This week we move into a new worship series… “Christian? It’s complicated.” The cultural connotations of being Christian can make it a struggle to claim our faith in public. Some of us become secretive about our church and faith. This five-week worship series will invite reflection on the complexities of claiming Christian faith in our day.
rooted in Grace. It’s complicated. Mark 1:9-11
growing in faith. It’s complicated. Mark 10:17-31
reaching in love. It’s complicated. Mark 10:35-45
Baptism. Mark 10:46-52/Galatians 3:27-29
Deep Commitments Mark 12:28-34
Take time to read the story of Jesus’ baptism in Mark 1:9-11. David Lose writes “…Jesus’ baptism isn’t preamble to all that comes later in his life, it’s the highpoint and climax of the story in a nutshell. Again and again, as Jesus casts out unclean spirits, heals the sick, feeds the hungry, and welcomes the outcast, he will only do to others what has already been done to him, telling them via word and deed that they, too, are beloved children of God with whom God is well pleased.” http://www.davidlose.net/2015/01/baptism-of-our-lord-b/
“And the Word that had most recently come from the mouth of God was, “This is my beloved in whom I am well pleased.” Identity. It’s always God’s first move. Before we do anything wrong and before we do anything right, God has named and claimed us as God’s own. But almost immediately, other things try to tell us who we are and to whom we belong: capitalism, the weight-loss industrial complex, our parents, kids at school—they all have a go at telling us who we are. But only God can do that. Everything else is temptation.”
― Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint
Who tries to tell you who you are? How is it for you to claim your identity as God’s own? What feelings come up for you about calling yourself Christian? What are the temptations that call you away from your identity as a beloved child of God?