Awake My Soul

"In these bodies we will live/ In these bodies we will die/ Where you invest your love/ You invest your life..."--Mumford & Sons "Awake My Soul"

I'm just getting home from a Bible study that is focused on the book of Mark.  I love deep, meaty Bible studies.  You know, the kind that seek to get not only to the heart of the Bible, but allow for the Bible to penetrate to the bone marrow of the deepest places of your heart.  I love this so much not because it's pleasant, but because the after affects of this painful penetration bring the fruit of the Spirit.

We read many stories of healing tonight from the 2nd & 3rd chapter of Mark.  After each story of Jesus' healing came judgement from the religious leaders of the day.  I am reminded over and over again from this first part of Mark about how much I vacillate between the characters of those who get healed, and those who stand judging Jesus for healing them.  We talked about how we read the pages of these stories and find ourselves asking the question "Would I have actually followed Jesus if I saw him do all that he did?"  

It's funny how we can talk about this as if it's in the past tense--as if Jesus doesn't still heal today and we don't still stand in judgement of how he does it.  

One of the questions from our study was: "Compare the Pharisees' view of piety as a religious fast with Jesus' depiction of Christian discipleship as a wedding party.  How does that fit with your view of what it means to be a Christian?"

How does it fit?  Do I live every day as a celebration and preparation for my coming groom?  Do I live every day enthralled in love as a preparing bride?  Or do I find myself looking like bridezilla and discounting the wedding altogether unless I have the right color napkins for the feast?  I want to fall in love again.

"Awake my soul...You were made to meet your maker..."