Introduction:
Traditionally, Advent Sunday is the
first Sunday in the Church’s calendar and it is the point when Gospel readings
chosen for Sundays change from one to the next.
This year we enter lectionary Year B and most of the readings will be
from Mark’s Gospel. Mark is sometimes
described as a Gospel-writer in a hurry since in, what is the shortest of the books
telling the story of Jesus’ life, there is very rarely any time for extra
detail. Mark gets straight to the point
and leaving us to work out why things are important enough for him to include!
So even though the lectionary will take us on a leisurely year long walk through Mark’s story – you may want to set yourself the challenge of making the time to sit down and read or listen to the whole Gospel in one or two sittings. David Suchet would be more than happy to read it to you! His recordings can be found here: https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/suchet/nivuk/Mark.1 and you can listen to the whole Gospel in about an hour and a half.
(Image with thanks to Revd. Elaine Hall - Supernumerary Minister in Ceredigion Circuit)