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Holy Disruption: Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark
Where’s the baby? The Gospel of Mark doesn’t have a nativity story―so where’s the Advent message? It’s in every aspect of Jesus’ life, to his death and beyond. The Incarnation―God come to earth in human form to be baptized, teach, heal, eat, and die―is what we celebrate at Christmas, and Mark shows us just how radical and celebration-worthy it is! Holy Disruption presents a fresh understanding of the holiness of Christmas grounded, not in a conventional cozy Christmas message, but through Mark's disquieting gospel which invites its readers to experience God's disruptive but transformative love for us and our world.
141 pages, Paperback
Published September 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 18, 2022
What a wonderful advent book! Author Tracy S. Daub visualizes Jesus’ message as one of home, that is, making a home for everyone, regardless of status, race, gender, or whatever. And that the Kingdom of God is in our hands:
In other words, Jesus has a lot of faith in us. Let us live up to His trust.
You do it! That’s Christ’s message to us, his followers. You feed the hungry. You share what you have. You care for the poor. You give second chances. You stand up for the powerless. You comfort the grieving. Christ summons us to be his presence in the world so that others may know Emmanuel, that God is with them.
In other words, Jesus has a lot of faith in us. Let us live up to His trust.
October 18, 2022
When we think of Advent what may come to mind is the announcements to Joseph and Mary, or Elizabeth and Zechariah about unexpected births. Then there's Mary's song (Magnificat) and John the Baptist preparing the way for the coming Messiah. In other words, it's a preparation for the first Advent, when the Christ is born in Bethlehem. These stories are all found in Matthew and Luke. When it comes to the Gospel of Mark, it lacks the traditional Advent and Christmas stories. In other words, it's not your normal Advent text. Yet, it does speak to issues and concerns that are connected to Advent. It just takes a bit of imagination to get there.
Holy Disruption is an invitation to consider the message of Mark's Gospel in relation to Advent. The author is Tracy S. Daub, a minister in the PCUSA, serving as pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY. She makes clear up front that in this story, there is no baby. That's because Mark jumps right in with an adult Jesus coming to John for Baptism. While birth might not be in the picture, there is, in Mark an eschatological vision that looks forward to a second Advent. It's this future coming that grabs our attention.
In her introduction, Daub addresses the absence of the baby, Joseph, Mary, the Magi, and the rest. Even John has an origin story in his prologue. For Mark, the story begins with Jesus' baptism. By considering Mark's message for the season, we hear a word from Mark that "will not permit us the soothing, sentimentalized Christmas our cultures have created from the nativity stories of Matthew and Luke, nor will it let us reduce John's incarnational message into a set of abstract and remote ideas." Instead, it's a counter-cultural event (p. 5).
Having addressed the lack of a baby and origin story, Daub introduces us to themes that should resonate during Advent. She begins with Mark's apocalyptic message in Mark 13, the so-called "little apocalypse." Here she addresses the apocalyptic elements of the Christian story, reminding us that Christianity has had its heart an expectation that Jesus would return. We're not told when or how this reordering of Creation will take place, but it will take place. This might not be one's starting place, but it's a most useful one. However, it might take place we understand that the world as it stands needs to end and something new takes its place.
The second chapter is titled "Peace on Earth, Good Will to All." Here she invites us to reflect on the "faux peace" that is often offered to us in place of the peace found in God's realm. Mark's Jesus offers us a path to peace that disrupts the status quo (Roman peace). This path to peace involves confronting empires. But we don't do this alone. Mark tells that Jesus is our partner in bringing peace to the world.
There is something about being home for the holidays, and so in chapter 3, Daub speaks of the kingdom of God being our true home. So while we yearn to return home, Mark invites us to expand our definition, even as Jesus expanded his definition of family (Mark 3). From this longing for home, we move in chapter 4 to the messianic secret ("Hidden in Plain Sight). While Matthew and Luke present us with the Messiah from the beginning, Mark wants to keep Jesus' identity a secret, at least until the right time. There are clues as to his identity, but do we see them? She notes that even as Mark lacks a birth story, in the minds of many Mark "lacks a satisfactory version of the resurrection" (p. 110). While that is true on the surface, there are resurrections running throughout the Gospel, if only we see them.
