Introducing Cultivate

What’s life without a little irony?

If you had asked me a year ago what the chances were that I’d be working on a start-up youth ministry for at-risk teens in Fort Myers this fall, I would’ve said slim… very slim… possibly non-existent.

Many years ago now I left a job in Costa Rica working with at-risk youth to do the seminary and ministry to adults thing. At that time, I said that while I was tremendously blessed for the eight years I got to work with at-risk youth, I was ready to move on (permanently) to something different.

And somewhere God chuckled.

When Amy and I decided to launch a local missionary network last year one of our guiding principles was, “Who are the people that the established churches are not serving or seeking with Christ’s love?” We then set out to find those people and to see if God would open a door for us to build relationships with them, serve them, and reveal the Kingdom amongst them. That mission took us down many different streets, but we never received the green light we were looking for to put all our effort into one place.

This past June I was reasonably frustrated with the situation (it had been a tough spring for a variety of reasons), and at a loss for where we were supposed to be. And it was, of course, when I threw up my hands and said, “Okay God, you’re going to have to make something happen here,” that He did. He kicked a door wide open in fact, with just one catch… the people we were called to serve were at-risk youth.

That divine irony thing… get’s me every time!
(When I was 23 I also cursed God and swore I’d never go back to church. Yup, I’m that guy.)

So, for the last four months we’ve been hanging out a few times a week with a group of about 15 teens who are growing up in a particularly challenging neighborhood in Fort Myers. (Here's an example of what goes on in their neighborhood.) They are bright, funny and full of life, but face some very significant challenges in their surroundings.

Nothing like trusting another 13 year old when you're blindfolded

Four weeks ago we officially kicked off Cultivate, a ministry aimed at sharing God’s love with these teens and helping them develop their God-given gifts. Each Wednesday we are gathering to play games, eat dinner, and to talk life and faith. Through the ministry the youth will have mentors, and will have the opportunity to earn special outings and activities (through grades, serving others, meeting goals, attendance, etc). We have a long way to go, but as I write today I’m filled with joy and thankful to God for leading us to this community and for throwing a little irony and adventure into our lives in the process.

All that being said, if you are local and would like an opportunity to serve some great young men and women please let me know! We have many needs that could be addressed by all kinds of people. And to everyone reading this blog, please pray for us that we would lead this group with an abundance of grace, love and truth, and that we would continually point the guys to Jesus with our words and
deeds.
                                                                             

The champs in action!

No injuries were sustained...

Finishing Up Mark

In the last section of Mark’s gospel we discover the final, and most important, identity of Jesus: Son of God. This is where Mark’s story began (1:1) and in these last chapters we come full circle, albeit with very different and a deeper understanding of the significance of those words.

In Jesus’ day calling someone the “son of God” was simply another way of calling them “the king.” Numerous ancient kings took the title “son of god” (including Caesar Augustus), claiming that their rule was ordained by god and that they were the mediators of god’s (or the gods’) will for their people. In Israel this concept was slightly modified, in that the king was not the law-giver or the mouthpiece of God (those positions were held by the Torah and by the prophets). However, the idea that the king was God’s chosen ruler was still there (again, this was connected to the Son of David idea that we discussed in the previous post) and therefore when other Jewish characters (like the High Priest in 14:61) say “Son of God” they basically mean what we said for “messiah.” 

Redefining “Son of God”

At this point you might think we’ve already covered all this territory, but here’s the thing: Jesus redefines what it means to be Son of God. Through Mark’s gospel we learn that the Son of God is…

… the Son of Man, who is persecuted and suffers and is then lifted to victory by God and exalted. In other words, being God’s Son does not simply mean reigning on high apart from the struggle below. Rather, it means sacrificing oneself for the sake of God’s people, and through this sacrifice becoming the instrument of their victory. (Jesus alludes to Daniel 7:13-14, 21-22, and 23-27 in his speech about the destruction of the temple and in his own trial, and these references point to a prophecy of a “Son of Man” who suffers and is exalted by God… Jesus actively seeks this role!)

… the true Image of God (Col. 1:15), who reveals the Father’s heart and character through the passion and love he demonstrated in going to the cross for the sake of humanity. It is at the moment of Jesus’ final agony and death that the centurion under the cross declares him to be the Son of God (Mark 15:39). This indicates that Jesus’ death itself was revelatory; through it the love of the Father was revealed, as was his unique relationship with the Son, which spurred on the Son’s sacrifice (see also Mark 1:11 and 9:7).

