Desperate is not a word we usually like associated with our name, is it? And yet, the feeling is probably common to all of us at some time or another. In the Gospel of Mark we meet a man who many think of, not as desperate, but as a ‘desperado’ – a dangerous, bold outlaw, […]
Jane’s Blog – The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 2, Part 1
The story of four men lowering a paralyzed man through the roof of a house in Capernaum is well known to most of us (Mark 2:1-12). But something Pastor Rob said this past Sunday about Jesus’ ability to read minds has me looking at this story from a different perspective, that of the “teachers of […]
Jane’s Blog – The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1, Part 3
Several years ago I met a young mom in our church named Lisa whose father, Bjorn Pedersen, is the head of Prayer Watch International. On several occasions Bjorn spoke at PLC, and one of the most memorable things he told us was about shooting arrow prayers. These are short, quick prayers asking God for his […]
Jane’s Blog – The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1, Part 2
My mind is on repentance. I mean, if these words, “Repent and believe the good news,” are the first words spoken by Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, they carry weight, you know? I think of how easily I recite the prayer of confession each week in our worship service, trying my best to mean every word, […]
Jane’s Blog – The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1
As we start on this journey into the Gospel of Mark, I think it’s important to realize there’s a fair amount of drama associated with the name Mark! This man is actually John Mark – who once angered the Apostle Paul so much by leaving him during his first mission trip (Acts 13) that Paul […]
Jane’s Blog – The Witness of…Thankfulness
Years ago I used to sing a chorus that began, “I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart,” based on Psalm 100:4. Then a friend of mine saw a connection to Psalm 24:7 and composed some music to “Lift up your heads, O you gates; and be lifted up, your ancient doors, that […]
Jane’s Blog – The Witness of…Good Stewardship
Do you find yourself needing a “one-eighty” to see your resources as not really being yours? Are you sensing the need for a makeover of the heart in order to see yourself as a manager, not the owner, of all you have? I know the message Pastor Sean preached on Sunday is certainly contrary to […]
Jane’s Blog – The Witness of…Generosity
There’s a popular book titled The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. One of the ways we show and receive love, according to Chapman, is through giving and receiving gifts. I couldn’t help but think about this as Pastor Sean talked about God’s constant, extravagant, controversial generosity this past Sunday. I mean, even if your […]
Jane’s Blog – The Witness of…Sacrifice
There’s a word hovering in my mind when I think about this story of Moses gathering the materials needed to build the Tabernacle in Exodus 35. The word is “willing.” So I took a quick count of the times this word was recorded in my NIV Study Bible and found five. The first time was […]
Jane’s Blog – The Witness of…Family
This past Sunday, when Pastor Sean asked, “How many of us see our homes as sacred space?” I thought of the mission statement I have stuck to my office computer – “My mission is to serve others out of a sacred place of fellowship with Jesus Christ.” In both cases “sacred” implies something set apart, […]