So we decided to slowly preach our way through Mark’s Gospel. We’ve called it Mark’s Gospel: To Believe Is Human.
Check out the series at http://www.redeemerschurch.com/dlgMediaPlayer.aspx?id=880
Having blogged yesterday about rereading what we already know, today was discovering new stuff.
For example – why does Mark have an evil spirit be the first one to announce who Jesus is?
Is it to do with Mark wanting us to see a deeper reality than what’s on the surface of our lives.
But the bigger learn was the way that Mark introduces us to Jesus.
Three back to back, boom boom stories in Mark 1, and each one speaks directly into the most common fears of 1st century Jews.
1. Demon possession – their explanation for any bad things that happened in their lives.
2. Fever – if you got sick in Jesus’ day you normally died from it.
3. Isolation – being moved to the margins of society, shunned, untouchable.
There’s so much in the history and the sociology in how Jesus is introduced, but one thing oozes out of the opening trilogy - Jesus immediately impacted every fear and anxiety people felt.
This is the Kingdom of God arriving!!
It is about real life, real people and their real fears.
The Kingdom of God is something very tangible.
This is why it is such Good News.
Live it rather than only believe it.
Day in day out let the Kingdom of God break through.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Countdown to Lent
Runner’s World is as magazine I read every month cover to cover.
Love it.
What’s weird is its only ever saying the same thing every month!!!
But there is something about rereading articles about doing Fartleks (Google it if you’re a non-runner), to how to gain stamina, or Peter Sagal’s running column (host of NPR’s excellent show Wait, Wait …Don’t Tell Me!), the regular what to eat to recover those sore muscles pages and the constant stories of other runners.
Every month, every word – and really nothing new under the sun.
I know of someone else who gets the same magazine and probably doesn’t read every word, might not read any words ….. and only one of us runs!
Runners need constant motivation.
Motivation to pound the streets, sweat the pavement and burn off the 500 calories of chocolate you rewarded yourself with for yesterdays run.
And what motivates seems to be rereading what you already know.
In a similar way leading is like running.
To always be the guy out front; to always be the go to leader; to always be the one people turn to.
Leaders need constant motivation.
Maybe this is why Bill Hybels and others suggest leaders need to read and reread and reread again.
It’s not that many new writers are saying new things – but they are re-saying what we need to hear to keep us staying out in front of people.
Funny when you think about it more – I’m motivated by stuff I already know!
Maybe even funnier – I buy loads of books written by authors who know they aren’t really saying anything people don’t already know – and then people like me buy them!
Is there anything new under the sun?
So here’s one of my Lental practice this year – don’t buy any new books; don’t read any new magazines or articles – for the 40 days of Lent be motivated by what I already know in one of the hundreds of books I’ve already read.
And already I’m thinking about cramming in as many new books between now and the beginning of Lent!
Love it.
What’s weird is its only ever saying the same thing every month!!!
But there is something about rereading articles about doing Fartleks (Google it if you’re a non-runner), to how to gain stamina, or Peter Sagal’s running column (host of NPR’s excellent show Wait, Wait …Don’t Tell Me!), the regular what to eat to recover those sore muscles pages and the constant stories of other runners.
Every month, every word – and really nothing new under the sun.
I know of someone else who gets the same magazine and probably doesn’t read every word, might not read any words ….. and only one of us runs!
Runners need constant motivation.
Motivation to pound the streets, sweat the pavement and burn off the 500 calories of chocolate you rewarded yourself with for yesterdays run.
And what motivates seems to be rereading what you already know.
In a similar way leading is like running.
To always be the guy out front; to always be the go to leader; to always be the one people turn to.
Leaders need constant motivation.
Maybe this is why Bill Hybels and others suggest leaders need to read and reread and reread again.
It’s not that many new writers are saying new things – but they are re-saying what we need to hear to keep us staying out in front of people.
Funny when you think about it more – I’m motivated by stuff I already know!
Maybe even funnier – I buy loads of books written by authors who know they aren’t really saying anything people don’t already know – and then people like me buy them!
Is there anything new under the sun?
So here’s one of my Lental practice this year – don’t buy any new books; don’t read any new magazines or articles – for the 40 days of Lent be motivated by what I already know in one of the hundreds of books I’ve already read.
And already I’m thinking about cramming in as many new books between now and the beginning of Lent!
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