Dave Diewert (Regent College) spoke on the story of feeding the 5,000 (Mark 6), which recalls parallel themes with the story in Exodus of feeding many thousands in the wilderness. Jesus, recalling Ezekiel, often spoke of political and religious leaders as shepherds who neglected their sheep. Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus speaks of people being abused by power, being hungry for justice, and of Jesus wanting to 'feed' them/satisfy their needs. In this story, various solutions were proposed: (1) the disciples advocated individualism, tantamount to the survival of the fittest in which people fend for themselves (go and buy their own food); (2) Jesus asked the disciples to purchase food for everybody (charity, handouts, one-time solution) and this was thought impractical. Finally (3) Jesus asked everybody to share with each other (the economics of mutuality). The real miracle in this story is that God was on the side of those society was hurting (the peasant Galileans were being even more severely taxed at that time than previously, while the middle and upper classes in Jerusalem were protected). Herod, Pilate, and the Temple officials (appointed by Rome's appointees) depended on the peasants in Galilee being poor/powerless and financially oppressed. Leaders therefore feared Jesus's and John the Baptist's work with the poor, just like some have feared the Arab Spring, Vancouver's downtown demonstrations, and calls for a more equitable world. [JEK]

Passage: Mark 6:30-44 Ez 34:2-5
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Dave Diewert
Worship Leader: Travis Martin
Song Leader: Lisa-Dawn Markle
Pianist: Titus Gregory
Usher: Erika Hannan
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader:

Bring Flowers:
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Child Care Volunteer: