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except a loud cry of anguish.

      Which Brings Us to This Book . . .

      It is clear that, in the Christian tradition, spiritually vital congregations and spiritually vital individuals engage with the Bible on some level. The Prayer Book recommends that we read, hear, learn, mark, and inwardly digest scripture. You can find a prayer, a collect that instructs us to do that on page 236 of the Book of Common Prayer. We’ll read that collect in November, on the second to the last Sunday of the church year. There are many ways to bring that prayer to life. This book and its companions for the other two years of the lectionary cycle offer just one somewhat whimsical way to go deeper with the gospel reading you hear on Sunday.

      For each Sunday in the year, we include the citation for the gospel reading. You may want to have a copy of the Bible nearby. Episcopalians most often use the New Revised Standard Version in Sunday worship. We include a brief paragraph of commentary, followed by a few questions. On the opposite page, we add a cartoon drawing—one person’s perspective on the story. Some of the cartoons are silly. Some are slightly irreverent. Some enter into an imaginative frame of mind, wondering what might have been going on at the time. The illustrations are offered to bring the gospel passage to life, and they are offered with a light touch, in the spirit of G.K. Chesterton, who said that angels could fly because they take themselves lightly.

      How to Use This Book

      You might use this book for your own personal devotion, as a way to get ready for Sunday, or as a way to reflect on the gospel passage after you have been to church and heard a compelling, or maybe not so compelling, sermon. You might want to use the book in your home with those in your household. Perhaps after dinner, you might read the passage and answer a couple of the questions and then talk about the drawing, or even add to it.

      You might want to copy the drawings and put them in the church bulletin, or have them on individual sheets or even posters, for children (of all ages) to color. You might use the book as a resource in Sunday school classes, Bible studies, or Confirmation classes. Some adults even seem to enjoy the drawings. Some may enjoy coloring them, since adult coloring books seem to be all the rage.

      You may find the questions helpful, and you may need to translate them for use with different groups. If the questions provided are not working for you, here is another way to think about each gospel passage. Ask these two simple questions, which can be applied to almost any gospel passage:

      1 Who is Jesus in this passage?

      2 What does this passage tell us about what it means to be one of his followers?

      You may want to simply read the gospel and ask about the so-what factor: What difference does this gospel passage make in my week?

      Mother Teresa is revered and remembered for many reasons. Among her many vocations was a deep love of scripture. She taught that we are called to know the word, love the word, live the word, and give the word.

      This book of often silly drawings is offered with the serious intent that the story of Jesus might become a part of who we are in a world that desperately needs to know more about God’s grace. Our hope is that you will find this both enjoyable and edifying.

ADVENT

       The First Sunday in Advent

      Mark 13:24–37

       Notes on This Reading

      Happy New Year! With this first Sunday in Advent, we start off the church calendar and dive into the Gospel of Mark, which will provide most of the Sunday readings for the coming year. But we don’t actually begin with the first chapter. We start near the end of the gospel, with a description of end times, or what we call apocalyptic writings. The word “apocalyptic” may convey doom and gloom, but it really suggests a revelation, as if a curtain is pulled back to reveal what’s on the stage of a theater. With that in mind, consider what is being revealed in this passage. The passage calls for watchfulness, alertness, attentiveness, paying attention to the signs of the time, staying awake. Take this Advent season and the coming year to be on the lookout for God to do something new, maybe even surprising, in your life.

       Questions

      1 What does the word “apocalyptic” suggest to you? Is it a good thing or not?

      2 What kinds of lessons does the fig tree have to teach?

      3 Are there any particular ways that you can stay awake during this season of Advent?

      4 Is this passage scary for you or is it encouraging?

       The Second Sunday in Advent

      Mark 1:1–8

       Notes on This Reading

      Each of the gospels begins in its own distinctive way. The Gospel of Mark, most likely the earliest of the gospels, shows little interest in the story of Jesus’s birth. There are no references to shepherds or mangers or magi. The evangelist cuts to the chase, right off the bat telling the reader that what follows has to do with the Good News of Jesus. The author then introduces John the Baptist, who comes as a forerunner to the Messiah. There’s an urgency to the whole gospel. The word “immediate” comes up again and again. It’s as if the author can’t wait to tell the story of Jesus, the good news of the fulfillment of God’s promises. Time is of the essence.

       Questions

      1 What do you think of the rather abrupt way Mark begins his gospel? Why do you think he omits stories about Jesus’s birth?

      2 Why is John the Baptist so important in the gospels and in the church calendar? What do you like about him? What do you find off-putting?

      3 When John the Baptist calls people to repentance, what do you think he means? When have you had to repent? Does it help to know that the word really means to change direction?

       The Third Sunday in Advent

      John 1:6–8, 19–28

       Notes on This Reading

      In this particular lectionary year, we shift on the third Sunday of Advent to the prologue of the Gospel of John, a beautiful overture striking the themes of that fourth gospel. This fourth gospel is different from the others in style and structure. But there’s one thing that all the gospels share. There’s an interest in John the Baptist, and an attempt to answer the question of his identity, his role. Who is this guy? He portrays humility in the presence of the long-expected Messiah. In fact, art of the Christian tradition has often shown him with arm extended, pointing beyond himself to the Christ, preparing the way for the Messiah.

       Questions

      1 What differences do you notice between the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of John?

      2 Why do you think that John the Baptist is so important?

      3 Why do you think it was important to get clear about his identity? What did he say about himself?

      4 What is the key to humility? Who do you know who exhibits that quality? Is it a quality that can be developed?

      5 Why is it important that we see John the Baptist pointing to Jesus? Are there ways we can do that?

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