"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Mark 1:1
For the record, I think the writer of the gospel according to Mark could have done a better job at writing an attention grabbing first sentence. The first verse of the first chapter is more like a title than the opening of a story. Mark's gospel doesn't have any stories about Jesus lineage (Matthew) or birth story with shepherds and angels (Luke) or even a theological claim and statement (John - "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God."). Mark simply says - the beginning of the good news.
And then Mark quotes the prophet Isaiah. In essence Mark is saying the beginning of the story about Jesus, the Messiah, begins a long time ago.
In fact, I think (along with the good Lutherans at www.workingpreacher.org, whose weekly podcast shaped my thinking on this text a great deal), that Mark is saying that the entire story about Jesus is the beginning of the good news. The story doesn't end with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, the story continues with us. How do you (your life of faith, your work, your being) continue the story? Where can you contribute to the coming of God's kingdom? Where does God use you and your witness to keep telling the story?
Since Advent is the beginning of a new year...and since I am planning on preaching my way (lectionary-wise, anyways!) through the gospel of Mark this liturgical year B (my "I'm such a book-nerd" moment of the week happened when I got my commentaries on Mark - used, of course - in the mail. I was so excited to get new bookss - even if they are scholarly-preacherly kinds of books!)...I heard in this beginning of the gospel of Mark a call to begin again in our life of faith. A call to renewal or even a call to recommitment.
I preached on this text (Mark 1:1-8) on Sunday, December 4 and I asked the members of Community Presbyterian Church (and our guests) to put down on paper things that they might do in the coming weeks and months to seek a new beginning. The pieces of paper were collected during worship and I've been reading and re-reading the responses in my office the past couple of days. I find them to be filled with great hope. Folks know and understand that reading scripture and praying often are ways to stay connected. I hear in many responses the desire for an organized time of bible study or small groups or regular get togethers to go deeper into the bible and into relationships with one another. One of my favorite responses (next to the one that said "I will take more naps!") was the one that expressed a desire to live more joyfully. To live joyfully is to be aware of God's presence - and indeed God's promises. And that is a hopeful thing to me.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all the slips of green pieces of paper, but I hope they will lead to some new beginnings at Community Presbyterian Church. I also desire the fellowship that accompanies small groups digger deeper into the intersection between what the bible says and how we live our lives.
My prayer this day is that the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ - the beginning of the story of God's love for God's people - will continue to be told again in the hearts of the men and women who seek to learn about the one whose birth we await and whose return we yearn for. Amen.
