Jeff Lark

WALKING TO THE CROSS Reflection #2  - MARK 11:20-13:37 At the core of each of us is, as John Calvin would say, a factory that never tires of producing in us idols of every kind – gods of this world that promise life, but never ultimately deliver.  At the center of this factory stands one idol head and shoulders above the others.  On one hand, it is the most beautiful, ornate, elaborate, and impressive figure of all.  But, on the other hand, it is so much a part of our idol factory that it gets lost in its ordinariness.  In fact, we forget it’s there until it is challenged.   As Jesus enters into the Temple on Tuesday, if there was one thing that was true, it was the fact that the religious leaders of the day were having their idol of authority challenged.  In fact, their authority was so acutely challenged that they sought to challenge the authority of Jesus – “By what authority are you doing these things…” (Mark 11:28...

WALKING TO THE CROSS  -  Reflection #1 MARK 11:12-19 It wasn’t a “chip on the shoulder Jesus” who was experiencing stress from knowing that he would be murdered within a week.  Rather, it was a Jesus who understood the seriousness of hypocrisy, heaven and hell, true worship, and the glory of God.   On Monday leading to Good Friday, the shadow of the cross was looming large.  Even though the crowd was exuberant as He entered Jerusalem the day before, Jesus knew the fickleness of the human heart and that the cheers would turn to condemning accusations only within days. But, even though hatred, rejection, abandonment, and death were looming, Jesus’ actions on Monday didn’t have a taint of anxiety or revenge.  Instead, the lamb-like Jesus was giving us a glimpse into His lion-like righteousness, justice, wrath, and fierce love for the purity of true worship and the glory of God.  As he entered into Jerusalem on M...

There is nothing like trying to be in two places at one time.  I've been there (not both places at once, but I've been in the predicament).  Oftentimes it's the demands of having three kids and multiple activities.  Other times it's being in the world of email when my wife is wanting me to jump into her world. However you slice it, we weren't created to be in more than one place at a time.  Or were we? As those who seek to follow wholeheartedly after Christ, we are actually called to live in three worlds. Giving a polite nod to an ancient text We have an ancient book that we claim is God's very word to humanity.  For many, though, this book is archaic, meant to be sitting on the mantle next Aunt Erma's ashes.  Just like Aunt Erma, we may give it a nod of respect, but anything older than Aunt Erma doesn't deserve much more than a polite nod. But even though this book was completed nearly 2000 years ago, the book itself makes an audacious claim -...

Just yesterday, President Obama made a very pubic declaration of how he views homosexuality. He said, "In the end the values that I care most deeply about, and [Michelle Obama] cares most deeply about, is how we treat other people and, you know, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians, and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it's also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated ." To provide a little context, the "golden rule" that he is referring to is found in Matthew 22:37-39 - And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." More spec...