What Do You Have?

After a long day of meeting other people’s expectations at home or at work, does your body fairly scream for peace and quiet? No more input? No more people? That’s how the disciples were feeling as this story of shared call begins. Take time with your small group to answer the questions in each section before moving to the next section.

1. Enter the Story with your imagination. Close your eyes and listen to these few verses from Mark 6:30-32. Notice the busyness of people—so preoccupied that they did not even have time to eat. Pay attention to your body—where tightness and tension are held—as you listen to the opening scene.

•  When do you feel overwhelmed by people? How does your body feel?
•  What do you typically do for respite?

2. Reflect on the responses of Jesus and his disciples as you read the following section (Mark 6:33-36) aloud. Notice Jesus’ compassion for the people and what he did for the whole group. Notice signs of anxiety in the disciples and what they do with their fears.

• Have you observed someone who is able to soften their resistance in the face of need?
• Describe their actions as specifically as you can.

3. Connect your experience with the guidance that Jesus gives to his disciples (Mark 6:37-41). Their answer is to “go and buy” enough supplies. Jesus directs them to “see what you have.” In other words, to explore the resources at hand. This means that the disciples will have to interact with the motley crowd which they wanted to send away as evening came. They will have to soften their understanding of ministry, meet people face-to-face, and ask for help from everybody. (Take some time in silence before answering the following question).

•  Have you ever seen or been involved in a situation like this?
•  Describe the situation and outcome as briefly and specifically as possible.   

4. Next steps may be large or small, but every encounter with Jesus can direct us toward new paths. This story is not so much about an individual call as it is about the disciples learning HOW to relax their notions of ministry (they had been out “on mission” prior to this event) and HOW to invite others into the process of Kingdom-living. The biblical story ends with an image of radical abundance (Mark 6:43-44). And today, I believe we can experience the same surprising abundance when we let go of our timetable for renewal and dwell deeply in the flow of God’s love for all.

In this issue of the magazine we are working with two aspects of call– one, that we are called away from selfish personal limits to the needs of others, and secondly, that call is meant to be lived out with others. The disciples were confronted with both. They needed to release their fear that they would have to provide all that was needed (a sure recipe for burnout) and discover how to invite everyone into a new way of sharing. That was the miracle of abundance! .

•  Where do you find yourself in this story?
•  What is one “next step” you can take?

When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough-it was now quite late in the day-they interrupted: "We are a long way out in the country, and it's very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper." Jesus said, "You do it. Fix supper for them." They replied, "Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?" But he was quite serious. "How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory." (Mark 6:35-38a, The Message)

Feel free to duplicate this relational Bible study for use with a small group. And if you have suggestions for making it more usable, let us know (FaithAtWork@aol.com). We’d like this column to become more interactive and user friendly.

Marjory Bankson is editor of Faith@Work magazine, artist, relational teacher and author of Call to the Soul and a brand new version of Seasons of Friendship, and is a Steward of The Seekers Church, a faith community of Church of the Saviour in Washington DC.