… the Resurrected One, who has overcome evil and death and possesses in himself eternal life and the complete authority of God. His kingship is revealed to be eternal, and his call and invitation for people to follow him (i.e. give him their allegiance) continues to go forth after his death and resurrection, with the promise that his disciples will share in his eternal life and kingdom.

Where does this redefinition leave us?

This consideration of Jesus as the Son of God leads us back to the previous post, in which I said Jesus wasn’t about helping us get what we want (“win”) out of life. Rather, I said that he wanted us to renounce our own agenda and interests (“deny ourselves”) in favor of God’s agenda, even if that meant loss and death (“pick up your cross”). That of course then begged the question, “Why be a disciple of Jesus if it might cause me to lose what I want for this life?”

While I partially answered that question by pointing to Jesus’ character and trustworthiness as a leader, it was not the moment to discuss the “incentives” of following Jesus. But now that we have a little understanding of Jesus as the Son of God, it is appropriate to name why we follow Jesus… note that it’s not just about “going to heaven when we die!”

We follow Jesus because in him (in his very being) is the eternal life of the Kingdom of God, which He offers to those who, as disciples, give him their allegiance. This means we can receive that life now (via the Holy Spirit) in part, and look forward to receiving that life fully on the day of the resurrection when the Kingdom is established in power. 

We follow Jesus because he is our champion: the one who willingly and lovingly laid down his life to defeat sin and death, atone for our sins and reconcile us with God our Father. Jesus possesses the true authority of God, who is always giving of himself in love in order that life and blessing might be received by others. His authority does not simply rest on his power (though he has all the power needed) but also on his love. 

Further, as one who struggled and sacrificed as a human like us, he is a faithful and merciful guide as we navigate the difficulties and disappointments of life, including our own sins and errors. We can trust him to lead us because he knows the way of God, the way to God and the obstacles that face us on our journey.

It is hard, and scary, to let go of our own interests and desires and to let Jesus have control over our lives and our full allegiance. But it is a wise trade in the end, because,  in the words of Jim Elliot, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” The invitation to follow Jesus, the Son of God, and to receive His love and His life, is the greatest gift we could ever receive. So much so, that it is indeed worth losing everything we could possess or desire apart from Him. I and  And that, in the end, is what the Gospel of Mark is all about.

Gridiron Glory Days and Mark #4

105 pounds of pure power...

Have you ever been excited to take on a challenge or risk, and then as soon as it began in earnest realized that it was a bad idea?

When I was in 8th grade I tried out for the football team. I was a solid backyard football player at that point in my life; I could catch, run and even tackle reasonably well. My one problem was that I only weighed 105 pounds. Being so small, I knew that I had to prove to the coaches I was not afraid to get hit and mix it up with bigger players.

So when our first “hitting day” rolled around I decided to roll the dice. I was put in the “B” group of hitters, meaning that we had done well (we weren’t group C), but we weren’t top level. At the end of practice, our coach allowed anyone from group B to challenge anyone from group A to a one on one hitting drill (the goal was to block the other guy down or out of the lane). In a moment of insanity, I jumped up and challenged the second best blocker/tackler on our team, who played middle linebacker and full-back, and probably out weighed me by at least 50 pounds. 

As we walked over to the drill area and got down in our stances I knew that I didn’t have a prayer of knocking this guy down, and there was a good chance of me getting crushed in front of the team and many onlookers. And the little voice in my head said, “What the ____ were you thinking John!” (fill in blank as you see fit). But it was too late to repent; the coach had the whistle in his mouth… And for the end of the story you’ll have to make it to the end of the blog…

So at this point you might be thinking, “What does that story have to do with the Gospel of Mark?”
Well, today we’re taking on sections four (8:31-10:45) and five (10:46-13:37) in Mark’s gospel, and in these scriptures we learn that Jesus is: One, the Son of Man, who is destined to lay down  his life in loving service to God and God’s people; and two, the Son of David, meaning the true earthly king and authority of Israel who will not avoid conflict or back down from those who don’t recognize his rule. The result of these two identities of servant and messiah being faithfully held by Jesus will be Jesus’ death. And the disciples, who were undoubtedly enthusiastic about Jesus the Messiah in Mark 8:29, are in these sections struggling mightily to follow through with their own professions of faith, and perhaps wondering what on earth they were thinking in following Jesus in the first place!