The final chapter is titled "The Cradle, the Cross, and the Gift of Emmanuel." Rather than a birth story, when it comes to the incarnation, it is revealed in Mark's Gospel as God "walks with us through the triumphs and tragedies of life and ultimately our deaths. That is why the incarnational events in Mark are found not in the sweet baby Jesus in the cradle but in Jesus' life and ministry and especially in Jesus' dying on the cross" (p. 118). It might not be where we expect to find Emmanuel, but that's where Mark wants us to look.
If you are looking for a study guide for Advent this would be a good place to look. It's not your usual Advent set of readings, but in her hands, Daub helps us see the incarnation present in places we might not look at first. So, take and read! Your Advent might be a bit less status quo if you do.
Holy Disruption is an invitation to consider the message of Mark's Gospel in relation to Advent. The author is Tracy S. Daub, a minister in the PCUSA, serving as pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY. She makes clear up front that in this story, there is no baby. That's because Mark jumps right in with an adult Jesus coming to John for Baptism. While birth might not be in the picture, there is, in Mark an eschatological vision that looks forward to a second Advent. It's this future coming that grabs our attention.
In her introduction, Daub addresses the absence of the baby, Joseph, Mary, the Magi, and the rest. Even John has an origin story in his prologue. For Mark, the story begins with Jesus' baptism. By considering Mark's message for the season, we hear a word from Mark that "will not permit us the soothing, sentimentalized Christmas our cultures have created from the nativity stories of Matthew and Luke, nor will it let us reduce John's incarnational message into a set of abstract and remote ideas." Instead, it's a counter-cultural event (p. 5).
Having addressed the lack of a baby and origin story, Daub introduces us to themes that should resonate during Advent. She begins with Mark's apocalyptic message in Mark 13, the so-called "little apocalypse." Here she addresses the apocalyptic elements of the Christian story, reminding us that Christianity has had its heart an expectation that Jesus would return. We're not told when or how this reordering of Creation will take place, but it will take place. This might not be one's starting place, but it's a most useful one. However, it might take place we understand that the world as it stands needs to end and something new takes its place.
The second chapter is titled "Peace on Earth, Good Will to All." Here she invites us to reflect on the "faux peace" that is often offered to us in place of the peace found in God's realm. Mark's Jesus offers us a path to peace that disrupts the status quo (Roman peace). This path to peace involves confronting empires. But we don't do this alone. Mark tells that Jesus is our partner in bringing peace to the world.
There is something about being home for the holidays, and so in chapter 3, Daub speaks of the kingdom of God being our true home. So while we yearn to return home, Mark invites us to expand our definition, even as Jesus expanded his definition of family (Mark 3). From this longing for home, we move in chapter 4 to the messianic secret ("Hidden in Plain Sight). While Matthew and Luke present us with the Messiah from the beginning, Mark wants to keep Jesus' identity a secret, at least until the right time. There are clues as to his identity, but do we see them? She notes that even as Mark lacks a birth story, in the minds of many Mark "lacks a satisfactory version of the resurrection" (p. 110). While that is true on the surface, there are resurrections running throughout the Gospel, if only we see them.
The final chapter is titled "The Cradle, the Cross, and the Gift of Emmanuel." Rather than a birth story, when it comes to the incarnation, it is revealed in Mark's Gospel as God "walks with us through the triumphs and tragedies of life and ultimately our deaths. That is why the incarnational events in Mark are found not in the sweet baby Jesus in the cradle but in Jesus' life and ministry and especially in Jesus' dying on the cross" (p. 118). It might not be where we expect to find Emmanuel, but that's where Mark wants us to look.
If you are looking for a study guide for Advent this would be a good place to look. It's not your usual Advent set of readings, but in her hands, Daub helps us see the incarnation present in places we might not look at first. So, take and read! Your Advent might be a bit less status quo if you do.
