The first time I visited Shiloh in Israel, I loved itFinally I felt something extraordinary in Israel--like an energy vibrating up through the soil- that was on the path, before we had even reached the site• one strong appeal that Shiloh that appealed to me was that there was nothing there but bare hillsides• but for that same reason, Shiloh was a message of doom for Jerusalem- I knew about Shiloh from this passage in Jeremiah–it had always intrigued me• so I looked closer at scripture and found that when Israel entered the land,Then the whole congregation of the people of Israel assembled at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there (Jos. 18:1)

 In 1989 Bob Dylan released the song “Everything Is Broken”  - it’s a bluesy song that I love listening to when I feel down but not out• when something that is important to you falls apart,◦ or a lot of unpleasant things line up in your day, this song fits your mood◦ lots of people, in different situations can connect with these lyrics• it sometimes seems everything, everywhere is going wrong- this was Jeremiah’s world 

Every year, my dad directed a summer camp in Williams, ArizonaSo that was our typical family vacation- one year, when all the campers were assembled in the chapel,• Dad began, “There was a murder in the forest last night◦ he paused to let that sink in• then holding up a carving knife, he said, “This was the weapon”◦ and “Here is the victim” – and he showed us a twig from an apple tree- he explained that once he cut the twig from the tree,• separated from its supply of sap, it was as good as dead• he then explained why it was so important for us campers,◦ to abide in Jesus all year long – not just at summer camp◦ that was quite the attention getter

I always been enchanted with the way this chapter opensIf you look at the text, God’s speech is arranged in a poetic format- Hebrew poems do not look or sound like English poems• Hebrew poetry has a different structure and rules◦ in chapter 1, Jeremiah had expressed his thoughts in prose (the ordinary written form of essays, etc.)◦ but God’s messages were laid out in poems(God's speech is always in greater than the words he uses)• poetry gives language greater force◦ it’s primary objective is to communicate experience (rather than bare information)- this chapter begins with God grieving a failed relationship• there is more than a hint of emotion here: “I remember”◦ it’s as if God is brooding over a cherished memory◦ back when he rescued Israel from Egypt, he was their hero• Yahweh remembers her youthful devotion and “bridal love”◦ they followed him into the desert with reckless abandon◦ they lived in the aura of his holinesshe took care of her – protected and provided for her

There are several words in the Bible we don’t understandThey pose a problem for us, because they’re common words,- and we assume we know what they mean• that is why we get confused when we come to them◦ for instance: "name," "fear" ("Am I supposed to be afraid of God?"), "holy," and "sons of"• biblical Hebrew has a small vocabulary◦ so it has to expand the meaning of various words◦ that enabled biblical writers to describe spiritual values and experience- I thought a series of talks on those words might be helpful• a short dictionary of words that confuse or upset us

The book of Proverbs is a collection of pithy sayingsIf you read it several times, those clever lines stick in your mind- for instance, here is one that comes to mind regarding this last week:Iron sharpens iron,  so a person sharpens the face of a friend (Pr. 27:17)• you might remember, last year, Guy Gray spoke here◦ we met up again this past week -- Gut has been my friend for fifty years◦ I was fortunate to meet him in the early years of my ministry• he guided me to a path of greater insight and understanding◦ his has been a lasting influence all these many years- I think God has placed people in my life strategically• men and women who have opened my eyes and prepared me for what was next• however, when it comes down to what I do for you,◦ the most important, overriding service that I provide you,◦ that has come to me directly from Jesus Christ, through the Scriptures

About twenty years ago, Barb attended a seminar at workA psychologist lectured on Compassion Fatigue Syndrome- it is a common condition among healthcare professionals• their encounters with the suffering of others takes a toll◦ if they are not treated yet continue to work, they can become numb◦ they stop feeling empathy for their patients’ pain and grief• the speaker provided the audience with a list of symptoms◦ Barb said as she was going down the list checking boxes, she was thinking, “Yes, that’s Chuck. Yep, that too.”

Last week, God’s question to Elijah was, “What are you doing here?”We’ll start with that question: “What are you doing here?”- isn’t one reason that your here is because you came to hear what I have to say?• Okay, I feel uncomfortable when I think that or say that◦ not only because it’s like I have to give an oral report every week(and feel like I'll be graded on it),◦ but because I can’t take myself that seriously• I’m a mediocre guy who makes more mistakes than gets things right- However, I do take God seriously and the work he’s given me• and I take you very seriously – so I don’t want to waste your time• but I’m like a court jester; the silliness of what I do and who I am, causes others to think

We’re going to spend time this morning with a unique personElijah was one of the most gifted prophets in scripture- in fact, he became the representative of all the prophets,• right up to and including John the Baptist, who camein the spirit and power of Elijah (Lk. 1:17)• Elijah will teach us a lesson on hearing the voice of God

We’ve come to the last chapter in Mark’s gospelAnd to the enigma at the end of the book- that’s because the story ends at Mark 16, verse 8• you say, “Chuck! My Bible still has more verses”◦ “Yes, I know, but read the fine print”• the most ancient manuscripts that we have in our possession end at verse 8◦ scholars tell us the quality of the Greek writing changes at verse 9◦ the evidence supports the abrupt ending- this has become a fascination for me – so, it has been a frequent meditation

