Lection: Mark 13

Hebrews 10:11-25
Mark 13:1-8

“The Beginning of the Birth Pangs”

This week I read through a collection of devotionals on racism. It was an ecumenical resource being put together by the Commission on Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches, and it’s currently in the final stages of editing and lay-out. The reason I got to read it early is because the folks putting it together asked me to write a foreword for it.

The authors are an amazingly diverse collection of church folk, with the vast majority being Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour from various denominations of the Christian Church in Canada, including two Presbyterian ministers.

Their reflections are personal, pointed, and deeply theological. They sometimes gently, but persistently, and often eloquently challenge the church and society to recognize, acknowledge, and seek to abolish the racism that continues to exist in our faith communities in spite of our strong desires to believe that such dynamics are things of the past.

I was aware, as I was reading through quickly, that I will need to read them again – one at a time, with time to reflect, consider, and ponder my own participation in the cultures, patterns, structures, and systems that perpetuate discrimination. … Read more »

Hebrews 11:11-14, 19-25
Mark 13:1-8

“Meanwhile”

There will be “wars and rumours of wars” – nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birthpangs.”

As we near the end of the Church Year and prepare to begin again with the Season of Advent, the lectionary gives us some apocalyptic texts (like this one from Mark 13) on which to reflect and preach. What are apocalyptic texts, you ask? Here’s how the SALT Lectionary Commentary explains these strange, symbolic, and often scary pieces of writing:

“When death-dealing forces seemed to have the upper hand, one ancient literary response was to envision an imminent future in which God directly comes to the rescue in spectacular fashion: righting wrongs, routing wrongdoers, and thereby inaugurating a new era of justice and compassion. This literature is often called “Apocalyptic” (from the Greek word apokalupsis, meaning “uncovering” or “revealing”).

“God pulls aside the veil, revealing to God’s people the hidden dramatic rescue to come. Apocalyptic narratives and images can be found throughout the Bible (with Daniel and Revelation being prime examples), typically including cryptic, poetic language; ominous signs in the heavens; falling stars; … Read more »