The following sermon was preached as part of a series from the Gospel according to Mark. We have been following Jesus through the story Mark gives us of Jesus’ life from the perspective of one of his disciples, the followers and learners of Jesus.
The most recent installment in this series, “Blind Discipleship” comes as the last healing Jesus performs in Mark’s Gospel.
Posted in Theology
This past week our Church community at St. George’s continued our journey together through the Gospel of Mark. We have been traveling with the first disciples (those early followers and learners of Jesus) through the story that Mark gives us of Jesus’ life and ministry. Our guiding question that we have been sitting with comes in Mark 8, “who do people say that I am.” As we journey with this question and hear the many responses from the masses, “Jesus is … a healer, one with a unique authority, prophet, teacher, the Holy one of Israel … and on and on it goes to the present day”, we find ourselves challenged with the follow-up question that Jesus gives us, “But, who do YOU say that I Am?” To live into these questions, we have been following the biography of Jesus’ life that Mark gives us.
Posted in Theology
“The danger of education, I have found, is that it so easily confuses means with ends. Worse than that, it so easily forgets both and devotes itself merely to the mass production of uneducated graduates – people literally unfit for anything except to take part in an elaborate and completely artificial charade which they and their contemporaries have conspired to call ‘life’.”
- Thomas Merton in “Love and Living.”
Go to the people.
Live among them.
Learn from them.
Love them.
Start with what they know.
Build on what they have.
ancient Chinese poem,
unknown author
The following sermon was preached Saturday, March 3rd by Rev. Ryan M. Kocak, the Rector (Sr. Pastor) and lead church planter of St. George’s Anglican Church in Medina.
The Text of the sermon was from Mark 3:13-19:
The Twelve Apostles
And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.
Posted in Theology
*originally written for the church plant I serve on our blog – www.medinaanglican.com/blog , but thought the challenge may be extended here*
Lent is a lengthened season of preparation. Historically, Lent was a period of time where a believer would prepare for their baptism into Christ’s body. This meant they would study Holy Scripture and Church doctrine, undergo healing and exorcism, fasting, and giving money and gifts to the poor. Lent was also a season where those who were already baptized into Christ’s body (ah-hem, that’s you Church), would fast in preparation for the feast of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the fulfillment of our baptism.
This Lent I am sure many of you are devoutly abstaining from sweets, coffee, meat, fast food, TV, movies, social media, or food altogether. These practices indeed can be a good thing in and of themselves, but in practicing the good do not neglect practicing the best: intimacy with Jesus Christ. After all, we don’t abstain from the good gifts of creation (like pizza) in order to be grumpy, tired, or even pious before unbelievers.
We cease so that we may abide in God’s peace.
We save so that we may give to the least.
We fast so that we may feast.
Christlikeness in us increase!
This Lent I challenge you in the midst of fasting to make your relationship with God a priority (and please hold me personally to this challenge as well). As you fast from worldly desire, also fill yourself with the Word of God. In both the Old Testament and New Testament people are encouraged to “eat the scroll”. The Psalmist says that we are to “hide the word in our hearts that we may not sin against God.”
This Lenten season I am challenging you to read ALL twenty-one Letters in the New Testament and memorize seven verses. I’m not challenging you to performance. No gold stars or red markers here. I am simply calling you to be people of the Word, listening to the Letters of St. Paul, Peter, John, and others as they reveal the mysteries of God to you. Now some of these Letters are long (Romans, Hebrews, I Corinthians) and others are very short (Philemon, Jude, Titus), so plan accordingly and do not rush, take your time. Marinade your soul in the Word of God. Here are some pointers:
I will be writing short (if the Lord gives me brevity) summaries and reflections from each of these letters as I go through them. Feel free to post questions, comments, how the Lord has touched you as you read them, or what verses you are memorizing. For extra reading, save the Four Gospels for Holy Week and Acts and Revelation for Eastertide.
May we all feast this Lent on a healthy portion of God’s Word, allowing it to be made flesh in us, so that the world may come to know in our words and deeds the Christ we proclaim. World without end. Amen.
Posted in Theology
As I read A Book of Irish Verse (edited by none other than W.B. Yeats himself) this morning, this particular poem surprised me by the emotion and desire it manifested within me. I pray it may be a means of grace for you as well.
THE VILLAGE PREACHER
from the ‘Deserted Village’
Near yonder copse, where once the garden smil’d,
And still where many a garden flower grows wild;
There, where a few torn shrubs the place disclose,
The village Preacher’s modest mansion rose.
A man he was to all the country dear,
And passing rich with forty pounds a year;
Remote from towns he ran his godly race,
Nor e’er had changed, nor wish’d to change, his place
Unpractis’d he to fawn, or seek for power,
By doctrines fashion’d to the varying hour;
Far other aims his heart had learn’d to prize,
More skill’d to raise the wretched than to rise.
His house was known to all the vagrant train,
He child their wanderings, but reliev’d their pain;
The long-remember’d beggar was his guest,
Whose beard descending swept his aged breast;
The ruined spendthrift, now no longer proud,
Claimed kindred there, and had his claims allow’d;
The broken soldier, kindly bade to stay,
Sat by his fire, and talked the night away;
Wept o’er his wounds or tales of sorrow done,
Shouldered his crutch, and showered how fields were won
Pleased with his guests, the good man learned to glow
And quite forgot their vices in their woe;
Careless their merits or their faults to scan,
He pity gave ere charity began.
Oliver Goldsmith
*discovered in Yeats’ A Book of Irish Verse
In the holy city, murder is the ultimate sin …
By: Peter Tremayne
Peter Tremayne is the pen-name of the Irish Post columnist and historian Peter Berresford Ellis. The depth of his understanding of seventh century history is quite remarkable. As I read through his “Sister Fidelma” novels, I find myself not only thoroughly entertained from the twists and turns of a murder mystery, but also educated with the historical acuteness of the author. I usually walk away from one of his novels with a list of new vocabulary words to look up and research.
This brings me to how I was introduced to the writings of Tremayne: my growing fondness of the celtic church and early Anglican history. A friend of mine, a retired history professor, suggested the novels as a fun and quick way to begin to get more immersed with some of the dynamics of this time period.
All of my previous book previews have been limited to non-fiction books. The “Summary”, “Big Idea”, “Little Idea 1 & 2″, and “take away” headings seemed to work well within that genre, but will not translate well into previews of fiction novels, especially murder mysteries (think about it, “the big idea” = ___ is actually the murderer” – would totally ruin the story). Therefore, I will be more brief and selective of the quotes and will list the major themes that bleed through in the narrative.
“Has this Ronan Ragallach admitted that he killed Wighard?”
“No.” Gelasius was dismissive. “But the evidence against him is overwhelming.”
“So you want to be able to announce that this crime was resolved by Eadulf of Canterbury and Fidelma of Kildare agreeing in unison in order to prevent a possible conflict arising?”
The plot is at first glance simple: there was a murder of the future archbishop of Canterbury in 7th century Rome and a suspect is held in custody who was captured at the scene of the crime. Seems like a job for local law enforcement, an open and shut case. NOT SO!
In the Autumn of 664 A.D. when this story unfolds, there was a lot of tension between Rome, the Celtic Church, and Canterbury. Therefore, to avoid open conflict over the murder of the archbishop of Canterbury (and the theft of his valuables), the authorities of the Lateran Palace call into action Sister Fidelma of Kildare and her friend Eadulf of Canterbury as investigators to discern the nature of the murder and the guilty parties. The story takes you through ancient Rome: the architecture, religion, and culture.
TAKE HOMES
Posted in Book Previews
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