Author Archives: marcuscurnow

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#14 Learn from the Land…#40ways40days2015

40 WAYS IN 40 DAYS LENT 2015

 #14 Learn from the Land

Mark 4:1-34

… ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come’…

Reflection

With autumn upon us and my tomato crop coming to an end I must say that its been a pretty good harvest this year. I have never really had a vegie patch before but this year we decided to take a punt and throw a couple of seedlings here and there to see what would spring up. To our delight the tomatoes went crazy. From four little seedlings sprung hug bushes and given us about 5 or 6 dozen tomatoes, shame thought I can’t stand the taste!

But the coriander in our garden didn’t do so well, it grew a little and then the hot summer sun, burnt it up, reducing it to not much more than a brown twig sticking out of the soil. Mark today encourages us to look at the land as an opportunity to learn and experience the kingdom of God. There is a lot of talk about seed and soil, the sower and Satan, but subtly the light is mentioned.

Along our back fence we get the hot afternoon sun, perhaps I shouldn’t have planted my coriander there, but the other plant, chilli, seemed to love it, the right balance of sun. In all these metaphors and teaching of the seed I wonder about the place of the light. It’s the first thing I look at when I go to Bunning’s and read the plant label, how much sun can it handle? I wonder how much sun can we handle? Is it possible that God’s light can be too much?

Our sacred land has much to teach us if we are truly going to understand and experience the kingdom of God. For Mark’s farming community the spontaneity of the land is likened t the spirit of God, unexplainable but joyous mystery, apparently springing up in the darkness of night to be enjoyed in the light.

Perhaps for me this is the point when I ask about the light being to much. There is a reason why the sun goes down at the end of the day, to encourage the land to rest and replenish. This a helpful metaphor for our spiritual lives as we need to rejuvenate so that overnight a new energy can grow.

For the mustard seed to grow is to offer it both light and darkness, a balance of both. Paul Toms recently preached at Moreland about having a weedy faith and this is where Mark takes me today. Recognising that the mustard bush is a weed that grows amongst the grain, a pest and hard to get rid of. I hope to be a person of weedy faith, growing in darkness towards the light, forever growing back and like my tomatoes being abundant for all to enjoy!

Peace

Luke

– Luke Bowen, Moreland Baptist

tomato battle

Tomato Battle, Flemington, Feb 28 2015

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#12 Redefine Family and Culture…#40ways40days2015

40 WAYS IN 40 DAYS LENT 2015

#12 Redefine Family and Culture

Mark 3:13-35; 6:1-6 

Jesus Appoints the Twelve

 He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message,and to have authority to cast out demons. So he appointed the twelve:Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Jesus and Beelzebul

Then he went home; and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

 ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

The True Kindred of Jesus

 Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ 

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Maryand brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. 

The Mission of the Twelve

Then he went about among the villages teaching.

Reflection

marc chagall prophet

Marc Chagall – Jeremiah

Today we read some rather confronting words from Jesus that certainly hit home the question from today’s readings; who are our family? What does this say to our culture? For many us I would suspect at times it’s rather hard to do the whole family thing. In our Australian context it’s hard to define what family means alongside our culture, which seems to be ever evolving and changing. Mark seems to tip out all notions of culture and family from todays reading challenging us to answer these questions. But I would go on to say there is something behind Mark’s questions that at first isn’t obvious but if we think about it, it makes sense.

The question behind the question is intrinsically connected to Marks deep theological message of a Jesus found amongst the people. It seems the responses to the Jesus we meet today turns these notions upside down, to which Jesus responds, the people are my mothers and brothers.

I have to admit hearing churches describing their congregations as ‘church families’ does make me cringe, because I wonder if we really know what we are saying when we describe our communities as families? Culturally we have a lot to learn from the different people groups around us. My work in the hospital exposes this regularly as we realize that family means a tight bond, no matter what, always with an open door, regardless of pain or shame. I wonder if our churches stopped banging on about righteousness and actually understood what Jesus is saying here perhaps we might edge even closer to the liberation of people than we think? For Jesus is saying I don’t need to draw a line between family of my flesh and of the spirit we are all one. For Jesus family has no divides, it simply is as it is, no question. For Mark there is an urgency in this proclaiming that if you want to be where the action is get out into the streets and eat with your sisters and brothers and care for all of your mothers.

