Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Call to Live Extraordinarily - Time Fulfilled

Scripture: (RCL) Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62: 6-14; 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31; Mark 1:14-20

This Epiphany season we have discussed the enlightenment from the unexpected, God at work in common elements - of water, of bread and wine. Seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, being open and receptive to "heaven come near."
 
The gospel of Mark urges us to listen,. There is something new and exciting happening, and we don't want to miss it. In this week's gospel account, we are presented with the calling of Simon, Andrew and the "sons of thunder," James and John - who will be made fishers of men. What is extraordinary about the call of these ordinary men? How is God working here? How did God work through Jonah in Nineveh? Read Dianne Bergant's "The Fish Story That Tops All!"
 
Bergant and The Rev. Rick Morley, in "Time Fulfilled," capture the urgency of the author of Mark's gospel in their discussion of "time," distinguishing χρονοσ (chronos), ordinary time, such as chronological age, and καιροσ (kairos) - extraordinary time - God's time - God's kingdom come near. We call for this every time we say the Lord's prayer ... "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
 
The Rev. Ben Helmer ties together three themes from this weeks lesson in his Lectio Divina. This week we learn about the epiphany of the "call," of Christ as Jesus tells us "the kingdom of God is at hand," and that we are to answer the call by proclaiming the good news of God's saving love and forgiveness. What is the Benedictine Lectio Divina? What is the call of Christ? How are we to proclaim the good news of God's salvific love?
 
 

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