Mark 9:30-37
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from Cory:
A new song came out this past week by artist Jon Guerra. The song is called American Gospel. It contrasts the good news of Jesus with what the artist calls “The American Gospel.” Here are some of the lyrics:
Come to me those who have something to give,
Come to me those who are likely to win.
Blessed are the powerful
Blessed are the rich
Blessed are the merciless
And the hypocrites
They will inherit the empires passing
It's the American Gospel
This week’s passage from Mark’s Gospel reads like a description of The American Gospel.
The way of America is to eliminate suffering at all costs.
In America, we want to know how to be first and greatest.
People are valued based on what they have to offer in the economic and political and entertainment realm.
Even in our churches, it feels like we are sometimes in an upward mobility club. How to improve, how to grow, how to do life better. The direction of Jesus, though, is downward and outward.
Instead of spending his days trying to hang out with the powerful movers and shakers, Jesus spends his days with the outcasts, the marginalized, the despised.
Whoever welcomes the sick, the dead, the old, the addict, the vagrant, the migrant, the ones who are a “drain on our economy,” whoever welcomes these people somehow welcomes Jesus.
The song concludes with a section from Jesus’ most famous message, The Sermon On The Mount:
Blessed are the powerless
Blessed are the poor
Blessed are the merciful
Blessed are the pure
For they will inherit the kingdom of Heaven
And that's the heart of the Gospel
This week, may we find the courage to say no to the American Gospel and yes to the way of Jesus.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Let no one be irrelevant to you today.
Non-Violent Communication Question of the Week
Do people with less power and influence get the same quality of attention from you as those with more power and influence?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Activism (Loving God through Confrontation):
How can you treat others impartially and fairly this week?
Questions for Reflection
Where do you find yourself desiring greatness, power, success? Why do you desire those things?
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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