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<DIV><FONT size=4>In a very ordinary, middle class, Canadian way, it is
actually very easy to understand what Jesus means by losing our life while we
have been busy building it. Career burn-outs, mid-life crises, and marriage
break downs all testify to that.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Okay, so just how does one lose one's life for Jesus' sake and
for the sake of the gospel? That, I think, takes a life-time to answer, and is
best done in a community of friends seeking the same thing for themselves. But
at a minimum, it means recognizing that there is no pain-free way to live, and
finding our life will mean saying, "No," to false hopes for
happiness.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><A
href="http://www.holytextures.com/2009/07/mark-8-27-38-year-b-pentecost-19-24-sermon.html"><FONT
size=4>http://www.holytextures.com/2009/07/mark-8-27-38-year-b-pentecost-19-24-sermon.html</FONT></A></P></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>David Ewart, </FONT><A
href="http://www.holytextures.com"><FONT
size=4>www.holytextures.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4>, 2009</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Painting of Jesus<BR>created using 2019 religious member
photos </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.picturemosaics.com/gallery/zoom.php?i=88">http://www.picturemosaics.com/gallery/zoom.php?i=88</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>Picture Mosaics</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>cited by <SPAN class=fn>Paul Bellan-Boyer,
2009</SPAN> </FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>(also with a picture of the Manhattan skyline and beams of light
representing the two Trade Center towers for 9-11-09)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4><A
href="http://citycalledheaven.blogspot.com/2009/09/who-do-you-say-that-i-am.html">http://citycalledheaven.blogspot.com/2009/09/who-do-you-say-that-i-am.html</A></FONT></P>
<P><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><FONT size=4>Williamson (<I>Mark</I>, Interpretation
Commentary) writes: "The cross Jesus invites his hearers to take up refers not
to the burdens life imposes from without but rather to painful, redemptive
action voluntarily undertaken for others" [p. 154].</FONT></P>
<P align=justify><A href="http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/mark8x27.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://www.crossmarks.com/brian/mark8x27.htm</FONT></A></P></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Brian Stoffregen</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><BR>
<P><FONT size=4>But be fair to Peter. He grasped something which many have not
grasped: Jesus’ agenda was political as much as it was religious. It was about
liberating individuals from oppression. It was about power-change in individuals
and communities. It was good news for the poor, that would really count as good
news. Our danger today is less that we might ally with the messiahship of
success and change which Peter knew and more that we too often ally with a
notion of Jesus’ messiahship which is spiritualised into irrelevance -
especially for the world of the poor.</FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><A
href="http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkPentecost15.htm"><FONT
size=4>http://wwwstaff.murdoch.edu.au/~loader/MkPentecost15.htm</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>William Loader</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Given that Jesus poses the question “Who do you
say that I am?” within earshot of the pagan city of Caesarea Philippi, home to a
shrine to the Greek god Pan, a sermon on the identity of Jesus in a pluralistic
society would certainly be in order.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><A
href="http://jointhefeast.blogspot.com/2009/08/september-13-2009-mark-827-38-marvin.html"><FONT
size=4>http://jointhefeast.blogspot.com/2009/08/september-13-2009-mark-827-38-marvin.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Marvin Lindsay, 2009 </FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Personally, I am not satisfied with the
classical Christian answer to the reality of suffering – but that is not the
subject of this reflection. For, as a gay Catholic, I do accept the notion
of sacrifice, personal and collective, as a prayerful offering, freely given to
God, for the relief of suffering of all kinds in our wounded world.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><A href="http://gospelforgays.com/?p=481"><FONT
size=4>http://gospelforgays.com/?p=481</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>Jeremiah Bartram</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=justify><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>For disciples, following Jesus is no longer about "good luck"
or having everything go "my way." Instead, it is about being where suffering
happens and bearing Christ to those who are its victims; it's about setting
self-will aside and seeking out the other who needs Christ's love. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo746.shtml">http://www.crossings.org/theology/2009/theolo746.shtml</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Lori A. Cornell</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV></BODY></HTML>