“Why should anyone listen to you? What authority do you have?” The questions hung over me and I had no answer, so I just sat there in silence. John Zimmerman, my preaching professor, sat across […]
Category: Gospel of Mark
Journey with Jesus 7 — Fishing for people (Mark 1:16-20)
When I was a kid, there was a group of boys on our short, dead-end street who would play together. Among the many outdoor games we’d play was, of course, follow the leader. And Greg Smith […]
Journey with Jesus 6 — New maps (Mark 1:14-15)
The first time I went to San José State University, it wasn’t there. I was a new student and had been given a time to come by the college to register for classes. I didn’t […]
Journey with Jesus 5 — Loved into the desert (Mark 1:5-8)
Halfway through the exercise, a thought ran through my mind over and over again: “I don’t need this. Why am I doing this to myself? I hate this. I’m done.” And on that day, I […]
Journey with Jesus 4 — Baptized (Mark 1:4-8)
I grew up in a Christian tradition that holds to believer baptism, rejecting infant baptism. While I think there are valid arguments for both forms of baptism which both sides should consider, that wasn’t an […]
Journey with Jesus 3 — New Exodus (Mark 1:2-3)
Sometimes, in order to tell a story, another story must be told first. Without the set-up story, the main story won’t have the same weight or meaning. I find myself doing this with my kids […]
Journey with Jesus 2 — Scrubbed & refined (Mark 1:2-3)
One of my favorite musical works is the sublime Messiah by George Friedrich Handel. When I was in college, I listened to numerous recordings of it before buying two different versions: Antal Dorati’s clean and complete […]
Journey with Jesus 1 — Good news (Mark 1:1)
Before we run, we walk. Before we walk, we crawl. And so our journey with Jesus in the Gospel of Mark starts with just one verse. Don’t worry, the pace will pick up. But it’s […]
Living and praying the Gospel of Mark
I want to spend some time soaking in the Gospel of Mark. I need to spend some time with Jesus and I know of no better way than to read his story and listen to […]