In what ways has God blown our minds this year?

This week is our last week in Mark. In two weeks, with advent and a new church year we will begin our journey in Luke. Marks whole gospel is the “The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son.” The story of this good news is ongoing and includes you and I. As I have said before, Mark 1:15 is central to Mark’s gospel. In essence the rest of the gospel explores

“Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Let that blow your mind and change your hearts and lives. And trust this good news!” (Mark 1:15 – slightly amended CEB). Reading Mark is an invitation to have our minds blown by God, about God, and what God is up to in Jesus, and inviting others to also have their minds blown so they can join and trust the ongoing story of good news.

This week we are warned not to get distracted. Mark suggests that we too easily put our trust in great things like temples. We cannot conceive of a time when powerful institutions or countries will fall, but they do. We look to great leaders to change the world and feel let down when they fail. The warning today is that God is probably not there, and we are likely to be led astray if that is where our hope is? Instead, the invitation is to look for the small people, like Hannah and Mary, to see God at work in these bringing about God’s kingdom, letting that blow our mind and change our hearts and lives, and learning to trust this good news!

In what ways had God blown our minds this year? As we approach Advent, how are we invited to trust?