Deserted - Mark 1:29-39 - Epiphany 5 - 2-4-24

 

Sermon podcast from the Sunday, 2-4-24  worship service - Peace Memorial Church, UCC in Palos Park, IL. Mark 1:29-39

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"Deserted" sermon podcast

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Deserted - Mark 1:29-39 - Epiphany 5 - 2-7-21

Sermon podcast from the Sunday, 2-7-21 online worship service - St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL. Mark 1:29-39

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"Deserted" podcast

The whole online worship service

Deserted

Sermon podcast from Sunday, February 4th, 2018 at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove.  Mark 1:29-39
"Deserted" podcast

Deserted Place

Last week's Bible reflection (Sucking the Life Out of You) provided some of the backbone for yesterday's sermon at St. Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, IL
"Deserted Place" podcast

Sucking the life out of you

In this week’s Bible reading from Mark 1:29-39, Jesus was tired. He’d been talking and healing. People were following him everywhere. I can imagine that the pace and the crowds were sucking the life out of him. Instead of being energized by the crowd and all the hoopla, Jesus needed to recharge – get away from it all.

So he disappeared. He went away from it all – to a deserted place. He probably breathed deep and took in the blessed solitude as he prayed.

And the disciples didn’t get it. They hunted for him. They had a schedule to keep. They had people to please. When they found him they even scolded him. "Everyone is searching for you."  I can imagine the  words were spoken not with care and concern, but rather with “I’m tearing my hair out and you’re not helping anything!” emotions.

I think others in Jesus’ situation might have said, “So?! Let everyone wait! I need a break! Just leave me alone for a little while -- I’ll find you when I’m ready for everyone.” I think Jesus probably wanted to say something like that – or perhaps something a little stronger.

Instead, I imagine he took a deep breath when he then said – “Let’s go. Let’s go to some of the smaller places. I think those folks need to see and hear all this, too.”

I do think that Jesus found time to rejuvenate by traveling to the smaller places where folks hadn’t yet heard as much of him.

Good for him.

• Are there times, places, and life situations where your energy is being sucked dry?
• Do you need to get away from it all, take a deep breath, and experience the rejuvenating solitude?
• What is sucking the life out of you?

Deserted place

This week's Bible reflection (Getting away from it all) is present and pretty easy to find in what is now Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Deserted Place" text
"Deserted Place" podcast

Getting away from it all

Jesus was tired. He’d been talking and healing. People were following him everywhere. I can imagine that the pace and the crowds were sucking the life out of him. Instead of being energized by the crowd and all the hoopla, Jesus needed to recharge – away from it all.

So he disappeared. He went away from it all – to a deserted place. He probably breathed deep and took in the blessed solitude as he prayed.

And the disciples didn’t get it. They hunted for him. They had a schedule to keep. They had people to please. When they found him they even scolded him. "Everyone is searching for you."

I think others in Jesus’ situation might have said, “So?! Let everyone wait! I need a break! Just leave me alone for a little while -- I’ll find you when I’m ready for everyone.” I think Jesus probably wanted to say something like that – or perhaps something a little stronger.

Instead, I imagine he took a deep breath and said – “Let’s go. Let’s go to some of the smaller places. I think those folks need to see and hear all this, too.”

I think Jesus found a little more time to rejuvenate by traveling to the smaller places where folks hadn’t yet heard as much of him.

Good for him.

• Are there times, places, and life situations where your energy is being sucked dry?
• Do you need to get away from it all, take a deep breath, and experience the blessed solitude as you pray?
• Do you need to go somewhere else?

Missing the Forest for the Trees

While I was at the National Pastor's Convention, Rev. Becky Nystrom was a guest preacher at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Somonauk.  Here's the podcast of her sermon:

"Missing the Forest for the Trees" podcast

Everyone is looking for you

Here's this week's Bible study blog entry for i.ucc: 

“Where have you been, young man!?” I heard that phrase or something like it on more than a few occasions in my youth. I had been spending time with friends and lost track of time. My parents were worried about my well being and they also wanted to know where I was  - it’s a parent thing.

“Where have you been? You’re on in 30 seconds!” I’ve heard that phrase spoken in films, on television and I’ve read it in stories about conceited performers who care nothing about the rest of the performers with them. They only care to bask in the glow of fame. In most of the films, television shows or books I’ve seen or read, the conceited performer learns a lesson in humility and grace by the end of the story.

“Everyone is looking for you!” I’ve read that phrase, as it was spoken to Jesus while he was seeking a bit of solitude from the crowds who were looking for him to seek healing.

What’s similar about these three situations?

In all three, someone is away from where they are expected to be. In all three those who are seeking the missing person seem to have a bit of anger in their words as they address the found person.

The first two seem justified – but the third? Would the disciples dare express anger at Jesus when all he was trying to do was to spend some time in prayer and solitude?

Jesus didn’t respond to whatever anger was in the voices of the disciples – but he also didn’t respond to them with an apology and a return to where he was expected to be. (In the first two situations, an apology would be expected, right?) Instead, he sought a little more time to rejuvenate by traveling to some towns where folks hadn’t yet heard as much of him. He traveled away from a place that was likely sucking the life out of him to places where his fame was smaller.

• Are there places in your life where your energy is being sucked dry?
  
• Do you need to spend time in solitude and prayer – and then head someplace else?
  
• Are you just coming back after being gone without excuse? Do you need to apologize?
  
• Are you thinking anything else about this week’s Bible reading from Mark 1:29-39?