There is a reason the medieval times depicted the Gospel writer Mark with a lion!!  The Jesus we meet is on the prowl, ready for battle.

As we work through the "Reading the Bible in a Year" I would encourage you, actually, not so much as to read Mark's Gospel, but listen to it.  It is meant to be read, perhaps even around a camp fire.  You will hear the intensity much more than you will read it.  If you only have a limited time, I would read (listen!)

Mark 1-6; Mark 15 and 16.

Questions:

1)  Did you grow up in a church or community that spoke about demon possession?  How do you think about such passages in Scripture?

2)  What are things in this world you would say - that is evil!

3)  Do you find Jesus comforting or a bit scary in the Gospel of Mark?

4)  Pastor Rob offers that in our postmodern age, the Gospel of Mark might get another hearing, in that the Western culture is being driven more by power-fear than guilt-forgiveness dynamics.  Does this make sense?

5)  Are you comforted or frustrated that the disciples in Mark's Gospel are often forgetful, doubting and prone to stupid conflict?

6)  Why do you think Mark so emphasizes the death of Jesus on the cross, given the emphasis on the power of Jesus?

7)  Why is the resurrection account in Mark so unresolved?