The Water and Wilderness
In the Gospel of Mark there are three dominant images that continually cycle through the book: the water, the wilderness, and the cross. The water is a place people fear because you can’t see below the surface. The wilderness is a place people fear because as far as the eye can see it’s an empty unforgiving landscape. For the first 8 chapters in the book these two images structure the overarching story revealing Jesus as master of both. They blend into timeless lessons and timeless truths. As these two images start to paint a landscape of hope we are introduced in chapter 8 to a new image - the cross. The cross is the image of death and yet as the book progresses the gospel writer weaves the thread of hope in the remaining chapters and leads the listener and reader to see… Jesus has experienced them all, is present in them all, and has power over them all. This podcast is a digital archive of sermons and lectures from the Rev. Mark Stuckey exploring the seen and unseen places we fear the most through the lens of the gospel and the hope of Jesus. Mark is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church serving in the Pacific Northwest Conference. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor teaching modern liturgy and worship at George Fox University.
The Water and Wilderness
John 3 From Tomb To Womb
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Rev. Mark Stuckey
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What does it mean to be born again? In this sermon, we step into the shadows with Nicodemus—a religious leader drawn to Jesus by night—and explore the mystery of new birth, Spirit and truth, and the surprising invitation to start over. The tomb becomes a womb, and resurrection becomes personal.
John 3:1-17 - Nicodemus