September 22, 2022
Advent is just a few weeks away. With lower temperatures and lesser sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, the mood is set for quieter and gloomier weather. The gospels give us various dimensions to the nativity story. Most of our narratives about the birth of Jesus come from the gospel of Matthew and Luke. Instead of birth narratives, John provides us with a theological rendition of the birth of Jesus. Mark does not give us any information about baby Jesus, only some passing information about his mother and his ministry. Herein lies the challenge. How then do we discover Advent in the gospel of Mark? Author Tracy Daub shows us five ways to do just that.
1) Anticipating the Coming of Jesus
2) Peace on Earth in Christ Jesus
3) Belonging to Christ
4) The revelation of the Messiah
5) The Hope of Immanuel: God with Us
Daub starts the Advent preparation early by reflecting on Mark 13, the "little apocalypse" chapter. She unpacks the contexts of the first century and compares them with our existing world. The turmoil of today is not necessarily worse than in the first century. Gradually, readers get a sense of what it means to anticipate hope in tumultuous situations. The common human response would be to try to flee from such terrible situations. The incredible thing is that Christ was called to enter into such a traumatic time in spite of the dangers. The second week looks at the notion of peace on earth and goodwill to all. War and peace are strange bedfellows in this conflicted world. On the one hand, everyone wants peace. Yet, sometimes wars need to be fought in order to attain that. Is there a way to share peace even in times of trouble? Mark shows us Jesus' way, that True Peace means dismantling false beliefs and pretenses in this world. Palm Sunday presents to us that faceoff between two competing kingdoms. The third week of Advent is a call to find our spiritual home in Christ. Israel has a history of being displaced. Christians too are increasingly marginalized in this world. Advent is another opportunity to proactively invite Christ into our hearts and to gain a heavenly perspective of what it means to be home in Jesus.
My Thoughts
==============
I have often used the gospels of Matthew and Luke in my Advent messages. I seldom use the gospel of Mark because of the lack of birth narrative in it. This book helps me to once again celebrate the Advent from the eyes of Mark. Advent is about preparing our hearts to receive the Messiah. It is about looking back at the first coming and looking forward to the second coming. Let me offer three thoughts about this book.
First, the title. The author's theme resonates with the theme in the gospel of Mark. Indeed, Mark's gospel challenges us toward counter-cultural living. By calling the book as a "Holy Disruption" in any society, Daub hopes to let the messages of Advent shake us up from earthly apathy toward heavenly anticipation. It is easy to become dejected and discouraged by the declining spiritual climate in our world. The Early Church didn't have it all easy too. In fact, through the centuries, the Church has suffered in many different ways. It was persecution in the First Century; heresy in the third and fourth centuries; spiritual corruption in the Medieval times; spiritual rebellion during the Enlightenment; rising atheism in modern times; etc. Different parts of the world are still experiencing various challenges even today. Jesus himself came not just as an answer to our questions, He comes as Giver of Hope to all. By pushing back against the worldly norms of today, He challenges us to reconsider the ancient Truths that are timeless and eternal.
Second, the message in this book can be used to dovetail into the traditional Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, culminating in the person of Christ. Hope is about anticipating the coming of Christ. Mark contains themes about what true peace requires. Joy is about finding space in our hearts for Christ to make his home. The love of God is manifested in the coming of Jesus as the Messiah, to fulfill the prophecy of old. Christ himself is the epitome of all the promises of Advent. Daub has given us a way to discover these themes. Preachers and teachers can take this book as a springboard to discover more for themselves and their congregations. Mark is the shortest gospel in the Bible. The author has also arranged a Daily Scripture Reading Plan for the 24 days leading up to Christmas.
Finally, why should anyone read this book? One word: Hope in Christ. After spending so much time in society, it is tempting for anyone to feel disillusioned with world events, social upheavals, leadership scandals, injustice, falsehood, and all kinds of negative politics. The Advent is the annual pilgrimage to re-align ourselves back to the hope in Christ. As we do so, we are reminded of the history of Christ's first coming. We get to appreciate the despair of the people during that time. We are also reminded that Christ will come again in the future. We should never allow the present state of the world to bury us with nonstop problems. Hope is always that light at the end of the tunnel. There is no need to sweep the problems of the world under the carpet of positivistic thinking. Just like how Mark approaches the life events of his time, we too can see the world from the lens of Christ. May this Advent equip us with renewed thoughtfulness about the Christ event.
