<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 4;1<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;Again he began to teach beside the sea. &nbsp;And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.</b></div><div><br></div><div>What is it about being near a large body of water that creates a sense of calm? &nbsp;Most people who seek a ‘break’ from their daily lives head toward a body of water, even a river or small stream.</div><div><br></div><div>It should come as no surprise that our Lord has chosen to connect his living Word to water in holy Baptism.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The&nbsp;Spirit of God was “moving” over the face of the waters on the first day of Creation. &nbsp;They were there even before God said, <i>“Let there be light.” &nbsp; </i>Those waters seem to have no beginning, (at least not one which God has revealed to us). &nbsp;Because scripture is silent concerning their beginning, we may ascribe an eternal quality to them, almost as if they were with God, a part of God.</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;We&nbsp;are carried in our mother’s womb surrounded by the waters of God’s own creative work,</div><div>the amni<span>otic fluid. &nbsp;It was water and blood that burst forth from the side of Jesus when he was pierced. &nbsp;His death (and resurrection)&nbsp;signals the ‘birth of the Church’.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>I love larger bodies of water which the winds of God can blow upon and create waves, soft hissing waves that gently lap the sandy shores and especially great majestic rolling waves that thunder in crashing and&nbsp;roaring as the strike the coral reefs of Maui, Hawaii.&nbsp;</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>&nbsp;When I was stationed in Chu Lai, Viet Nam, the South China Sea soothed my soul with her ever changing symphony of shore sounds.</span></div><div><span>My company area was located&nbsp;right on an incredibly beautiful sandy beach that stretched for miles. &nbsp;It was so soothing to watch the waves quickly erase the foot prints along the shore, as if no one had ever walked there before. &nbsp;Like lost memories, as if&nbsp;my sins were all&nbsp;disappearing, washed away&nbsp;by those&nbsp;waters, and I myself was being made over again new, no record of my past missteps.</span></div><div><span><br></span></div><div><span>Even today, the memory of those waters comfort me.</span></div><div><br></div><div>Do you not marvel that no one had to scold the people saying, ‘Jesus, with God’s love and life, is down by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. &nbsp;You really should go and listen to his teaching.’ &nbsp;Were they drawn to Him because of his power to heal and cast out demons.&nbsp;&nbsp;Yes, of course, but I believe it was more than that.&nbsp; God the Holy Spirit was Himself drawing tired, hurting souls to ‘The Water of Life’, that they might drink (hear)&nbsp;and rest,&nbsp;have their sins disappear,&nbsp;and their souls refreshed.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><i>“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. &nbsp;He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” &nbsp; </i>(John 7;37&amp;38)</div><div><br></div><div><i>“Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come buy and eat! &nbsp;Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. &nbsp;Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? &nbsp;Hearten to me and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness. &nbsp;Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast love for David.” &nbsp;</i>(Isaiah 55;1&amp;2)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O most merciful Father, grant us to know the hunger and thirst of our souls. &nbsp;Draw us to the living Word, Jesus himself, and be ourselves refreshed and strengthened;&nbsp;that we may flow with&nbsp;that same Water of Life so that others also be made new. &nbsp;Grant us wisdom and grace to know this is our purpose dear Father. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><br><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 4;1
1.  Again he began to teach beside the sea.  And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land.
What is it about being near a large body of water that creates a sense of calm?  Most people who seek a ‘break’ from their daily lives head toward a body of water, even a river or small stream.
It should come as no surprise that our Lord has chosen to connect his living Word to water in holy Baptism. 
The Spirit of God was “moving” over the face of the waters on the first day of Creation.  They were there even before God said, “Let there be light.”   Those waters seem to have no beginning, (at least not one which God has revealed to us).  Because scripture is silent concerning their beginning, we may ascribe an eternal quality to them, almost as if they were with God, a part of God.
 We are carried in our mother’s womb surrounded by the waters of God’s own creative work,the amniotic fluid.  It was water and blood that burst forth from the side of Jesus when he was pierced.  His death (and resurrection) signals the ‘birth of the Church’.
I love larger bodies of water which the winds of God can blow upon and create waves, soft hissing waves that gently lap the sandy shores and especially great majestic rolling waves that thunder in crashing and roaring as the strike the coral reefs of Maui, Hawaii. 
 When I was stationed in Chu Lai, Viet Nam, the South China Sea soothed my soul with her ever changing symphony of shore sounds.My company area was located right on an incredibly beautiful sandy beach that stretched for miles.  It was so soothing to watch the waves quickly erase the foot prints along the shore, as if no one had ever walked there before.  Like lost memories, as if my sins were all disappearing, washed away by those waters, and I myself was being made over again new, no record of my past missteps.
Even today, the memory of those waters comfort me.
Do you not marvel that no one had to scold the people saying, ‘Jesus, with God’s love and life, is down by the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  You really should go and listen to his teaching.’  Were they drawn to Him because of his power to heal and cast out demons.  Yes, of course, but I believe it was more than that.  God the Holy Spirit was Himself drawing tired, hurting souls to ‘The Water of Life’, that they might drink (hear) and rest, have their sins disappear, and their souls refreshed. 
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink.  He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.”   (John 7;37&38)
“Ho, every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Hearten to me and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in fatness.  Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast love for David.”  (Isaiah 55;1&2)
Prayer:  O most merciful Father, grant us to know the hunger and thirst of our souls.  Draw us to the living Word, Jesus himself, and be ourselves refreshed and strengthened; that we may flow with that same Water of Life so that others also be made new.  Grant us wisdom and grace to know this is our purpose dear Father.  In Jesus we pray, Amen. Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.” 


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