Cultural Competency and Performance

Commentaries, exegeses, and correspondences provide pastors with tremendous help in crafting relevant, meaningful, and evidence-based sermons. In fact, texts like those of Boring (2006), Collins (2007), Donahue & Harrington (2002) and Moloney (2002) can be considered indispensable. Commentaries like these round out a discussion of each gospel, and each passage within scripture. Moreover, reading and re-reading commentaries helps to eliminate bias and promote an open-minded and lively discussion about the contextual variables and inherent meanings in the gospels. When encountering a critical passage like Mark 13:33-37, it may be tempting to take the text at face value and ascribe personal meaning to it. As valuable as personal meaning and literalism can be, commentaries provide rich and thoughtful analysis related to special events like the First Sunday of Advent.
Each of these commentaries provides historical context for the Gospel of Mark. Moreover, some of the writers like Boring (2006) place the Gospel of Mark within the broader historiographical record by noting, for example, that Matthew and Luke “adopted Mark as a basic source for their own Gospels,” (p. 16). Furthermore, all of the commentaries aim to show that the Gospel of Mark and its partner texts remain relevant for 21st century Christians. Boring (2006) states outright that the Gospel of Mark has a message that transcends its original situation,” (p. 16). Collins (2007), Donahue & Harrington (2002), and Maloney (2002) all draw similar conclusions about the modern and historical implications of the substantive content of the Gospel of Mark. Donahue & Harrington’s (2002) commentary is among the most scholarly of the bunch, making their text especially relevant when crafting a more erudite homily.
The most helpful of these commentaries may be that of Collins (2007), whose analysis is more in-depth and intertextual than any of the others. Through an intensely detailed discussion of each passage, Collins (2007) provides the preacher, pastor, or priest with the tools needed to reflect, then consider how to interpret and deliver fresh messages for a congregation. The messages always need to be adapted to suit the needs of the audience. Keeping in mind the unique requirements of the congregation on that day, whether the First Sunday of Advent or not, the leader of the congregation can inspire, illuminate, or inform. Using a commentary like Collins (2007) allows for rich discussions and a discovery of issues and ideas that might otherwise go unnoticed when relying purely on academic resources. For this reason, the least useful of the four commentaries for crafting a homily might be Maloney’s (2002) or that of Donahue & Harrington (2002). Both of these commentaries are ideal for scholarly analysis, but less relevant to a more general audience.
Interpreting and then contextualizing complex Biblical passages requires years of reflection and research. Commentaries enhance understanding, and promote a broader and richer gamut of sermons that can be adapted for different audiences. Because the First Sunday of Advent, Cycle B includes a Gospel reading of Mark 13:33-37, where Jesus warns his disciples and advises them to be prepared for the Son of Man, it is important to make these motifs and themes clear. Boring (2006) offers minimal insight into what I would prefer to include in the sermon; Donahue & Harrington’s (2002) commentary is rich but lacks the in-depth and line-by-line methodology that Collins (2007) uses. The reason why I would rely most heavily on Collins (2007) is for the structural and textural support. Yet this would not preclude me from also integrating the information and advice drawn from the other three commentaries. Taken together, the four commentaries solidify our selection of Mark 13:33-37 for the First Sunday of Advent Cycle B sermon, showing why we include this particular passage and how it connects with the other choices from the other Gospels.




References

Boring, M.E. (2006). Mark: A Commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press.
Collins, A.Y. (2007). Mark, A Commentary. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress Press.
Donahue, J. R. & Harrington, D.J. (2002). The Gospel of Mark. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville: The Liturgical Press.
Moloney, F. (2002). The Gospel of Mark, A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.