Deep-Grace Diving with Tim Wright and Terey Summers

Tim and Jon recently returned from Rwanda and share some of their impressions and stories. Thanks for reading Tim Wright! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Mark wraps up this section of his Gospel—a section centered around Jesus’ stunning revelation that he will be a Messiah who suffers and dies—with a story about a blind man regaining his site. Not only does the story once again demonstrate the mission of Jesus to restore what has been lost, but it invites us to now see, as we move into Holy Week, who this Jesus really is. Mark 10:46-52 (NRSV) 46 Th...

Jesus encounters a rich man who has a heart for living the God-life. But Jesus invites him into a God-life that doesn’t quite fit his expectations. Mark 10:17-31 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19 You know the com...

As Jesus continues his journey to the cross he allow himself to be interrupted by some very special people-children-and points to them as the model of faith. Mark 10:13-16 People were bringing children to him in order that he might touch them, and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not stop them, for...

We’re hearing GREAT a lot these days. But Jesus turns the concept on its head. Mark 9:30-37 30 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it, 31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand w...

As Jesus moves closer to the cross, he has an amazing encounter with two heroes from his Jewish faith—Moses and Elijah. Embedded in this story are several insights for his followers 2000 years later. Mark 9:2-8 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling bri...

Jesus follows up his rebuke of Peter from last week by painting a picture of what it looks like to follow him. It has something to do with dying and crosses. Not the greatest incentives to join the Jesus movement. But Jesus, as is always the case with Jesus, has something life-changing in mind. Mark 8:34-38 34 He (Jesus) called the crowd with his disciples and said to them, “If any wish to come af...

Last week Peter was the star of the show. The A student. He got the million dollar question correct. But in this week’s passage, he flunks the test… badly. Tim, Terey, and Jon look at how Jesus responds to him. Mark 8:31-33 31 Then he (Jesus) began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and afte...

Jesus put the question to his disciples: Who do you say that I am? The question continues to challenge believers in 2025. Mark 8 27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But...

Similar to the story of the healing of the deaf man, Jesus heals a man who cannot see. Mark 8 22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” 24 And the man looked up and said, “I...

The method Jesus uses to heal a hearing-impaired man is a bit of a head-scratcher. Mark 7 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went by way of Sidon toward the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his f...

Tim, Terey, and Jon tackle a seemingly cranky Jesus story. Mark 7:24-30 24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a gentile, of Syrop...

Tim, Terey, and Jon dive into the story of Jesus walking on water. Mark 6:45-52 45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 After saying farewell to them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 When evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 When he saw that they were strai...

Tim and Jon D look at one of the most well-known of the Gospel stories—the Feeding of the 5000. Mark 6:30-44 (NRSV) 30 The apostles gathered around Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a de...

Tim and Jon D look at two stories of despair, faith, death, and life. Mark 5:21-43 (NRSV) 21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him, and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue, named Jairus, came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23 and pleaded with him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come...

Terey reads the Christmas story for us as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. (Luke 2:1-20) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

From St. Nicholas to Santa Claus, Tim shares the story of this influential follower of Jesus. For more information about St. Nicholas, check out this site. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Mark 5:1-20 serves as Part 2 of the story we looked at last week as the disciples find themselves jumping from the frying pan (the storm on the Sea of Galilee) into the fire (coming face to face with a madman). Jesus, as always, has some grace to share. Mark 5:1-20 (NRSV) They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a...

We turn to Mark 4:35-41 and a massive storm that traps Jesus and his disciples on the Sea of Galilee. The story raises some interesting questions about the presence of Jesus in the midst of life’s rock and roll storms. Mark 4:35-41 (NRSV) On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, jus...

Tim and Terey turn their attention to a very human story about Jesus and the difficulties he had with his family, and the new family he invites all of us to be a part of. Mark 3 Then he went home, and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21  When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 31  Then his mother...

Tim and Terey look at the story of Jesus calling a man with a withered hand to the front of the synagogue, setting off a confrontation with the religious leaders, but offering hope and healing to the rest of us. Mark 3 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2  They were watching him to see whether he would cure him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him...

Tim and Terey dive deep into the story of Jesus at a dinner party with the kinds of people a respectable Rabbi would never associate with. Mark 2:13-17 13  Jesus went out again beside the sea; the whole crowd gathered around him, and he taught them. 14  As he was walking along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax-collection station, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and fol...

Tim, Terey, and Jon look at an intriguing story featuring the faith of four men, Jesus’s controversial declaration of forgiveness, and a healing. Mark 2:1-11 When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2  So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door, and he was speaking the word to them. 3  Then some people ca...

My friend, 5 time Grammy Award Winner, BJ Thomas (Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head; Hooked on a Feeling: Rock and Roll Lullaby) recorded this for us and with us during lockdown. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit recklessgrace.substack.com

Tim, Terey, and Jon turn to a story that show the radical nature of Jesus and his ministry. A man with a skin disease came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I am willing. Be made clean!” Immediately the skin disease left him, and he was made clean. After stern...