Sermon: “Farmer’s Almanac”

HRPC OfficeLeave a comment

Mark 4:1-9, 30-32

“You reap what you sow.” Many of us have heard that old adage and used it to advise someone else.  Even non-farmers could tell you that if you sow corn you will reap corn, and if you sow wheat you will reap wheat.  The apostle Paul uses this phrase as he writes to the Galatian Christians….but he is not talking corn or wheat.  He uses the planting and harvesting image to show that we make a choice on what comes at the end of life’s season by what we do at the beginning and middle of the season.  If we plant only by our desires, our personal human agenda, we will end up with weeds.  If we plant in response to God, we will end up with a bumper crop, a crop of real life that lasts.

The farmer’s almanac has a long, long tradition of providing valuable information for the year round work of farming.  It is an insider’s handbook Continue reading “Sermon: “Farmer’s Almanac”” →

Marching thru Mark

Pastor DeborahLeave a comment

We begin a journey through the gospel of Mark, following the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ in the first-ever edition of a “gospel” (a new genre of literature intended to describe the life events/actions/words of Jesus through his death and resurrection).  Our goal will be to hear what Mark (a name given by the early church, not a self-identification by the writer) has to say to us here in Baltimore in 2016.

Mark names his belief that Jesus is the Christ (the long awaited Messiah) AND the Son of God right at the get go.  Right away we know who he is talking about, even though many characters (including the 12 disciples, his closest companions) are pretty clueless as to who this itinerant preacher-healer really is.

I encourage you to read this gospel along with us.  Each Sunday we will focus on a piece of the narrative, leading all the way up to the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, the Son of God.  We will learn that the first half of the gospel (chapters 1-8) concerns Jesus’ ministry among the people and the entire last half (chapters 9-16) follows the movement toward Jerusalem and death (both geographically and spiritually).

Next up:  Mark 4–  “The Farmers’ Almanac”.