Mark 6:30–44 (NLT)

³⁰ The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. ³¹ Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat.

³² So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.

³³ But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. ³⁴ Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵ Late in the afternoon his disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. ³⁶ Send the crowds away so they can go to the nearby farms and villages and buy something to eat.”

³⁷ But Jesus said, “You feed them.”

“With what?” they asked. “We’d have to work for months to earn enough money to buy food for all these people!”

³⁸ “How much bread do you have?” he asked. “Go and find out.”

They came back and reported, “We have five loaves of bread and two fish.”

³⁹ Then Jesus told the disciples to have the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰ So they sat down in groups of fifty or a hundred.

⁴¹ Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them. Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. He also divided the fish for everyone to share. ⁴² They all ate as much as they wanted, ⁴³ and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftover bread and fish. ⁴⁴ A total of 5,000 men and their families were fed.

Essentials for Kingdom Ministry

1. Create a rhythm of work and rest.

“Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”

So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil. Mark 6:12–13 (NLT)

2. Be motivated by compassion.

he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3–5 (NLT)

3. Trust Jesus’ provision and abundance.

he kept giving the bread to the disciples and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets

◾ Manna from heaven

¹⁶ These are the Lord’s instructions: Each household should gather as much as it needs. Pick up two quarts for each person in your tent.”... ³⁵ So the people of Israel ate manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle. Exodus 16: 15–19,35 (NLT)

◾ Jesus the bread of life

³⁵ Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:32–35 (NLT)

◾ The abundance of God

And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. 2 Corinthians 8:9; 9:8–10 (NLT)

Demonstrate the Kingdom of God and invite others to follow Jesus:

God, thank you for showing yourself to me. Jesus, I turn to you, admit I need you, and ask you to enter my heart by faith. By your Spirit, restore my heart with your forgiveness; help me to hear your voice and know your love. Gather me with others to worship and serve you; to nurture our faith and shine your light in the world. Thank you for calling me your child. Amen.

For next week: Read Mark 6 and 7 and journal on Mark 6:45-7:37. Follow the format of Observation, Reflection and Prayer as outlined on the Come With Me card and using your Mark journal. Download the Filament App for Mark as you study the passage in your time alone with God each day.

REFLECT TOGETHER ON COMMUNITY SERVE DAY

• Gather together with prayer and time of conversation, sharing, or even an ice-breaker. 
• Review the main points from the sermon outline.
• Share with one another as a whole group or in smaller groups, using these prompts only as suggestions: 
• How is Mark 6:30-44 connecting to your life right now?
• What part of the message or passage are you still wrestling with? 

CONNECT WITH GOD (Select one of the practices below or choose a practice from a previous week.)

• Practicing The Holy Pause (Ignatian Practice of “Statio”) 

Statio is a monastic practice of making space between activities. It is the discipline of stopping one thing before beginning another…when we do this, we become conscious of our patterns, rhythms, bodies, and emotions before moving onto the next thing. The practice allows us to be attentive to the God who is present with us. 

• Spend a few minutes in this practice of “statio.” Stop whatever you were doing or thinking and practice letting it go through a series of deep breaths. As you inhale and exhale, let go of any thoughts or worry about what’s next or what just happened. Be attentive to your body’s sensations.
• When you are ready, notice what you are feeling in the pause. Allow for the present. Welcome all of it. 
• Say a simple prayer of gratitude for the holy pause of this moment. Gratitude for the gift of the present. Commit to “holy pauses” throughout the next week. 

• Attending to God through Art 

Alone: Using the artwork to be highlighted on Sunday, March 17^th (found here) spend time reflecting and journaling on what you see in the piece. Pray that God quiets the many distractions within you and beyond you in order to focus on the gift of this artwork before you. 

As you focus in on the painting, you might journal your reflections to the following questions:

• Where am I emotionally and spiritually right now? 
• Where does God meet me in this painting? 

CONNECT WITH SCRIPTURE (As a reminder: this is the Bible passage for Sunday, March 17.)

• Read: Mark 6:45-56 and use the “Come with Me” card, along with your Mark Bible Journal to engage with the Scripture passage for the coming week. 
• Observe: Dig into the scripture through doodling, highlighting and note-taking. Pay attention to words or phrases that seem important or raise questions for you. 
• Meditate: Slow down. Read Mark 6:30-44 again and engage your imagination and senses to connect to the passage. Reflect on your experience in your journal. 
• Pray: What prayer of praise, gratitude, or confession arises from your heart and mind as you meditate on this passage? 
• Reflect together (in pairs):
• Where does your attention go as you read? What words, phrases, or images stand out to you? 

DIG DEEPER  (Select 1-2 questions or customize the questions for your group.) 

• What does Jesus ‘immediately’ insist the disciples do after they feed the crowd? Why? 
• What adjectives or descriptions would you use to describe the scene of Jesus walking on the water? 
• How does this story connect to the stories and themes preceding it? 
• Where did they go after Jesus calmed the storm? 
• Compare and contrast the two stories of Jesus calming a storm (Mark 4 and Mark 6). 
• How is this story speaking to you? How is it challenging you? 

NEXT STEPS 

• Follow along with the “Weekly Readings” guide in the front pages of your Mark journal over the coming weeks. 

PRAYER 

As we continue to draw nearer to Holy Week, take some time to pray for the Holy Spirit to prepare your hearts. Ask God to draw your attention to the things in your life, in your community, in the church, and in the world that need confession and pardon. Pray a prayer of confession together.