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WESTCONNECT CONNECTING WESTMINSTER MEMBERS THROUGH FELLOWSHIP, STUDY, AND PRAYER.
The Beginning of the Good News
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The Gospel of Mark (with Dr. Amy Jill Levine) WestConnect Series 4 Winter 2024
Table of Contents Setting the Scene
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Session One
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Session Two
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Session Three
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Session Four
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Session Five
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Session Six
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What’s Next
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What is WestConnect? WestConnect is a ministry of small groups from within WPC’s congregation regularly meeting together on a seasonal basis to share life, pray, and grow in faith together. Here are some of the key qualities of WestConnect:
Low barrier, not low bar. Come as you are—no preparation required! However, if you choose to join a group, we hope you will make it a priority. Groups typically meet six times per season, and participants should do their best to attend at least four times. You and your group will be enriched by your consistent presence.
Relationships first. WestConnect is at least as much about the relationships as the content. Groups center their time together on various biblical and theological topics, but no one is expected to be an expert. Instead, questions are encouraged, and groups will primarily grow in faith through relational connection and real-life dialogue.
Small by design. WestConnect groups consist of 5-15 individuals, starting on the small side so there is room to invite new people. Once a group reaches capacity, a new group may need to form. Groups are not intended to be exclusive, but they are limited in size to build trust and create space for open conversation.
Consistent structure + creative license. All WestConnect groups follow the same basic outline for their time together (see “Sample Gathering” on the next page). This structure provides continuity, but groups are welcome to adapt it to their preferences. There is wide variance in where/when groups meet, how conversation flows, and what connection looks like outside of scheduled gatherings.
Part of a larger community. WestConnect is a growing community, with over ten groups meeting this term. Those communities share a connection to WPC and a common vision of “Open minds open hearts.” Groups are encouraged to participate together in the larger church through worship, service, learning, and fellowship.
Setting the Scene Welcome to the Gospel of Mark! You’re on a brash, contradictory, joyful journey! Mark is the oldest Gospel, and one of the most stark. It is challenging, comforting, and surprising. When you are reading scripture together in your groups, I encourage you to close your eyes and attempt to “sense” the scene (after all the Gospels were meant to be read aloud and evoke any number of sense-memories). Dr. Levine begins with a hefty bit of scene setting — What is a gospel? When was this one written? Who begins our stories? This is a heady study, but one you will be all-the-better for engaging with. I especially encourage you to read the difficult parts, and ask yourself where the Good News is amidst the strange, brash telling. Remember, Mark prefaces his gospel with “the beginning of the Good News.” Everything that follows is redeemed, judged, and set-right by God — it is, in short, very good, even in its strangeness. Note also that many of these lessons ask not only for theological imagination, but also for engagement with concrete historical situations. In both lesson four and lesson five we overhear the anxiety of a people in the midst of profound political and historical change (the destruction of the temple, and the remembrance of prior desecrations of the holy space). When we read Scripture, we are engaging with God’s word in and through a historical moment — and we are asked to consider how Scripture can speak to our own historical, political, and religious anxiety. These questions primarily follow the videos, but the chapters in the book are rich. I would encourage weekly leaders to delve into the chapters alongside the videos and, since the chapters cover so much more Scriptural territory, to supplement the readings as they feel led. Enjoy this old truth. And let me know how I can help! —Leigh
Lesson 1 Read: Mark 1:1-11 (the Beginning) Watch: The Good News Begins Objective: Catch up! Orient the group to the Gospel of Mark.
Questions for Discussion • • •
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Do you ever find yourself “off balance” when reading Scripture? Or is it so familiar that it rarely surprises? Mark recalls the “Genesis” (1:1) of the Good News (translated “beginning” in the NRSV). Why might Mark have started his book that way? Mark begins with the “Good News.” Amidst so much strife today, where do you locate the good news of the gospel, especially in Mark’s paradoxical truth — the death of the Son of God and the transformation of our lives today by the reality of that good news? Is it important to you that there is no infancy narrative in Mark? Nor, in earlier manuscripts, resurrection appearance? Our lives look very different than those to whom “Mark” first addressed his gospel. We are not under governmental persecution, nor is our religion a persecuted minority. Still, Mark speaks to us. What might it mean to allow the gospel to speak to us in such different circumstances? John baptizes “in the wilderness” (v. 4). What do you think of when you think of “wilderness” or “desert” (the same word in Greek)? Does this evoke any Old Testament stories in your imagination? Does it evoke any times in your own spiritual journey? How do you think the good news can speak to the wilderness of modern life? What does it mean to greet the kingdom “in a state of repentance and reconciliation”? The word for road is hodos (like your odometer!). Jesus’ earliest followers called themselves “Members of the Way.” How can we follow the way, keeping ourselves firmly anchored in God’s kingdom? How is “the way” different than other understandings you may have of discipleship?
