He is risen indeed: alleluia!
It was very good indeed to be at St Mark's Wyke as the parish celebrated their patronal festival. Not only was I able to bring warm greetings from their Cathedral Church of the Holy Spirit, but I was able to do that in the company of our Girl Choristers, Organ Scholar and Director of Music. As we celebrate Mark the evangelist, may our prayers and praise, our words and music, our fellowship and conversation bear witness to the good news of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.
Within the Christian tradition, each of the four gospel writers have been associated with one of the faces of the living creatures described by Ezekiel in his astonishing vision of the presence of God. Amidst the gleaming amber, brightness of the clouds and the flashes of fiery lightning, he imagines winged creatures, moving as the spirit prompted them.
Book of Cerne (9th Century)
Portrait of the Evangelist Mark with his symbol, the Lion
Mark has been characterised by the lion which is quite apt. His gospel is fast paced and dynamic. He conveys the power of God at work in dramatic action; everything is immediate. Immediately the disciples left their nets: immediately Jesus called; immediately they followed. Jesus is always moving from place to place; from encounter to encounter; from times of solitude to being surrounded by crowds.
The outcast is restored, the sick are healed, storms are stilled, the rich are challenged, children are blessed, the penitent are forgiven. In all this the Kingdom is proclaimed in word and deed, in teaching and in miracles. There are moments of misunderstanding and moments of glory as Jesus reveals God's love in these shifts of pace and context. Mark points us to God's presence with us in the most intimate of human gestures - as Jesus takes a little girl's hand, as he breaks bread. He points to God with us not in strength and might, but in weakness and vulnerability.
At the outset Mark boldly declares: 'The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.' He then takes us from the vast expanse of the wilderness to the noisy claustrophobia of Jerusalem. Jesus tells his followers that he must suffer; that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains but a single grain. He speaks to them of a plentiful harvest; and of the temple of his body. Along the way, some misunderstand and some declare their faith; some flee; some remain watching at the foot of the cross. Mark gives voice to the centurion who says: truly this man was God's Son!
Ultimately, Mark leads us to an empty tomb - and leaves us dumfounded and perhaps a little afraid - for he is not here. Christ has been raised. In the words of the priest and poet Malcolm Guite, Mark is a wingèd lion, swift, immediate. His gospel of sudden shifts, points to Christ who makes the most sudden shift of all. For in him death is entered into and undone. Cross and empty tomb point to the power of God resurrection: the power of his love over sin and death is our salvation. Nothing separates us from the love of God. Mark the evangelist witnesses to these things; and we are called to do the same.
Mark set out the good news of Christ with the conviction of a political strategist setting out a party manifesto. He also committed himself as a young man to the sharing of this message of new life amongst early Christian communities. At one point Paul lost confidence in him. Then it was Barnabas, the great encourager, who took him under his wing. Such was the impact of this older man, that Paul himself asks Timothy to bring Mark along.
Paul's advice to the younger Timothy can be a source of challenge and inspiration to us as we seek to serve God in our community and to welcome others to a beautiful place of worship. Paul reminds us that our lives should reflect God's Kingdom - walking in the world as Jesus did. In our work and in our acts of service, we are to be channels of God's healing, restoring and reconciling love. We might not know the impact of our words and gestures, but in the Spirit we trust that each human encounter might be a sign of hope.
We are to pay attention to the conversations and concerns, the hopes and fears of those in our community, nurturing those connections and strengthening bonds of trust, gratitude and affection. It can sometimes feel as if we, and the people amongst whom we live, are operating and Mark's pace: everything is immediate. As soon as we've done one thing, immediately we move onto the next. This church is a sign of stability and continuity; a place of prayer and attention to God. We are to be people who can make connections between complexity of human life and depth of God's love; we are to help others make sense of desires, fears, pressures and joys. As our lives are shaped by God in worship, we are, in Paul's words, equipped to do the work of an evangelist and carry out the ministry entrusted to us.
For some that might be the gift of hospitality, music or teaching; administration or pastoral care. Whatever gifts and skills have been entrusted to us, we are to cultivate in the service of God's Kingdom. Paul urges us to proclaim the message with conviction and urgency - and to be both persistent and consistent in that. We cannot wait for others to change the world, but we are called to be the people our communities need. In the power of the Spirit, we witness to the love of God, made manifest in Jesus Christ.
Our conviction flows from the faithfulness of love divine which continues to transform us; that stills our restless hearts. Our rebuke is to remind one another of the hope that is within us; we are not to lose heart, but to see ourselves and others as God sees us. We are to be people who encourage others - praying that we might have the gift of patience.
Paul is aware that this is a hard and demanding pattern of life. The slogans and world views of our own time can sometimes seem persuasive; nudging us to put our own desires and interests first. Yet they're fleeting and unsatisfying. As Paul faces the end of his earthly life, he urges us to persevere. We are to offer that we have and all that we have to God in the service of others. That includes our time, energy and money; the gifts and skills of our active lives, and the stillness of attention to God. In Wyke you are doing this as you seek to deepen relationships by nurturing faith, communicating with your community and seeking financial sustainability.
Paul paints vivid pictures of persevering in faith: he's done his best, he has endured in challenges and joys, he has kept his eyes fixed on Jesus Christ. This weekend our papers carry images of Paula Radcliffe's last marathon and A P McCoy's last race. They have inspired others whilst competing for medals and breaking records. How much more should we strive for the crown of righteousness, that is playing our part in the breaking in of God's Kingdom. Our confidence is in God; our joy is in seeing his transforming love at work.
Lord God, the source of truth and love,
keep us faithful to the apostles' teaching and fellowship
united in prayer and the breaking of bread
and one in joy and simplicity of heart
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
© 2015 Julie Gittoes