Section Four: A Few Takeaways

Four times in this section (just two chapters) Jesus predicts his suffering and death… Mark is not being subtle here! Jesus identifies himself repeatedly as the Son of Man in this section, and it is clear that for him this meant he would give his life away for his people. To be the Son of Man was to serve (10:45). And of course this stood in stark contrast to the hopes of his disciples, who believed that by virtue of being Messiah Jesus would cruise to an earthly victory over the enemies of God and Israel… If there are any doubts about the disciples struggling with Jesus’ decision making here note that the section begins with Peter attempting to rebuke Jesus for even speaking about being killed (8:32).

Jesus’ determination to give his life away in obedience to God is held up against those who are looking to secure their own interests… such as approval or recognition by others (9:34), exclusive claims on Jesus (9:38), self-importance (10:13), wealth and possessions (10:17-25), home and family (10:29), and glory (10:37). Jesus reveals that discipleship means a willingness to part with each of these items for the sake of the Kingdom, even if they are good and desirable things in many other contexts.

The competing claims between these “desirables” (just listed) and Jesus’ way sheds light on what Jesus meant in 8:34 when he said that any disciple of His would have to “deny himself.” Many people think Jesus is talking about “self-denial” here in the sense of going on a diet, abstaining from pleasures, and avoiding things we otherwise like. But that’s not what Jesus is after. To deny oneself in this case means to renounce any claims (like ownership) we have over our lives. The Greek word used here for “deny” will be the word that Peter uses to deny he knows Jesus. Further, it was the word used by others in the Roman world to renounce political allegiances. To “deny ourselves” is to renounce our own rule over our lives, and to give that rule to God, via Jesus.

Section Five: One Takeaway

Jesus is the authority: that is the briefest way to sum up section five. This section begins with Jesus recognized as the Son of David by a blind beggar (10:46, don’t miss the irony), and Bartimaeus’s words should be noted. To be the “Son of David” was to be an authority in Israel. Jesus then proceeds to show off that authority in his last week: setting up a mock royal entrance to Jerusalem (11:1-8), stopping sacrifice at the Temple to deliver a prophet condemnation (11:15-17), cursing a fig tree as an illustration of judgment on the Temple (11:21), claiming authority in front of the chief priests (11:33 and 12:9-11), and delivering authoritative teaching on the resurrection (12:24-27), the greatest commandment (12:29-31), and the future destruction of Jerusalem (13:1-30).

A Disciples’ Problem: Then and Now

“What is Jesus thinking?” Surely those words (in a variety of tones) crossed the disciples’ minds as they journeyed towards Jerusalem and watched Jesus throw the gauntlet down once he arrived there. What kind of person makes a huge authority claim (to be king!) and yet presents himself as a servant who is unwilling to fight (physically), even in the face of manifestly unjust and false authorities? Shouldn’t he know that those things will get him killed, and possibly the disciples with him? Surely this is not what the disciples thought they were signing up for when they left their nets! They didn’t sign up to die with Jesus; they signed up to WIN with Jesus!

Win with Jesus… that sounds like a slogan that might (unfortunately) very well exist!

Win with Jesus is a problem because Jesus wasn’t interested in “winning,” or at least how we define winning. Jesus was about doing God’s will. Apparently he didn’t care if that made himself, or anyone else, happy or comfortable or wealthy or popular or wise or whatever. He was about God’s will because he loved God, and he loved his neighbor (that great commandment thing again, Mark 12:29!).

Many people (all of us?) are interested in Jesus because of what we think he can do for us. And there’s something true and good in that. Jesus was and is a healer, and a savior, and laid down his life for us (Gal. 2:20). But at some point we have to face the fact that Jesus is not ultimately interested in our success or happiness or desires apart from God’s Kingdom and God’s will. And therefore, if we are his disciples, we must continually fight to renounce our pursuit of our own good and interests (i.e. success, happiness, etc.) and turn over the keys of our life to Him. 