Closing Prayer Jesus our Teacher, you went to the wilderness to be baptized, and by your Spirit you enter our wilderness today, calling us to follow you as you work your good news. May we receive your gospel with both joy and curiosity, always eager to learn more deeply what it means to us as individuals and as a community, and always seeking to embody it more fully. Amen.
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Lesson 2 Read: Mark 6:14-29; 7:1-23 Watch: Restoring Purity and Wholeness Objective: Consider how our public witness and public citizenship interacts, consider our own culpability in the death of Jesus and John.
Questions for Discussion •
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What do you think it is like to live as if you have one foot in the Kingdom of God? How is that different from living with two feet in the world? Put another way, does the Good News of Jesus Christ change your life in discernibly different ways? How do you see the story of John the Baptizer interacting with the story of Jesus? John speaks truth to the Imperial power, but we are often reluctant to wed politics and faith. Do you think the gospel encourages such a posture? If so (or if not!), how are we called to speak truth to power today? Do you agree that all at Herod’s party share in responsibility for the death of John? By the same token, how do you see our own responsibility in the parallel story of the death of Jesus? Does Mark mean to implicate the reader in these climactic (and bookending) deaths? Shifting to the controversy between Jesus and the Pharisees — how can we understand “impurity” today? So much of our talk about purity revolves around problematic notions of “purity culture” inherited from America’s first white settlers their own fixation on the purity of a (usual female) body. But what might it mean to pursue purity today?
Closing Prayer Lord Jesus, you did not promise your disciples that following you would be easy. We cannot walk in your way and live in your name without risk. Whether the risks to which you call us seem small or great, may your Spirit strengthen us to take them, that we might show to others and know more fully for ourselves the lifechanging love of God. Amen.
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Lesson 3 Read: Mark 8:34-9:8; 14:14-29 Watch: Sacrifice, Ransom, Prophet, Messiah Objective: Consider Jesus’ humanity and divinity, and the implications of Jesus’ humanity and divinity for our own lives. Consider the role of ambiguity in our discipleship journey.
Questions for Discussion • • •
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Did you grow up with images of “the Rapture”? If not a rapture, what do you think the “Kingdom Coming in Power” means today? As disciples of Jesus Christ, what is our role in bringing about the Kingdom? Each week in worship we affirm a belief in the “Resurrection of the Dead” (the Apostles’ Creed). But we rarely talk about our resurrection. How do you understand the resurrection of the dead as it applies to folks here and now? Do you think the story of the “Metamorphosis” can tell us anything about our life with God in eternity? What can the baptism and the metamorphosis tell us about who Jesus was, and more importantly, about the events of Easter that lie at the core of our faith? Have you been told in your life that you need a certain set of beliefs, or that to be a Christian you have to believe perfectly? If so, how do you understand the story of the disciples’ inability to heal the boy? Do you sympathize with the cry of the father, “I believe, help my unbelief”? What does it mean to live in ambiguity as people of faith?
Closing Prayer God of dazzling beauty and transcendence, in Jesus Christ we glimpse the image of your glory. Teach us to listen to him so that we may hear your voice and follow in your way, that through our faith your Good News might be realized. In Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
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Lesson 4 Read: Mark 11:12-25; 12:1-12 Watch: Fig Trees and Tenants Objective: Consider how our public witness and public citizenship interacts, consider our own culpability in the death of Jesus and John.
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Had you heard the odd story of the fig tree before reading today’s text? What is your reaction reading it today? Does Levine’s open-ended interpretation make any sense of it? Dr. Levine names how difficult it is to read “The Parable of the Wicked Tenants.” What do you think we do with this parable, given its deep historical context? How do we understand and make real these stories in our own lives? Are we at risk of losing our vineyard? How do you react to “threatening” stories in the Scriptures? Do you prefer to think of Jesus as “all sweetness and light”? Similarly, in what way is Jesus “threat”? What do we do with that threat? What does Mark do with it? Do you, like Dr. Levine, “agree to disagree” with Mark? Does this spur you to pay attention more broadly to “who gets hurt”? Do you find your (potential) frustration with the text a site of creative theological engagement?
