Friday Five: Image Association

I am *just* back from RevGalBlogPals Big Event 5.0, where we spent a great five days learning at a wonderful Continuing Ed program led by Jenee Woodard, curator of The Text This Week. With Jenee's facilitation, we studied the texts for Ordinary Time Year B, with a focus on brainstorming the images that arose for us, to use in liturgy and preaching and personal spiritual contemplation.

For example, at our Closing Worship on Wednesday evening, Mary Beth Butler shared a reflection on John 6:24-35, in which Jesus is asked some very odd questions. MB was reminded of the kind of questions asked of pop star David Cassidy, when he was interviewed in Tiger Beat Magazine. It was as if Jesus was a rock star, and they didn't know how to ask him the right questions that could help them to understand. (And that was a message that preached, sisters.)

For today's Friday Five, let's have a mini-BE 5.0 workshop. Take a look at these five portions from the gospel lections for this Sunday and next, and share with us the images that come to mind for you. Feel free to use words or pictures. (Just remember David Cassidy is taken.)

1. As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. (Mark 1:29-31)

2. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. (Mark 1:32-34)

3. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." (Mark 1:35-37)

4. He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. (Mark 1:38-39)

5. A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. (Mark 1:40-45)