Fall Clergy Retreat

Let Us Cross Over to the Other Side

Navigating Change in the Ordained Life

Mark 4:35-41

The Clergy Wellness Team felt that this passage captures the essence of the adaptive work we are being called to embrace. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus and his disciples begin their public ministry together in the safety and security of the region of Galilee. This is familiar and friendly territory. Galilee is where Jesus and most of the disciples grew up. They were rooted in the traditions and memories of this particular region where their lives had been formed and shaped over the course of decades.

And yet, there comes a point in the ministry of Jesus where he says to his disciples, “Let us cross over to the other side” (Mark 4:35). On the surface, this appears to be a simple instruction to cross from one side of the Sea of Galilee to the other. But something much deeper is happening here. Jesus is indicating that God’s mission is moving beyond the familiar and friendly territory of Galilee into the unknown. The disciples are being called to move out and beyond what they have always known. This calling to cross over to the other side will ultimately require the disciples to adapt and grow, to learn new skills, and to engage the world around them in new ways.