Closing Prayer Lord Jesus, make us more faithful in our engagement with Scripture. Remind us that you both comfort and challenge us so that we might become more faithful disciples. Grant us patience to hear what we do not understand and wisdom to seek the Good News even in places of deep frustration. Abide with us. Make us new. Amen.
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Lesson 5 Read: Mark 13 (the whole bizarre thing!) Watch: The Little Apocalypse Objective: Read the difficult parts of Scripture that Westminster usually avoids! Consider the good news of God’s judgment (and right-sizing of the world). Consider that the world as we know it will end, and what that ending means for our faith.
Questions for Discussion •
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“Apocalypse” means “to reveal.” Ask yourself as you read this chapter what the Spirit, through the author of Mark, is trying to show you that you could only see in this strange, unfamiliar world. Probe this strange text for Mark’s very good news. How do you understand the element of “fear” embedded in the Christian story of righteousness, judgment, and the coming of the kingdom? How do you think you can live out the Good News in light of Mark’s assertion that another world is coming? More saliently, how do we act if we know that “death is not the last word”? Where do you see the story of “gathering” in the Gospel of Mark? Can you find comfort in a new interpretation of the apocalypse? Have you had moments that have felt so totally awful that you worry God is not present in the horror (your own “desolating sacrilege”)? How do you move forward from those moments? (Which, of course is precisely what Mark is attempting to do.)
Closing Prayer Lord Jesus, often we fail. We flee, we hand over, we do not pursue your path. We are grateful that you make us new and offer your forgiveness. Help us to learn from our failures so that we can face the news of the empty tomb with courage, allowing you to transform our lives in accordance with your great power. Through Jesus Christ, our Resurrected Lord. Amen.
Lesson 6 Read: Mark 14:17-21; 16:1-8 Watch: Judas Iscariot and the Naked Young Man Objective: Consider the ambiguity of Jesus’ final days — Jesus is “handed over” but goes willingly (and knowingly) into his fate! Discuss the ambiguity of the Gospel, and how it might drive us forward to renewed engagement with the story of Jesus Christ.
Questions for Discussion • •
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How have you thought of Judas and his “handing over” in the past? Can we judge Judas if Jesus goes willingly into his fate? Do you agree with Dr. Levine’s assertion that we live somewhere between “fate” (the realities of our birth and situation) and free will? How have you understood that reality in your own living? Have you ever seen yourself in the character of Judas (insofar as we do that which we know we should not)? What is the “next chapter” — where is your life intersecting with the life of the Gospel, both the Gospel of Mark and the “Gospel” as good news? Mark ends his gospel turning to you. The Gospel is open-ended. So what?
Closing Prayer Holy God, our lives are a blend of that which we cannot control and the decisions we make that profoundly impact the world around us. Help us in this moment to bear witness to the empty tomb, and to choose the path that you have laid out for us. Grant us courage, empathy, and persistence that together we might work for the Kingdom which, in your death and resurrection, has already begun its great transformation. Amen.
What’s Next? WestConnect will get together on a seasonal basis, with studies prepared each fall and winter. If your group would like to meet in the summer, we encourage you to choose a book to study together (don’t worry, the staff has a few suggestions!). While participants may come and go, we hope groups will stick together for at least a year to deepen friendships and grow in faith. After a year, perhaps you will consider forming your own WestConnect group. It is our hope that this offers a breadth of possibility and connection across our congregation, grounded in authentic relationship, prayer, and study. We also encourage each of you to consider an outreach or missional activity you can pursue together. Westminster has a number of local partners that we would love to connect you with (and on April 20th, we’ll join together for Hands on Greenville). Look for a new study to be offered shortly after the 2024-2025 program year begins. Until then, feel free to gather in other ways, whether to share a meal, discuss a book, go for a hike, or simply enjoy one another’s company. Cheers! —Leigh
Notes
Notes
Notes
Westminster’s Pastors Further questions? Seeking care or wrestling with faith? Contact us.
Ben Dorr
Leigh Stuckey
Mary Kathleen Duncan
Pastor &
Executive Associate
Associate Pastor for
Head of Staff
Pastor for Faith Formation
Youth & Their Families
bdorr@wpc-online.org
lstuckey@wpc-online.org
mkduncan@wpc-online.org
Lauren Slingerland
Terri Price
Associate Pastor for
Parish Associate for
Children & Their Families
Older Adults
lslingerland@wpc-online.org
tprice@wpc-online.org
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