Sunday Services

June Reflection: Bible Month and the Gospel of Mark

In recent times, many of our churches have come to value June as ‘Bible Month’ where we can focus in more detail on one particular book in the Bible.  For the first time this year, the focus is on one of the Gospels.  The Gospel of Mark. 

In some ways we have already been thinking about this Gospel as it has been the focus of our lectionary readings from Advent last year.  Yet the lectionary does only ever give us snapshots so sometimes it is good to take time and step back and look at the bigger picture.  

To help you think about what I mean, have a look at the picture above.  What do you think it is?

How many of you realised it was part of a car engine?  Anyone spot the starter motor in the bottom corner?  For those like me who aren’t overly car minded, you might have found it easier to spot it was an engine if you’d seen the bigger picture to the left.

There are some bigger picture things then that it is helpful to notice about Mark and Bible Month can help us to do that.  For example, have you ever read the first few verses of Mark?  His opening line is ‘The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God’, then launches straight into the ministry of Jesus.  No Mary, Jospeh, donkey or stable in sight!  Lots happens in a short time in Mark and we get words like ‘straight away’, ‘immediately’ or ‘at once’.  It’s all very fast-paced.  The end is interesting too.  Early manuscripts miss the last verses that we have in our Bibles.  As a result many people think the Gospel originally ended with the news of the resurrection.  That fits really well with what Mark said at the start about it being the good news about Jesus.

Mark is also the shortest of the Gospels which makes it a good one for reading all the way through.  This Bible month, why not give that a go and see what bigger picture emerges for you!

Big picture God, open our eyes to your word and your word to our eyes today and every day.  Amen.

Every blessing, Lorna