NEMO - THAT'S A NICE NAME
Nemo?!?!?! That’s a nice name…
I am excited about the new study of Mark we are beginning, aren’t you? And I really appreciated all the background information Mike gave us in his sermon on Sunday. I never knew that Mark was considered “Peter’s gospel”! And the fact that Mark was Barnabas’ cousin…The conflict in Acts 15 makes more sense now. A conflict at the beginning of a journey complicated by difficult family dynamics? Sounds more modern that I first thought when I read the passage.
Speaking of journeys…
On Saturday, I asked Mike if he needed any help with the children’s moment. He mentioned that he wanted to get across the idea that Mark was about being on the way with Jesus. He thought he might bringing a suitcase might help the kids picture a journey. I agreed and encouraged him to ask the kids about any journeys they have been on to get their “juices flowing.”
You see, almost everyone can identify with being on a journey. There’s even something called a “journey archetype” in storytelling. Think “Toy Story,” “The Princess Bride”, and one that seems particularly relevant--“Finding Nemo.” What turns a journey into a good story —is that you go through it with someone.
In “Finding Nemo,” Marlin goes on a search for his son, and on the way, he makes a friend out of a lovable yet annoying forgetful fish named Dory. On the way, they face scary circumstances (the sharks), pain (the jellyfish), and despair (getting caught in the fishnet). On the way, they even learn the value of encouragement when they become each other’s “Exit Buddy” while riding the “EAC” (East Australian Current.) When Dory forces herself to remember the address to the dentist’s office where Nemo is taken, she essentially forces her way into Marlin’s heart as they are on the way to reuniting him with his son.
Journeys are better when shared with someone.
And that is the message of Mark. Our journey here in this life is better when we join Jesus “on the way.”
What does it mean when Jesus asks His followers to “join Him on the way”? For one, it means we’re not alone. It means He isn’t going to ask us to go through anything He isn’t/wasn’t willing to go through Himself. Yes, journeys can be difficult and lonely, but when we journey with Jesus, we have someone who with us who:
Knows what it is like to feel sorrow (Isaiah 53:4)
Knows what it is like to experience sickness (Matthew 8:17)
Knows what it is like to have a friends and fellowship with others (John 15:14-15)
Knows what it is like to be abandoned and betrayed by the very people you love the most (Matthew 26:25-50)
You only have to read Isaiah 53 to see the other lengths the God-Man, Jesus, was willing to go, to show us the way to the Father.
Just like Wesley had Buttercup as he traversed the fire swamp, Shrek had Donkey to help carry his load, and Marlin had Dory to complain to, we have One who walks with us on the way.
So here’s what challenges me… What would be different in my life today if I truly “joined Him on the way”? Would Jesus and I talk more if I pictured Him beside me? Would I be more peaceful? Would it change the way I viewed people? Would it make me more compassionate? More patient? More kind? Would it help and give me comfort to know I don’t just have any old “exit buddy” but one is is all-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent? To be honest, I’m not sure. But as we launch into learning about Mark, I’m excited find out.
I am excited about the new study of Mark we are beginning, aren’t you? And I really appreciated all the background information Mike gave us in his sermon on Sunday. I never knew that Mark was considered “Peter’s gospel”! And the fact that Mark was Barnabas’ cousin…The conflict in Acts 15 makes more sense now. A conflict at the beginning of a journey complicated by difficult family dynamics? Sounds more modern that I first thought when I read the passage.
Speaking of journeys…
On Saturday, I asked Mike if he needed any help with the children’s moment. He mentioned that he wanted to get across the idea that Mark was about being on the way with Jesus. He thought he might bringing a suitcase might help the kids picture a journey. I agreed and encouraged him to ask the kids about any journeys they have been on to get their “juices flowing.”
You see, almost everyone can identify with being on a journey. There’s even something called a “journey archetype” in storytelling. Think “Toy Story,” “The Princess Bride”, and one that seems particularly relevant--“Finding Nemo.” What turns a journey into a good story —is that you go through it with someone.
In “Finding Nemo,” Marlin goes on a search for his son, and on the way, he makes a friend out of a lovable yet annoying forgetful fish named Dory. On the way, they face scary circumstances (the sharks), pain (the jellyfish), and despair (getting caught in the fishnet). On the way, they even learn the value of encouragement when they become each other’s “Exit Buddy” while riding the “EAC” (East Australian Current.) When Dory forces herself to remember the address to the dentist’s office where Nemo is taken, she essentially forces her way into Marlin’s heart as they are on the way to reuniting him with his son.
Journeys are better when shared with someone.
And that is the message of Mark. Our journey here in this life is better when we join Jesus “on the way.”
What does it mean when Jesus asks His followers to “join Him on the way”? For one, it means we’re not alone. It means He isn’t going to ask us to go through anything He isn’t/wasn’t willing to go through Himself. Yes, journeys can be difficult and lonely, but when we journey with Jesus, we have someone who with us who:
Knows what it is like to feel sorrow (Isaiah 53:4)
Knows what it is like to experience sickness (Matthew 8:17)
Knows what it is like to have a friends and fellowship with others (John 15:14-15)
Knows what it is like to be abandoned and betrayed by the very people you love the most (Matthew 26:25-50)
You only have to read Isaiah 53 to see the other lengths the God-Man, Jesus, was willing to go, to show us the way to the Father.
Just like Wesley had Buttercup as he traversed the fire swamp, Shrek had Donkey to help carry his load, and Marlin had Dory to complain to, we have One who walks with us on the way.
So here’s what challenges me… What would be different in my life today if I truly “joined Him on the way”? Would Jesus and I talk more if I pictured Him beside me? Would I be more peaceful? Would it change the way I viewed people? Would it make me more compassionate? More patient? More kind? Would it help and give me comfort to know I don’t just have any old “exit buddy” but one is is all-powerful, omniscient, and omnipresent? To be honest, I’m not sure. But as we launch into learning about Mark, I’m excited find out.
by Heather Hogue
Posted in Faith Blogs
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