A Note from Pastor Norm

While we are just beginning a new calendar year, we began a new church year with the First Sunday of Advent on November 27. Whether you noticed or not, we have begun The Year of Mark.

We use the Revised Common Lectionary (common because it is used not only by Lutherans, but by many other Protestant churches and—with some variations—the Roman Catholic Church, as well) for our Sunday Scripture readings. The Revised Common Lectionary has a 3-year cycle of readings: Last year was The Year of Matthew, and next year will be The Year of Luke. John’s Gospel is used in all three years, especially during the Easter season. But this is The Year of Mark when we get a heavy dose of Mark’s Gospel.

What makes Mark unique? What do we get from Mark’s Gospel that we might not get from Matthew, Luke, or John? Let me suggest a few things to be on the lookout for.

A Sense of Urgency. Mark seems to be in a hurry to tell his story. There is no infancy narrative—no Christmas story. Mark kicks things off with John the Baptizer and Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River. Throughout the first chapter, Mark repeatedly uses phrases like: “immediately,” “at once,” “just then,” “straightaway.” Mark sets Jesus’ ministry in motion immediately and keeps the action moving.

Not Everybody Gets It. Mark often portrays Jesus’ disciples as lacking in understanding (for example, Mark 6:52; 8:17). Those who should have known Jesus best simply had a difficult time comprehending who he really was and what that meant for themselves and for the world. In contrast, Matthew, writing after Mark by approximately 10-20 years, tends to portray the disciples not as blockheads, but as “ye of little faith,” (for example, Matthew 6:30; 16:8). Given the alternatives, I’m not sure if I would rather be labeled a dunderhead or a person “of little faith.” In any event, even amongst his disciples, not everyone gets Jesus.

It’s About the Cross. There are several occasions on which Jesus instructs his followers not to tell anyone what they have just seen or heard (for example, Mark 1:44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:30; 9:30). Is this a matter of reverse psychology, hoping that folks will blab the news all over if he tells them to keep quiet? Hardly! Coming down from the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus tells his disciples that they are to tell no one what they have seen, “until the Son of Man had risen from the dead,” (Mark 9:9). At the cross, a centurion declared, “Truly this man was God’s Son,” (Mark 15:39)—and there is no command to silence. Jesus’ invitation to faith is not based on miracles or eloquent sermons. In Mark there is no Sermon on the Mount as in Matthew or Sermon on the Plain as in Luke. There is no Lord’s Prayer. Instead, Jesus’ invitation to faith is based on his death and resurrection. It’s about the cross.

Of course, there are other nuances that are unique to Mark’s Gospel. But these are a few of the themes you might pay attention to as we make our way through The New Year of Mark.

Peace and Blessings!

Pastor Norm

Responding to God's love, we faithfully welcome, worship, grow, witness, and serve.

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Sunday Schedule

 9:45 AM   Sunday School
10:30 AM  Fellowship, Coffee
11:00 AM  Traditional Service

We share Holy Communion every Sunday with all baptized Christians who believe in our Lord's presence in the sacrament as an offering of forgiveness, life, and salvation.

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