Tracy S. Daub is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She has served three congregations in Western New York and has been the Pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY, for the past twenty years. She has served as Moderator of the Presbytery of Western New York and co-led seminars on faith and culture to El Salvador and Tanzania. Daub and her husband have two young adult children and live in Buffalo, New York.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
1) Anticipating the Coming of Jesus
2) Peace on Earth in Christ Jesus
3) Belonging to Christ
4) The revelation of the Messiah
5) The Hope of Immanuel: God with Us
Daub starts the Advent preparation early by reflecting on Mark 13, the "little apocalypse" chapter. She unpacks the contexts of the first century and compares them with our existing world. The turmoil of today is not necessarily worse than in the first century. Gradually, readers get a sense of what it means to anticipate hope in tumultuous situations. The common human response would be to try to flee from such terrible situations. The incredible thing is that Christ was called to enter into such a traumatic time in spite of the dangers. The second week looks at the notion of peace on earth and goodwill to all. War and peace are strange bedfellows in this conflicted world. On the one hand, everyone wants peace. Yet, sometimes wars need to be fought in order to attain that. Is there a way to share peace even in times of trouble? Mark shows us Jesus' way, that True Peace means dismantling false beliefs and pretenses in this world. Palm Sunday presents to us that faceoff between two competing kingdoms. The third week of Advent is a call to find our spiritual home in Christ. Israel has a history of being displaced. Christians too are increasingly marginalized in this world. Advent is another opportunity to proactively invite Christ into our hearts and to gain a heavenly perspective of what it means to be home in Jesus.
My Thoughts
==============
I have often used the gospels of Matthew and Luke in my Advent messages. I seldom use the gospel of Mark because of the lack of birth narrative in it. This book helps me to once again celebrate the Advent from the eyes of Mark. Advent is about preparing our hearts to receive the Messiah. It is about looking back at the first coming and looking forward to the second coming. Let me offer three thoughts about this book.
First, the title. The author's theme resonates with the theme in the gospel of Mark. Indeed, Mark's gospel challenges us toward counter-cultural living. By calling the book as a "Holy Disruption" in any society, Daub hopes to let the messages of Advent shake us up from earthly apathy toward heavenly anticipation. It is easy to become dejected and discouraged by the declining spiritual climate in our world. The Early Church didn't have it all easy too. In fact, through the centuries, the Church has suffered in many different ways. It was persecution in the First Century; heresy in the third and fourth centuries; spiritual corruption in the Medieval times; spiritual rebellion during the Enlightenment; rising atheism in modern times; etc. Different parts of the world are still experiencing various challenges even today. Jesus himself came not just as an answer to our questions, He comes as Giver of Hope to all. By pushing back against the worldly norms of today, He challenges us to reconsider the ancient Truths that are timeless and eternal.
Second, the message in this book can be used to dovetail into the traditional Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, culminating in the person of Christ. Hope is about anticipating the coming of Christ. Mark contains themes about what true peace requires. Joy is about finding space in our hearts for Christ to make his home. The love of God is manifested in the coming of Jesus as the Messiah, to fulfill the prophecy of old. Christ himself is the epitome of all the promises of Advent. Daub has given us a way to discover these themes. Preachers and teachers can take this book as a springboard to discover more for themselves and their congregations. Mark is the shortest gospel in the Bible. The author has also arranged a Daily Scripture Reading Plan for the 24 days leading up to Christmas.
Finally, why should anyone read this book? One word: Hope in Christ. After spending so much time in society, it is tempting for anyone to feel disillusioned with world events, social upheavals, leadership scandals, injustice, falsehood, and all kinds of negative politics. The Advent is the annual pilgrimage to re-align ourselves back to the hope in Christ. As we do so, we are reminded of the history of Christ's first coming. We get to appreciate the despair of the people during that time. We are also reminded that Christ will come again in the future. We should never allow the present state of the world to bury us with nonstop problems. Hope is always that light at the end of the tunnel. There is no need to sweep the problems of the world under the carpet of positivistic thinking. Just like how Mark approaches the life events of his time, we too can see the world from the lens of Christ. May this Advent equip us with renewed thoughtfulness about the Christ event.