However in the church we do sometimes get this right. I think of the mothers in our church, the ones that bake, care and offer a welcome kiss on the cheek. As one of our church mothers at Moreland turned 80 last week I said to her on Sunday, you are really important to me, she stopped looked and said you are important to me too! Perhaps it is in these moments that we begin to redefine family. Not to replace our own family of flesh and blood but rather to expand our family to welcome all into our folds and to recognize the importance of all around us.

joyce

But with an open door policy this is counter cultural. For as westerners we are told that we are individuals and others are simply liabilities to be carried along the way. Jesus returns to his hometown and realizes the resentment and question that lie upon his identity. This tells us that it is the reality of the day, that our message of everyone is in, is not always going to be received. Sad I know but also it is the realization that some places will never change and that we have an opportunity to make those places ones of possibility.  What are the possibilities to rethink some of this, to reclaim it and to form and evolve our Australian culture that welcomes all. Perhaps this is what God is calling us to realize that Asylum Seekers are our mothers, sisters and brothers, simply needing us to embrace and welcome them into this country…I don’t know…just a thought?!

Practice

Today is an opportunity to look at your own family, how are you connected? Are you like me and not connected at all? Is there a place of possibility in this? If not what might be a possibility for you?

– Luke Bowen, Moreland Baptist

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#7 Hooking the Big Fish…#40ways40days2015

40 WAYS IN 40 DAYS LENT 2015

#7 Hooking the Big Fish

Mark 1:17; 

 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 

Reflection

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

I have to admit I have never really been a keen fisher or really wanted to be, something to do with time and patience perhaps! There is something however in the words ‘come and follow me’. Connected deeply I think with other interpretations that say ‘come and see’. For years these words and others have been used as key slogans in evangelism and growing the church and particularly in lent I think to read it only in that way misses the point of Mark. There is a distinct call here to refocus the disciples, not convert them but in many ways re orientate them. In this case the core business of the disciples is fish, Jesus calls them to shift their core business to people.

There in the invitation is the come and see, the come follow me suggests come and see the ways of God, for they are concerned about people. For fishing was no easy task in the first century. It took commitment, passion and great resource. Business was tough and people’s livelihood relied on the days catch, determining whether their families would eat that day. As the disciples leave their boat behind, they are called by Jesus to bring their passion, their commitment and their resources to come and see the revealing kingdom of God.

I wonder when the last time was we were invited to come and see, to come and follow? Who are we following? What are we taking with us? What are we inviting people to come and see?

What are the markers that make sure our core business are people? If we really read this text for all it is worth we will see that it is connected to us deeply in all we say, think and do. Perhaps this is the marker, come and follow is to hook the big fish, to catch people, not for conversion but to invite them to see life!

Perhaps today you could go fishing…if you literally can great! If not why not go fishing for a conversation, a ‘so how’s things for you today?’ conversation. Perhaps in this shared human moment, something of the kingdom of God might just get revealed and you might hook that big fish!

– LB, Moreland Baptist

call2discipleshipbig

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#6 Leave your Nets…#40ways40days2015

40 WAYS IN 40 DAYS LENT 2015

#6 Leave your nets

Mark 1:16-20; 

 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

Reflection

Discipleship has a way of interrupting our business as usual.

As a middle class white reader of the text I used to think ‘leaving your nets’ was all about the individual vocational choices of earnest disciples and a spontaneous response to a charismatic religious figure.  Perhaps like celebrity papparazi or fans at the Oscars swooning over the Hollywood movie stars. In more recent times I’ve seen this sort of action alongside contemporary movements for social change where workers ‘down tool’s…from Solidarity in Poland to Occupy in New York.

I especially like the story of Vincent Lingiari and the Wave Hill walk off because it is uniquely Australian and has some powerful Baptist connection with its wilderness imagery through the ministry of Rev. Graham Paulson.

Like pastoralism or mining in Australia, the Galilean fishing economy was not a benign, a-political endeavour.  Herod controlled it ruthlessly in order to supply the salted fish industry, and his favour in far away Rome.

That Jesus first action is to call fisherman and tax collectors, (class enemies within this bigger system), empowers me to consider who are those who are making risky decisions to ‘down tools’ in order to seek social, political and personal change today and how might my ‘business as usual’ be interrupted in solidarity with such movements.

– MC, Newmarket Baptist