Today’s scripture passage has the prophet, Joel, speaking about the end of a terrible period of famine in Israel, admonishing the people to repent, but also addressing the soil of the earth and the animals of the fields, assuring them that God is doing great, restorative things for them. When the prophet considers the earth as one of God’s creatures, what does that say to us about our relationship with the earth?

In today’s passage from Mark, as Jesus and some of his disciples leave the temple, one of them remarks in awe at the large stones in the magnificent temple structure. Jesus’ responses, however, leave us wondering whether he’s being completely dismissive – nothing really matters. His closest disciples later take him aside to ask him for further explanation, and some of what Jesus says can be quite disturbing. But it is clear that his focus is on faith.

In today’s selection from Mark’s gospel, Jesus and his disciples are “people watching” at the temple. Jesus comments on the scribes, warning his disciples to beware of them because they have lost their way where their service is concerned. Then Jesus points out the widow who goes unnoticed by anyone else because she is, in modern parlance, nobody. Her gift is by far the least of anyone’s, but, as we all know from the story, she has given all. It convicts us – when and where have we given all?

This is All Saints Sunday when we remember those who have gone before us. As we continue our study of Mark’s gospel, in today’s passage Jesus is asked by a scribe, a scholar of the scriptures, which commandment is first. Jesus replies with a first and second commandment, the familiar ones taken from Deuteronomy and Leviticus, to love God and to love one’s neighbor. The scribe, realizing that Jesus has answered well, begins to understand the depth of Jesus’ grasp of faith. When we think about those saints today, we can recite how each has lived out those commandments to love God and one’s neighbor, and we stand next in line.

We continue our look at scenes from Mark’s gospel with this story of blind Bartimaeus. It is the last story in Mark before Jesus enters Jerusalem, and the disciples and large group with him are focused on what’s ahead. A poor blind man crying out for Jesus is hardly worth a second glance, but Jesus stops, asks him what he wants, and, at his request and with his faith, heals him. Although we can easily see ourselves as members of that crowd of followers marching with Jesus, perhaps we should consider whether we might also see ourselves as the one needing help.

This is Laity Sunday. Tom Lee is delivering the sermon, and Anna Bigelow does the Children’s Moment. We continue our journey through Mark’s gospel as James and John ask a favor of Jesus, which is to be given places of status in the coming kingdom. In a sense, they’re cutting in line ahead of everyone else. Jesus explains to them the harsh realities of the Kingdom to come – that to be part of it they must be servants and slaves to all. These are hard words for us, too.

Continuing our study of Mark, this is the familiar story of the rich man asking Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds that the rich man must sell everything he has and give to the poor, then follow Jesus. For us, the problem is that by any standard all of us are rich. Does this mean Jesus demands that we sell everything we have and give to the poor? Is that a requirement if we seek to follow Jesus?

This familiar scene from Mark again underscores the disciples’ misunderstanding. At a time when Jesus was pressed by the crowds, parents also brought children, and the disciples “spoke sternly to them.” Jesus, in response, “was indignant” and brought the children to himself, proclaiming that the Kingdom of God belongs to children. What does it mean for us to be child-like? How would that play out in the context of our current divisiveness in this country?

We continue our look at passages from the gospel of Mark with this disturbing scene in which Jesus calls his disciples to task with some graphic images. How are we to understand these harsh words from someone we know to be truly compassionate?

We continue our look at passages from the gospel of Mark with this familiar story in which Jesus calls his disciples to task for arguing amongst themselves about status within the group. As an example, Jesus grabs up a child, holds it in front of them, and uses the child as a lesson in first/lastness. What aspects of our own behavior does this act call into question?