The Table Church DC

Mark 2:18-22 — New Wineskins

Sunday, November 21, 2021. Preacher: Meg Clark.

Mark 2:13-17 — The Call of Levi

Jesus' call extends to those I would not call. Jesus' call will make the ritually pure uncomfortable. Grace is most effective for those who know they need it. Sunday, November 14, 2021. Preacher: Anthony Parrott

Mark 2:1-12—Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man (Downtown)

Sunday, November 7, 2021. Preacher: Heidi Mills. In this story, Jesus redefines what healing is and what healing is for.  Healing happens within community. Healing reminds us of our identity and our worth in God's sight. Healing restores us to a new way of living in the world.

Mark 2:1-12—Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man (Columbia Heights)

Sunday, November 7, 2021. Preacher: Lexi Mairone. In Jesus, we see the God who forgives. Forgiveness is not only a central characteristic of God’s nature, but it is the singular grace that enables God’s people to have fellowship with God. Forgiveness is how we are reconciled back to God and invited to join God once again in the renewal of all things.

Mark 1:40-45—Get Angry More; Invest In People Less

Sunday, October 31, 2021. Preacher: Anthony Parrott. This Sunday we talk about the step before translating the Bible. We talk about why Jesus gets angry — and we can too. And we briefly talk about "investing" in people isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Mark 1:35-39—Resistance, Reactivity, Rhythms

Mark 1:35-39

Resistance

Resistance is refusing to be defined by the powers that want to take hold of us.

Capitalism. Toxic Family or Social Systems. Addiction or Compulsion. Inner and Outer Voices and Pressure.

"Healthy boundaries are a form of rest." —Tricia Hersey (The Nap Ministry)

“We must not confuse the command to love with the disease to please.” ― Lysa TerKeurst

“Whenever you say yes to something, there is less of you for something else. Make sure your yes is worth the less.” ― Lysa TerKeurst

(Non) Reactivity

Self-Differentiation is the ability to separate your emotions and actions from the emotions and actions of others.

It's different from detachment. Detachment is the inability to care about someone else's emotions. Self-differentiation is the ability to not let someone else's emotional state define yours.

‌Non-Anxious Presence. First, you must be present. This is not the same as avoidance. Second, deciding to not add anxiety to anxious situation. Not the same as denial. But rather, the choice to not add to or pass along anxiety.

Non-Reactivity and Non-Judgment. To be able to respond instead of react. To thoughtfully consider, instead of instinctually knee-jerk.

Rhythms

Disciplines are activities within our power that enable us to accomplish what we cannot do by direct effort. The effect of discipline is to enable us to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done. (Dallas Willard)

Solitude is choosing to step free from human relationships for a lengthy period of time, in isolation or anonymity, to make room for occupation of our lives by God. It is to do nothing and not try to make anything happen. It is the primary spiritual discipline which enables us to learn other disciplines

Silence completes solitude. It is not an absence but a presence, a positive reality, in which we experience in quiet or are in a place with only natural sounds.

Mark 1:29-34 Jesus at Simon and Andrew‘s House

Mark 1:29-34

Simon's Mother In Law - yes Simon is married (this is later referenced in 1 Corinthians, that the apostles wives and family traveled with them)

Sick with a fever - of course, couldn't go to synagogue. This was not because of the germ theory of disease. This was because of impurity, uncleanness. Perhaps inability; but even if she had been physically able, she would not allowed to go by the community. 

Jesus' response - physical touch. To touch those that society had deemed unclean. 

**Jesus has contagious purity.** 

Why did the woman serve? 
 Because serving is the sign of being a disciple, in the way of Jesus
 
Her serving is not about her being a woman and therefore being put back in her rightful place. 

Though, it is slight about being a woman, because women were not permitted to be disciples of a rabbi. They are not the people to whom you would be expected to look for an example of discipleship. But it is the woman who ends up being the example to which to follow.

How do we know? Because there are only 3 examples in the whole of Mark's Gospel of people who serve.

1) The angels, who serve Jesus in the desert after his temptation.
2) This woman.
3) And Jesus Himself. "The Son of Man did not come into the world to be served, but to serve."

Messianic secret (why does Jesus tell demons to be silent)

Main Idea: The extraordinary kingdom of God is enacted through radical acts of hospitality and restoration.

Mark 1:21-28—Exorcisms and Healings

In a more subtle way than the possession in our passage today, each of us too can be possessed by the initially small, subtle toe holds we allow evil to gain in our day-to-day life (e.g. anger, envy, grudges, us v. them politics, etc.).

Our long journey, our very personal collaboration with God, to be more Christ-like is a long-term, gradual, non-linear exorcism/healing in slow motion.