Mark 8:31-39
31-32 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.
33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
34-38 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from Jess:
Life can be very hard. Consisting of struggles and things we don’t want to do or even things we’re not even sure we are able to do. Jesus has just spent a few years with his disciples and followers bringing an incredible new truth. And now he is here telling them that he has to suffer and die. How confusing this would be. This is not at all what they would expect to happen. They thought he was the Messiah, the one who was going to set them free. “What do you mean you will die?” They can’t even hear him say that he will come back to life because they are so disheartened and confused. His good friend Peter tries to take him aside and tell him not to think like this, he wanted to make it better and protect his friend, Jesus. Jesus comes back with quite a harsh remark, but I’m sure it’s because of his own struggle in his heart of what he must suffer.
Jesus knows that things are not as they should be in this world. We can choose to follow Jesus by living unselfishly and bring peace and wholeness to the world. Or we can live for our own desires and ambitions without thought for those around us. Jesus turns the focus to the deepest part of ourselves, our souls. Jesus places the state of our souls as essential for the way we live our lives. Will we lay down some of our own comfort to help someone? Will we give our hard earned money to someone in need? Jesus knew this way would not be easy, but in the end, when he makes all things right, we can be with him, standing in his glory. Or we can be embarrassed by him and have our own way, far away from him.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
We can go into our day with the intention to see others around us as just as important as we are. Ask coworkers, family, anyone what their challenges and needs are and see how you can contribute.
Pathways toward Centeredness
When you start to feel a sense of chaos in yourself- take the time to step away for a few moments and untangle the things that are bothering you. You can ask yourself questions like- “why do I feel unsettled after that conversation?” Or “what is one thing I can do to make this situation less stressful?
Questions for Reflection
Are you willing to get in touch with your soul? (All this is asking is if you are willing to be truly aware of your thinking, your emotions and your choices.)
What motivates you to live the way you do? Is this the way you want to be living?
“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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