Claimed, gathered and sent

Something I have really been enjoying is preparing an emessage for each Thursday for St. Timothy Lutheran Church . Each week it's about one of Sunday's upcoming lessons. This exercise has helped me to focus my thoughts regarding the text. This Sunday it is John 2:13-22.  This is what I shared today regarding the above gospel reading. John 2:13-22 The Message 13-14 When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength. 15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “ Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father ’ s house into a shopping mall! ” That ’ s when his disciples remembered the Scriptu...

This is what I preached Sunday at St Timothy , Bemus Point and St. Mark , Mayville. The gospel text is Mark 8:31-38 . What is your first impression of the exchange between Peter and Jesus? Peter rebukes Jesus and then Jesus rebukes Peter. This is a very puzzling text, a real head scratcher. One might say that Jesus was having a bad day and was really mean and cranky with Peter. After all, Jesus did have a lot on his plate, especially with everyone's expectations of him as their messiah. What was so wrong about Peter's response to Jesus' news about suffering, being killed and rising?After all, Peter loved Jesus and cared about what would happen to him. Put yourself in Peter's shoes. Peter could not imagine his messiah and friend being subjected to such horror.  Wasn't  Peter responding in a way any loving friend would? Let's be honest with each other. Do any of you wonder why Jesus is talking like this?  Let's see what we can discover tog...