That might not sound what you or I signed up for. Admittedly, few people are attracted to slogans like “Deny yourself!” or “Come Die with Me!”. So why hang in there? Why keep following Jesus? Why go through with this difficult and painful journey of renouncing ourselves when Jesus doesn’t promise any “winning” in this life?

I have two things to say to those questions today:

First, wait for the next blog post when I will answer those questions at length!

Second, perhaps we have a ray of hope here: a true authority who gives away his life in love for God and others. Think about that… not something you see everyday. Most of us have big-time problems with authority, and many of our reasons for being skeptical of authorities are justified (just pick up a history book to know why). At the heart of these authority problems is our lack of trust. How can we trust anyone with power in a world like ours? It is in this vacuum of trust that Jesus stands out. Though we can’t trust Jesus to give us what we want for ourselves (see above), maybe we can actually trust him because he doesn’t make that promise in the first place. The only things he promises to us are fellowship with him and a share of His life (more on this next time) until God’s Kingdom arrives. And instead of making this a sales pitch, he simply models what it looks like to give oneself to God in love and in trust, and invites us to join him. So why keep going with Jesus? Because he is trustworthy.

Finale
So… how did that whole football thing work out for me? Well, as soon as the coach blew the whistle I threw myself with all my might into my opponent… and got destroyed! Honestly, I as soon as the whistle blew I shot off and hit him hard but basically the next thing I knew I was on by back. Silver lining though: my willingness to challenge him and the fact that I initiated the contact (I was quicker than him) got me moved up to the “A” team, and I wound up being the last person to make the cut! (No joke, the coach actually pulled me aside the day the roster was announced and told me I was the last person to make the team because he was scared I could die if some of the really big guys hit me or fell on me… nice motivational speech to start the season!)

Walking through Mark #3

Messiah in training?

For most of my early life I believed that the word “messiah” was synonymous with “savior.” A messiah was someone like Luke Skywalker or Rodimus Prime (see Transformers: The Movie, 1986) who was destined to save the universe, bring balance to the force, and all that jazz through a singular (and possibly momentary) act of heroism.

Matrix of Leadership = Messiah?

While my definition of messiah got a few things right, it largely missed the mark of what scripture means when it says “the messiah.” When we read “messiah” in scripture (“christ” in Greek) we should really just think “king.” It technically meant “anointed one,” which more or less meant God’s chosen ruler (which could be fulfilled by a prophet or priest as well).

By the time of Jesus’ ministry the word “messiah” was a little more loaded with meaning, because Israel had not had a “true” king (descended from King David) in hundreds of years, and had been colonized and oppressed in that time. Those who looked for a messiah in Jesus’ day looked for a king who would restore Israel to glory, usher in a time of peace and prosperity, and deal with “the Gentile problem” (i.e. Israel’s oppression). There were many different takes on how these things would roll out, but the bottom line of all of them was that the Messiah would be the king of Israel.

This is important for us today because in the third section of Mark (6:31-8:30) we discover through the disciples and crowds that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel.

So how does Mark show us that Jesus is the Messiah?

Jesus picks up where Moses and David, Israel’s greatest leaders, left off.
We find Jesus in 6:31 in the wilderness with a large crowd and nothing for them to eat. If you know the Old Testament this should immediately remind you of Israel in the wilderness after they leave Egypt. And just as Moses asked God to provide and received manna, so Jesus prays and bread is provided for the crowd. The implication could not be clearer: Jesus is standing in Moses’ shoes, and is therefore leading an exodus of sorts in Israel.

Often overlooked in this story is a nod to David as well. We’re told Jesus has compassion on the people because they are “like sheep without a shepherd.” In the ancient world kings often spoke of themselves as shepherds, and of course the most famous shepherd (literal and figural) of all-time in Israel was King David, and he too spent many years in the wilderness before taking the throne. If Jesus is the true shepherd, then he stands in line with David.

In our next story (6:45-52), we find Jesus walking on water. Again, this should remind us of the Exodus, when the people miraculously cross the Red Sea. Here Jesus not only evokes Moses, but supersedes him by not even needing the waters to part. And finally, when Jesus is confronted by the scribes and Pharisees (7:1-23) he shows himself to be at the very least an authoritative interpreter of the law, and perhaps a law-giver as well. Again, our most famous law-giver and interpreter was Moses, and Jesus is now in his place.

