Comments on: Easter http://www.dcyoungadults.org/featured/easter/ Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:32:27 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Craig Endicott http://www.dcyoungadults.org/featured/easter/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Craig Endicott Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:42:26 +0000 http://www.dcyoungadults.org/?p=264#comment-19 Here's a nutty idea (thought I'd say it first): I think that Mark's Gospel is intended to be read twice in a row. What the women feel and don't do is a device to get the reader (not the disciples) back to Galilee. In chapter 16, the "young man" in the tomb tells the women to tell the disciples that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee, where they "will see him." There is no instruction to tell the disciples "Go to Galilee." They - and Jesus - were going there anyway. If one goes from 16:8 directly to 1:14, Jesus comes into Galilee, preaching. There, in Galilee, Jesus meets the disciples/reader (for the first time? the second? every time?). Jesus meets them in Galilee, they follow him, but only slowly and incompletely understand him. The point? That the entire life of discipleship is one of incompletely, slowly, wrongly, and fearfully believing. We have to keep going back to Galilee. And, it's interesting, in 1:16, the disciples don't see Jesus... Jesus saw them. So much for our seeing and believing. Not a sermon... just a lame-brained thought. The women, it seems to me, don't have to say anything to anyone because Jesus goes ahead of them. Here’s a nutty idea (thought I’d say it first): I think that Mark’s Gospel is intended to be read twice in a row. What the women feel and don’t do is a device to get the reader (not the disciples) back to Galilee. In chapter 16, the “young man” in the tomb tells the women to tell the disciples that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee, where they “will see him.” There is no instruction to tell the disciples “Go to Galilee.” They – and Jesus – were going there anyway.

If one goes from 16:8 directly to 1:14, Jesus comes into Galilee, preaching. There, in Galilee, Jesus meets the disciples/reader (for the first time? the second? every time?). Jesus meets them in Galilee, they follow him, but only slowly and incompletely understand him. The point? That the entire life of discipleship is one of incompletely, slowly, wrongly, and fearfully believing. We have to keep going back to Galilee. And, it’s interesting, in 1:16, the disciples don’t see Jesus… Jesus saw them. So much for our seeing and believing. Not a sermon… just a lame-brained thought.

The women, it seems to me, don’t have to say anything to anyone because Jesus goes ahead of them.

]]> By: James http://www.dcyoungadults.org/featured/easter/comment-page-1/#comment-18 James Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:28:47 +0000 http://www.dcyoungadults.org/?p=264#comment-18 That's a great question. I think it depends on who you ask. Some people would probably say yes, but if it does, then I am faithless, which I think is a lie. I like to turn to the line we discussed in our Bible study of Mark at St. Paul's a couple weeks ago (I don't remember the chapter/verse), but it is: "I believe; help my unbelief." That is almost a perfect description of my faith. As someone who accepts evolution, I cannot help but doubt that the Earth was literally created in 6 days sequentially as chronicled in Genesis, or but to question some of the greater feats of the Old Testament. Sometimes I have even found myself questioning the existence of God altogether (although usually within 3 seconds when I reflect on my life I see God working in it). Nevertheless, essentially I believe and I find that when I am a community of people who have the same questions and doubts, that together, we can all work through the hard parts, and make our faith even stronger--even if it results in unanswered questions or spiritual best guesses. Through this, I see God actively participating in my struggles to help me overcome any "stumbling blocks" that might get in my way. Anyway, I'd be interested to see other people's thoughts. Very interesting subject. That’s a great question. I think it depends on who you ask. Some people would probably say yes, but if it does, then I am faithless, which I think is a lie.

I like to turn to the line we discussed in our Bible study of Mark at St. Paul’s a couple weeks ago (I don’t remember the chapter/verse), but it is: “I believe; help my unbelief.” That is almost a perfect description of my faith. As someone who accepts evolution, I cannot help but doubt that the Earth was literally created in 6 days sequentially as chronicled in Genesis, or but to question some of the greater feats of the Old Testament. Sometimes I have even found myself questioning the existence of God altogether (although usually within 3 seconds when I reflect on my life I see God working in it). Nevertheless, essentially I believe and I find that when I am a community of people who have the same questions and doubts, that together, we can all work through the hard parts, and make our faith even stronger–even if it results in unanswered questions or spiritual best guesses. Through this, I see God actively participating in my struggles to help me overcome any “stumbling blocks” that might get in my way.

Anyway, I’d be interested to see other people’s thoughts. Very interesting subject.

]]> By: Amy Thompson Sevimli http://www.dcyoungadults.org/featured/easter/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Amy Thompson Sevimli Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:47:02 +0000 http://www.dcyoungadults.org/?p=264#comment-17 James A quick question for you based on your response (or anyone else who may want to respond): do you think that faith precludes doubt? James

A quick question for you based on your response (or anyone else who may want to respond): do you think that faith precludes doubt?

]]> By: James http://www.dcyoungadults.org/featured/easter/comment-page-1/#comment-16 James Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:26:55 +0000 http://www.dcyoungadults.org/?p=264#comment-16 Very nice post. I had a great time at Easter service today, but one line that bothered me in "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus" (ELW #392) was, "Faith believes, nor questions how." Now, I have no problem with the first clause, some level of belief being the definition of faith, but I could not bring myself to sing the, "nor questions how." I think when we say people can't question how, we are writing a whole class of people out of the church, people like me, who, while having a very strong faith at the core, have doubts about certain parts of the Bible, or at least questions. I'm glad that you have an interest in engaging people with these doubts, and I hope the ELCA will always be a church that will listen to people's doubts without condemning. Very nice post. I had a great time at Easter service today, but one line that bothered me in “Alleluia! Sing to Jesus” (ELW #392) was, “Faith believes, nor questions how.” Now, I have no problem with the first clause, some level of belief being the definition of faith, but I could not bring myself to sing the, “nor questions how.” I think when we say people can’t question how, we are writing a whole class of people out of the church, people like me, who, while having a very strong faith at the core, have doubts about certain parts of the Bible, or at least questions. I’m glad that you have an interest in engaging people with these doubts, and I hope the ELCA will always be a church that will listen to people’s doubts without condemning.

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