Second festival / holy day for Jews instituted here.  Day of Atonement.  Yom KippurOne of the verses regarding sexuality.  Seems simple in reading but actually very complex Here the Syrophonecian woman again but put right after this teaching on internal vs external.  Intentional?Another feeding or the same one? Psalm 41 - Consider the poor.  Understand, relate to, etcAll the rest of vv 1-3 follows...  Read More

15:25ff - This is the reference for why the woman in the recent Mark healing story was outcast and was in the sitaution she was in.  Ancient understandings of bodies but still rooted in the "others" portion of the 10 CommandmentsWhy NRSV says Azaziel and not scapegoat?  Azaziel - ancient demon of the wilderness Interesting reading this while reading the bevy of laws in Leviticus Jesus reinterprets...  Read More

Ancient understandings of disease - usually thought of as a punshment or a consequence - not as an infection / virus / etc Same sense with this as with the stories in Matthew.  Trying to get away and grieve.  Or afraid.  or bothv34 - there's my word again!Imagination - Jesus invites the disicples to imagination but theirs isn't broad enough as yet.  They are used to scarcity thinking not possibili...  Read More

Are these now moving to the commandments for loving others rather than God?  Love one another - means not getting others sick.  This being written in a time of very primitive understandings of contagiousness, viruses, infections, etc Jesus coming home - hard to come home sometimesDisciples were sent out - right off the bat they were called to do the workHerod and John - Pride, ego, lust --> Leads ...  Read More

Clean and unclean foods - still feels tied to a sense of holiness, uniqueness from other people.  Marking and separating them from others Intertwined healing stories.  In both cases, a way to think about it is of someone who was dead being brought back to life. In one case it is a figurative death (outcast) and the other is a literal death (Jairus' daughter) Psalm 38:1-22 - Have you ever felt this...  Read More

Unholy fire - not quite sure what to do with thatPurity and holiness - do we center on this any more?  Why?  Why not?Holy, holy, holy - keeps coming upFeels like these are still trying to stick w/ the "Love the Lord your God" commandments Realm / Kingdom of God - How it works is a mystery (26-29)Two stories of great power - over nature and over demonsAnd the people are afraid of this power Psalm 3...  Read More

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