Jesus shows his rule is meant for Gentiles (non-Jews) as well as for Israel and the Jews.
Many of the most treasured words and prophecies concerning the Messiah (or at least interpreted in that way) in the years leading up to Jesus spoke of the Messiah ending the conflict between Israel and the Gentile nations (Isa. 49:6-7, 2:3-4, Ps. 2:4-9, Dan. 7:14 etc.) In the stories of the Syrophoenician Woman, the Deaf Man, and Feeding the Four Thousand Jesus is most likely (obviously with the first) dealing with Gentiles. In these stories we see:

Gentiles submitting to Jesus (7:28)
Gentiles being healed in the same manner as Israelites (7:31-35)
Gentiles being fed in the same “Exodus” manner as Israelites (8:4-8)

In other words, Jesus is shown to be the king and shepherd of Gentiles too!

Peter tells us!
Of course this was the obvious one. At the closing story of this section, Jesus asks who the disciples who they think he is and Peter answers correctly by saying “the Christ,” (which means the messiah, 8:29). People often ask why Jesus then tells the disciples not to share this, and I think there are two good reasons. One, because if you are called king and there is already a king (Herod and essentially Pilate) you will find yourself in hot water pretty quickly. Two, because they don’t really know what it means for Jesus to be the “messiah.” Which leads us into our final issue…

What’s with the weird story of the half healing?
Why does Jesus only heal a guy half-way on his first attempt in 8:22-26? Or, better question, why does Mark tell us this story right before Peter’s confession? The best answer is that Mark is probably making a point about the disciples level of understanding. They are about to say that Jesus is the “messiah,” but they really don’t know what that means… they are the blind guy who thinks people look like trees (so he can see again, but not clearly) before he’s entirely healed!

So, what does it mean for us?
This section of Mark is a turning point in the story, because now the disciples know the first critical identity of Jesus: he’s the king. This is a substantial shift because teachers can be listened to and appreciated from a distance, and the powers of prophets can be admired at a distance, but a king makes an immediate claim of authority over us. You can be neutral with a teacher and avoid a prophet but if you have a king you either submit or you rebel.

It is crucially important for us to recognize this claim of Jesus’ that he is king. Many people want Jesus as their savior (the hero messiah of my youth), but far fewer really want him as their king. This is because kings demand obedience, and we generally prefer to do things our own way.

The most basic Christian confession was, and is, that Jesus is Lord (i.e. messiah/king). That’s what Peter gets right in 8:29. To be a disciple of Jesus then is NOT simply to trust that Jesus will forgive me if I trust in him or his death for me or believe he is a savior-hero. Rather, to be a disciple is to recognize Jesus’ kingship over us and everyone else, and in light of that, to obey him to the best of our ability. There of course are more key pieces to discipleship (namely, imitating Jesus in character and ministry) but it all begins with recognizing that he is the king and being willing to bend the knee to him. 

Bonus Points: What’s up with the numbers in the mass-feeding stories?
Many biblical scholars believe that the numbers we are given in the “mass-feeding” stories have symbolic significance… here is a little chart to give you some food (bread?) for thought!

Story	Number	Significance
Feeding 5000	5 Loaves	5 books in the Torah… “man does not live by bread alone…”; Think also of the ideal OT king who embodies and gives the Law to the people (Deut. 17:18-20)
	12 Baskets left over	12 tribes of Israel… there is enough for all of Israel
Feeding 4000	4000 People	4 is the number for “the whole”; 4 directions, 4 winds, 4 corners of the earth… in other words, the whole world is represented
	7 Loaves, 7 baskets left over	7 represents the 70 Gentile nations traditionally taken from the genealogy Genesis 10… there is enough for the whole world

Walking Through Mark #2

Today we are looking at the second section of Mark (4:35-6:30). The key to understanding this section of Mark's gospel is that it presents Jesus as a prophet. As we said in our previous post, Mark is allowing us to discover the key identities of Jesus through the eyes of his disciples and the crowds, and then using these identities to challenge us (again, through the disciples) to respond accordingly (i.e. repent).

Prophet
When most people think about a prophet, they think about someone who “sees the future” or announces what God is going to do. And while announcing God’s actions is one thing that prophets did/do, it was not the most important or only role that prophets took. In general, the most important thing that a prophet did was to reveal God’s perspective about an issue (political, personal, worship related, etc.). Generally, these revelations were critical of standard practices, but not always.

