Service

Sunday Reflection – September 19, 2021

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

 

Jesus predicts his death

Mark 930 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. 31 This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up.” 32 But they didn’t understand this kind of talk, and they were afraid to ask him.

33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” 34 They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.”36 Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.”

Performed by Margaret Whisselle

Kids Korner: Jesus asks us to forgive (September 19th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

Read Mark 9:30-37 with your family. Jesus loved children, and in our story today Jesus took a child on his lap and taught the disciples. He said everyone has to welcome children and people who were as kind and open as children, because when they welcomed children, they welcomed Jesus, and when they welcomed Jesus, they welcomed God.

The disciples had been arguing about who was the most important amongst them, and Jesus used a child to show them it didn’t matter who was most important, because that was not the way God looked at people. God looked for how kind people were, and how willing they were to do things for other people. That’s what really matters in God’s world.

Teen Time: God, service and power dynamics (September 19th)

/ thebarefootevangelist / Leave a comment

The word ‘submit’ is misused by many on the rightwing of Christianity. Serving or submitting to others is a choice, not a role to place based on gender or ethnicity.

The scripture for Kids Korner and the Reflection for today is Mark 9:30-37. In that story Jesus tells his followers that the first must put themselves last, while the last will be first. When we choose to serve others, we make a difference and can see some of the new world God is creating.

But it has to be our choice. If we are in a position with no power, we do not have the ability to make a choice. Submitting or serving when we have no power can be exploitation.