Imagine yourself with Jesus, in a boat on the sea, as a sudden storm
fills the other passengers with fear.
When the priest read this Gospel story in Mark 4, Marlena Graves didn't
see herself as the terrified disciples, lacking faith. She wasn't Jesus,
peacefully sleeping through the danger. She wasn't the wind or the
waves. According to Graves, "I was the boat! And then it occurred to me
that, like Jesus' mother, Mary, I, too, am a God bearer."
Journey with Graves and discover these things:
- We are all vessels that carry Jesus as we journey throughout our
lives.
- Boats are made for the water--they have a mission--and that mission
always involves others.
- Jesus is not disturbed by any storms (or our reactions to them).
- Our lives, which carry Christ and the gospel, are to bring salvation
to others, especially those who have been thrown overboard in life.
- There is a destination--life with God--at the heart of spiritual
formation. As we bear God and go out to sea, God is also bearing us
into oneness with him.
Bearing God is a short and enthralling read that will awaken you
as a disciple of Jesus to a sense of adventure in your calling. Using
the metaphor of Christians as vessels for Christ, Bearing God
is packed with inspirational lessons and principles to help readers
grow in their spirituality. An ideal discipleship resource for churches,
small groups, and personal devotion.
