who have been singled out to follow the most compelling teacher ever to walk the stony hills of your land. You have been with your beloved leader, the one you call Master or Rabbi,…

Many people over the course of history have asked, “Why must a person believe in God to be nice and do good things?” Why, indeed? What separates our faith communities from other social activist groups like the Lions Club or Doctors Without Borders? The answer lies in our deepest motivation: following Jesus. With this understanding,…

The structure of Mark’s Gospel, from which this week’s reading comes, is like a mountain. As we go up one side, we hear about the ministry of Jesus; the miracles, the healings, the feeding of thousands, the calling of the disciples. The top of the mountain is Peter’s declaration, “You are the Christ,” the first…

In today’s Gospel, Jesus very clearly issues a challenge and call to discipleship in verses 34 to 36. When Jesus called His disciples, He said, “Come, follow me” and they obeyed. We find no indication the disciples questioned how much time would be involved, how much would they be paid, what would the expectations of…