CreatingCommunity is an email devotion to guide your preparation for worship next Sunday. Imagine how much more clear and relevant God's Word will be if you have had an opportunity read, reflect, and dwell in the Word prior to worship. You may do this devotion alone, with others, as a family, or over Zoom as a small group.

This devotion is to be done in preparation for Sunday, July 18, 2021, The Eigthth Sunday after Pentecost.

Please follow these three steps:

1. Read through the text
2. Respond to the questions (select one of the sets of questions)
3. Offer a Prayer
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
No Experience Necessary Questions:
  1. What scares, confuses, or challenges me in this text?
  2. What delights me in this text?
  3. What stories or memories does this text stir in me?
  4. What is God up to in this text?
Family Questions:
  1. Summer is often the time for vacations. Are you going somewhere to relax or do some exciting activities this summer? Where are you going? What are you doing? If not, what will you miss?
  2. What does it mean that "they were like sheep without a shepherd"? What would happen to a sheep if there were no shepherds around? Has that ever happened to you?
  3. Have you ever been on a boat? Was it a motorboat, sailboat, or something else? Where did you go? What was it like?
Advance Questions:
  1. In contemporary language, we could see in these verses an example of Jesus caring for the caregivers. What do you make of that?
  2. Jesus is said to have compassion. How do you understand how the word compassion is used here? After you watch the video below, what else would you include in your understanding of Jesus' compassion?.
  3. What difference if any does it make knowing this story introduces the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on the water and concludes with the healings in Gennesaret (both missing from this pericope)?
Click here to watch this week's CreatingCommunity video
“Compassion" by the Bible Project.
Pray a Prayer of your own or this one.
Jesus,
Sometimes we follow you like fans, rather than disciples.
We want you for what we think you can give us.
Friendship
Peace
Certainty
Validation
Security
We are clamoring and confused people.
Have compassion on us.

Amen.