Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the message on this coming Sunday's gospel that will go out to the people of S t Timothy Lutheran Church. Gospel: Mark 1:29-39 29 As soon as [ Jesus and the disciples ] left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.   32 That evening, at sunset, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34 And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.   35 In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37 When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for ...

Well, we are no longer residents of the Portville-Olean, NY area. I have received a new call to a two point parish, St. Timothy's in Bemus Point and St. Mark's in Mayville, NY. The move went very well, although we are still unpacking a few things here and there. Then there's always the problem of remembering that I've seen something somewhere, but... This past Sunday was officially my first at St. Tim's and St. Marks. The gospel reading was Mark 1:29-39. This is what I shared with the people in Bemus Point and Mayville: Mark's gospel is full of contrasts. Jesus meets with his disciples, and he escapes alone to pray. He heals, and he hides. He displays power, and he orders demons to keep silent. The final paragraph of today's gospel demonstrates to us the essence and motivation of Jesus' ministry. Jesus has experienced a full day and evening of healing and restoring (resurrecting) people. Anyone would be exhausted after all of that. We...