Gen. 37:1-11; 1 Cor. 1:1-19; Mark 1:1-13

Today is all about new beginnings.

We begin the gospel of Mark today, my favorite gospel, not just because of its brevity, but because of Mark’s quirky details which paint a stunning and imaginative picture of God’s grace.  Unlike the other gospels, “the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” does not begin with a birth narrative or with the beginning of time, but rather with John the Baptist proclaiming in the wilderness.

Like a good journalist, he paints a picture with quotes, memorable details, and keeps it brief.  Today is not just about a baptism in the wilderness but a baptism of fire.  Only 13 verses in and Jesus is already tempted in the wilderness.  Mark moves it along, sowing the seeds of expectancy and mystery.

Many of us are yearning for new beginnings this Lenten journey.  2018 has been hard already.  The Lenten journey is built for this!  We enter this Lenten journey, knowing that the end of the journey is a cross, but knowing that as we live into the penitential and centering aspect of these 40 days, that our journey does not end at the cross.

And so we slow down and focus on things one day at a time, not knowing what the future may bring, but knowing who holds the future.

-Matt