Mark 8 Archives - Leading in Worship

Sermon: Take Up Your Cross on the Home Front – Mark 8:27-38, Romans 5:1-11

June 7, 2021

Having looked at the biblical story, let’s turn now to our own context. How does our identity as followers of Jesus lead us to take up a cross? Today I want to share what I think “take up your cross” means in the context of family life Everyone is part of a family at some point…a family of origin or an adopted family, and even if you grow up and live alone, you still can reflect on that intense time of living together. Now we don’t usually put ‘family life’ and ‘take up your cross’ together. Maybe it even sounds like an oxymoron, something that doesn’t belong together. I have never heard a wedding sermon on this text, so we might think it doesn’t have much relevance for that context.

Sermon: Jesus Saves–An Introduction – Mark 8:27-37, Psalm 27

May 24, 2021

We are starting a sermon series where we will try to unpack how Jesus saves us. We are a Christian church, we come here and read stories about Jesus, we pray to Jesus, we sing songs of praise to Jesus…what does this mean? Particularly as we head into the Good Friday and Easter season, we wonder, what did Jesus’ death on the cross have to do with it? How does Jesus save us? How might Jesus save us?

There are as many ways to talk about being saved as there are Christians, but theologians have observed that our thinking falls into certain categories. There are word pictures or metaphors we use to describe the mystery of how God saves us, many of which are drawn from scripture. Certain metaphors have tended to be popular in certain denominations or in certain time periods.

Sermon: Crosses in the Context of the Family – Mark 8:27-38

May 11, 2021

It is hard to bear your cross, to maintain your identity on the home front. Sometimes I think the great challenge is not “Love your neighbour as yourself”, but actually, “Love your family as yourself.” Often, we put our best effort to be kind when we have an audience in the wide world. But then we let our guard down and act unlovingly in private. Sometimes we can be people who are model Christians at church and at work, where everyone can see our loving and selfless actions, but when we get home, we act like tyrants…

About Carol Penner

I am a Mennonite pastor currently teaching theology at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario. I’ve served congregations in Ontario and most recently, Alberta.

I love to write and to lead worship! If you are finding my writing helpful, I would love to hear from you! Feel free to use or adapt the material here, it is all written by me. If printing material, please credit “Copyright Carol Penner www.leadinginworship.com” (and say whether you modified it). If publishing, please contact me for permission. Contact me at carol@leadinginworship.com

Mark 8

Sermon: Take Up Your Cross on the Home Front – Mark 8:27-38, Romans 5:1-11

Sermon: Jesus Saves–An Introduction – Mark 8:27-37, Psalm 27

Sermon: Crosses in the Context of the Family – Mark 8:27-38

About Carol Penner

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