That being said, the prophets that were most famous were not famous for what they “predicted” or even wrote, but for the deeds of power and miracles they were associated with. Moses, Elijah and Elisha (the latter two who did not spend much time “making prophecies”) were the most well-known prophets, and they were remembered for their miracles, or we might say, for their power.

 Jesus’ Power
All of the stories in this section of Mark focus on the extraordinary power of Jesus. And if we take a moment and parse out some details, we can see just how extraordinary they are…

Miracle	Important details	Take-away
Stilling the storm	The most significant OT miracles are about God’s power over water: creation, the Flood, the Exodus, and crossing the Jordan. Water is a symbol for chaos in the OT…Only God has power over water!	Jesus has been given power over the natural order and the chaos that naturally exists in the world.
Casting Out Legion	A Roman legion (6000 soldiers) was the most effective fighting unit (and the most feared) in the ancient world; Jesus is in Gentile territory, at night, by a man who has proven “invincible” to all prior restraints.	Jesus has complete dominion over the forces of evil in any location and at any time
Healing the Woman and Raising Jairus’s daughter	Jesus not even trying to heal the woman; No doctor could heal the woman; Resuscitation miracles extremely rare… Elijah and Elisha are directly evoked in raising a dead child.	Jesus has healing powers unmatched by any human doctor, and raising the dead is the rarest of miracles.
Granting the Twelve authority over unclean spirits (power to heal included in that)	The granting of power to a disciple reminds of Elijah and Elisha, but they never gave power to twelve at once!	Jesus has the ability to empower his disciples to participate in his work.

Faith and Fear
The proper response to the power of Jesus is “faith” (4:40; 5:34; 5:36; 6:6). This “faith” is not intellectual belief, but trust in Jesus’ power to overcome whatever is arrayed against the follower of Jesus. Whether it is a storm at sea, a disease, death or being sent out in the face of political opposition (the disciples being sent out in Herod’s territory) Jesus’ followers are facing conflict, and are invited to trust in him rather than flee and surrender.

Fear then is presented as the opposite of trust. The disciples are afraid in the storm; the villagers are afraid after Jesus heals the man possessed; the people of Jesus’ hometown are suspicious of his abilities and popularity (6:3). Note that the disciples actually take a step forward in not allowing fear to prevent their mission. Knowing that Herod had killed John, and being sent without provision would have been good reasons to fear, but instead the disciples choose to have faith and trust that Jesus will empower them to complete the task that he gives them.

Our Question
Of course, Mark is not writing his gospel in this manner (with fear and faith juxtaposed) simply to entertain careful readers. Rather, he is challenging his readers to observe their own lives and discipleship in light of this story. If we do understand the call of the Kingdom (part one, remember), are we living into it in trust? Are we looking to Jesus’ power as we face conflicts? Are we accepting the work (local mission!) that he is calling us to in belief that he has empowered us to do it?

To the extent that we can answer yes to any of the above questions we are accepting Jesus’ identity as an extraordinary prophet… but of course we can’t stop there! Stay tuned for part three. . .

Walking through Mark #1

Today we are kicking off a three week tour through the Gospel of Mark! My goal is to post a couple

Come on, come on, come on, feel it!

of times a week and hit some of the key notes as some of our BBC folks read through this scripture. But whether you will be discussing Mark with us in person or not, I’d love to have you thinking about this gospel with us, and please feel free to send thoughts and questions!

Here is a five minute video I made that covers introductory matters and the first chapters: Mark Video One

Or, if you don’t want to watch the video, here are the highlights:

Roadmap for Mark:
Mark’s gospel unveils the identity of Jesus for us in a systematic fashion, as his book can be divided into six parts that all highlight one identity of Jesus. They are:

Jesus the Teacher: Mark 1:16-4:34
Jesus the Prophet: 4:35-6:30
Jesus the Messiah: 6:31-8:30
Jesus the Son of Man: 8:31-10:45
Jesus the Son of David:10:46-13:37
Jesus the Son of God: 14:1-16:8
(I got this structure from Richard Peace's Conversion in the New Testament, page 123.)