This story is about Christ the Victim becoming Christ the VictorI’m going to jump right into my meditations on this chapterMy meditation: “I want Mark to use his remarkable storytelling skills to enhance the details of what is depicted here. I want him to enable us to visualize it and hear every sound. It would benefit us to begin to fathom what Jesus suffered and to feel the utter hopelessness of the cross. I feel it’s important to sit in dark shadow of his abandonment, aloneness, sorrow, and death. But here, when I think the action should slow down and perhaps zoom in on still frames, Mark hurries us along at his usual fast clip, using "and . . . and . . . and . . ." to keep the action moving quickly.But Mark has his own agenda and his own purpose. He carries us from one critical point to another, rising and falling like peaks of a wave. That is how he presents the story and that is how we must receive it, noticing when he wants to emphasize a specific sentence.”

 My first thought is that this is Jesus these religious leaders want to eliminate. He has done only good; he has opened windows to the kingdom of God; he has advocated for spiritual and humanitarian reforms; and he has healed countless people.My second thought is the devious approach the religious teams use to eliminate him. There is something about injustice that disturbs me so intensely it keeps me awake at night. My feelings are intensified if the injustice is intentional, perpetrated through deceit, and manipulates the court. In the most horrific cases, the victim is not only innocent, but a good person.A third thought is that God allowed this to happen to his Son! He allowed the bad guys to win.Does this mean I have to give up my outrage at injustice? Not if it is in my power to ensure justice for someone else. However, when it comes to an injustice against myself, then quite possibly I must lay down my sword—and at the same time let go of the intense feelings that rise within me. I will need to stand close to Jesus. That is where I’ll find the grace to be at peace.- in my next meditation I introduce the theme I want to develop today: “a beautiful thing”

 The temple plays an important role in Jesus’ storyThe one clear accusation brought against him at his trial was,“We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands’” (Mk. 14:58).- but they weren’t certain what that even meantYet even about this their testimony did not agree (Mk. 14:59)• I tend to think, if something was sacred, it is sacred forever◦ if God visited a place, the ground would always be holy• that’s kind of the idea people have about going to Israel◦ “I want to walk where Jesus walked”◦ as if I’ll experience something unique or supernatural- when Solomon built the first temple, a phenomenon occurred

For the last few chapters, tension has been growingThe religious establishment has taken notice of Jesus– in this chapter, the conflict leads to a public showdown• this began at end of chapter 11 with priests, scribes, and eldersBy what authority are you doing these thing or who gave you this authority to do them? (Mk. 11:28)◦ so the ‘And’ at beginning of chapter 12 is a continuation of that encounter◦ the ‘them’ in verse 1 refers to the priests, scribes, and elders• the answer to their question is hidden in Jesus’ parable

The chapter begins with Jesus’ dramatic entrance into JerusalemBut first, he gives instructions to two disciples regarding the colt he was going to ride- imagine this: the disciples go find the colt and begin untying it,• wouldn’t the bystanders assume they were stealing it◦ so Jesus instructed them to say,

When Nicodemus visited Jesus, his first words were,Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from GodNicodemus was correct -- Jesus is a teacher- Mark tells us teaching people Jesus' “custom” – his usual response when people showed up• that is what we witness as we watch Jesus move through this chapter• Jesus never ran out of things to say◦ and every word he spoke was enlightenment- one of his teaching techniques was that he allowed people to ask questions• and when they did, he typically answered their questions with a question

There are at least two ways to read the BibleWe can dive into it head-first or we can enter with our heart– of course it’s important to think about what we’re reading• but it’s also important to feel what we read◦ to be responsive to the content of the text and how it affects us• I study Scriptures with my head and meditate with my heart– my meditations are mostly private• they consist of what God speaks to me regarding my own issues◦ so why am I sharing my meditations in Mark’s gospel with you?• because even though Jesus walked the earth long ago,◦ it’s possible to know and love him today◦ how? By immersing ourselves in his story

We are at the center of Mark’s gospel, heart of his message – the hub of the wheelIn chapter 8 Mark pulls everything together - Jesus Christ appeared in the world on a mission• he came to introduce people to the kingdom of God• but making them aware of God’s presence and kingdom proved to be extremely difficult◦ it is not easy for us to awaken to God’s Spirit- this chapter reveals the tension our worldly mind and spiritual mind more clearly than any other• I tried to describe this tension a few years ago in one of my meditations:“A theme that Mark has emphasized, is that the human mind is geared to physical reality. As a result, our 

I have been blessed with a number of extraordinary friendsOne of them was incredibly creative- he could hardly complete a project, because he was constantly distracted by new idea• sometimes I would call him when feeling depressed• his creativity was so inspiring, it changed my outlook- he agreed to fill-in for me as a guest speaker• it took him awhile to come up with a title for his talk, but eventually emailed it to me:“Don’t Be the Kind of Christian There Are Already Too Many Of”• Jesus gave talks on that same topic◦ he said that regarding charity, prayer, or fasting, you must not be like the hypocrites (Mt. 6:5)and in chapter 23, he tells his disciples,The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat [to teach], so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For the preach, but do not practice (Mt. 23:2-3)◦ he follows that statement with a long list of the wrong things they did