Mark invites his reader to move with the disciples and the crowds as they discover who Jesus is, with an eye of course on getting them to recognize him as the Son of God (which he tells us up front!). Note that as the disciples and crowd discover these identities they find Jesus’ challenges to them grow as well. From following him, to trusting him, to serving his mission, to denying themselves, to risking arrest by being with him and beyond, there is a correspondence between knowledge of who Jesus is and responsibility to act on it.

Teaching
In the first chapters of Mark Jesus is perceived by the crowd and disciples to be a teacher of great significance. The heart of Jesus’ teaching is the "Kingdom of God." Jesus announces that the Kingdom has arrived with his ministry, and that people who put their faith in Jesus' message can begin living in the kingdom through the process of repentance. In ancient history and biography, a character’s first words are often a summation of their core message, so we can assume that wherever Jesus goes in Mark’s gospel his focus is on sharing the message that the “Kingdom has drawn near” and that people can “repent and believe” to receive it.

Note: When we hear the phrase “Kingdom of God,” we should think “rule/reign of God.” God’s authority and rule is being revealed through the ministry of Jesus, and those who follow Him are given the opportunity to learn to live with God as their King. Of course, this was the hope and desire of faithful Israelites, who were waiting for God’s rule to be established in Israel in a definitive fashion.

Mission
From the very beginning the call to be a disciple of Jesus (someone following Jesus to learn to imitate him) was a call to mission. Jesus’ first words to his future disciples let them know they will “fish for men” (1:17) After Jesus draws a crowd at Simon's (Peter) house (1:29-39) he wakes up early the next morning to pray and leave. This is Jesus’ standard operating procedure. He is always going to people who have not received the gospel of the Kingdom, with an intention to reveal the Kingdom and invite them to receive it (reveal and invite are key words for us!)… and his disciples are always doing this with him! The point is, discipleship and mission cannot be separated. Mission is context in which discipleship happens, and discipleship equips disciples for further mission. To be a disciple of Jesus is to participate in the mission of Jesus!

Note: Many people associate the concept of "imitation" with discipleship, and rightly so. However, many people only consider this imitation along the lines of character. That is, we want to be like Jesus in terms of being merciful, generous, truthful, etc. However, imitation should also include actions! I would argue that the most common action that Jesus takes in the gospels is to be with, train, teach and empower his followers. The point is, that if we are trying to imitate Jesus, we also should be working to be with, teach and empower others to do the same!

 Understanding
A final takeaway from this first section is that understanding Jesus’ announcement about the Kingdom is a prerequisite to all that follows. If one does not understand the nature of the call then one cannot “repent and believe the good news.” So while many in the church are absolutely correct in emphasizing that faith is more than simply intellectual understanding, it is certainly a irreplaceable piece of discipleship.

Back to School!

Back to work for Zach and the PJ Masks crew

Summer vacation is over!  

For the first time in my life I am saying those words with contentment, having now survived my first summer with two children in the house 24/7. So, thank you Lord for school, even if it’s just half-days!

But the important thing for you, fearless reader, is that now I have no excuse not to blog… so let’s get back to business!

This summer was a great time for the Halley family to get out town a few times ("vacation" may be a stretch) and refocus and we are excited for what this fall will bring for BBC. Here is a teaser for what’s to come:

Cultivate
We are launching a youth ministry for teens in Pine Manor this September. We spent the summer hanging out and getting to know them, and are excited about getting a group going after Labor Day. Our mission is to partner with the youth in Pine Manor to help them reach their God-given potential, and we will pursue this mission through mentoring, games, speakers, bible studies and special outings.

3594 Broadway
In June we leased a space about two miles from Lee Memorial Hospital, and are excited to be the first tenants at 3594 Broadway, which is a building dedicated to community development, collaboration and sustainable ministry. We are currently in the permitting process for some renovations, and we hope to move in to our space in early October.

Missional Community
This past Sunday we kicked off our first missional community, which is simply a group of followers of Jesus who are committing to growing together as disciples for the purpose of serving Jesus’ mission in our city. Over the next nine months our community will be dedicated to listening to God and each other, to serving our neighbors and to finding the places where we are called to reveal God’s love and purposes.

Finally, the Wednesday Word will be back this week! Our group will be working through Mark for the next three weeks, and I invite to join us in reading through the gospel and thinking about its implications for our lives. And I will, of course, be posting blogs on Wednesdays that wrestle with these scriptures.