Tracy S. Daub is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA). She has served three congregations in Western New York and has been the Pastor of University Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY, for the past twenty years. She has served as Moderator of the Presbytery of Western New York and co-led seminars on faith and culture to El Salvador and Tanzania. Daub and her husband have two young adult children and live in Buffalo, New York.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
January 26, 2025
"The biblical understanding of peace was much broader than merely the absence of violence. The kind of peace called for by the biblical prophets, shalom, included the presence of justice and economic well-being for all. True peace was not possible where there was hunger or neglect, great disparities of wealth, or indifference to human suffering. Jesus stood in this prophetic tradition in calling for genuine shalom."
'Holy Disruption' explores, through the Gospel of Mark, how we might understand, and participate in bringing about, God's Shalom on Earth through all the brokenness, both personal and in the world around us.
This is the third book I have read in recent weeks on the meaning of the Incarnation and this one is the most concerned with the personal meaning of 'God With Us', reminding us that before he began his ministry even Jesus went into the wilderness to confront his humanity. To explore the Nativity then through the lens of Mark, which is filled with conflict and concentrates on the journey to Cross whilst containing no story of Jesus's birth, is challenging, thought-provoking, and deeply meaningful. Much recommended for a different, but complimentary, point of view.
'Holy Disruption' explores, through the Gospel of Mark, how we might understand, and participate in bringing about, God's Shalom on Earth through all the brokenness, both personal and in the world around us.
This is the third book I have read in recent weeks on the meaning of the Incarnation and this one is the most concerned with the personal meaning of 'God With Us', reminding us that before he began his ministry even Jesus went into the wilderness to confront his humanity. To explore the Nativity then through the lens of Mark, which is filled with conflict and concentrates on the journey to Cross whilst containing no story of Jesus's birth, is challenging, thought-provoking, and deeply meaningful. Much recommended for a different, but complimentary, point of view.
May 13, 2022
The concept for Holy Disruption by Tracy S. Daub, intrigued me but I wasn't sure if it would meet my expectations. I'm so thankful that I ended out requesting it anyway. (The stunning cover definitely helped sway my decision.😉)
This was a delightful read—a thoughtful commentary on where we can find the Advent story in the Gospel of Mark who seems to have completely jumped over Jesus' origin story, straight into his kingdom work.
Holy Disruptions is an engaging and accessible read. It touched on so many important discussions we need to be having today, and while it is meant to be read during Advent, I felt it had just the right balance to that it could also be read at any other time of year with equal impact.
I did find the cultural references, (eg. Wizard of Oz and Narnia parallels,) more distracting than helpful. While they did not take away much from the overall experience, I did not feel they added much, either.
I loved how the author emphasized that peace cannot be just a platitude, but must be a rigorous reconstructing of our society to fit into the image of God's Kingdom that Jesus has left us with. All in all, I'm excited about the insights the book has brought to the table and the new ways that it has opened of the Gospel of Mark for me
This was a delightful read—a thoughtful commentary on where we can find the Advent story in the Gospel of Mark who seems to have completely jumped over Jesus' origin story, straight into his kingdom work.
Holy Disruptions is an engaging and accessible read. It touched on so many important discussions we need to be having today, and while it is meant to be read during Advent, I felt it had just the right balance to that it could also be read at any other time of year with equal impact.
I did find the cultural references, (eg. Wizard of Oz and Narnia parallels,) more distracting than helpful. While they did not take away much from the overall experience, I did not feel they added much, either.
I loved how the author emphasized that peace cannot be just a platitude, but must be a rigorous reconstructing of our society to fit into the image of God's Kingdom that Jesus has left us with. All in all, I'm excited about the insights the book has brought to the table and the new ways that it has opened of the Gospel of Mark for me
December 20, 2025
If you're looking for a book at that gives you a sense of "Christmas" in the Bible, this isn't it. But it is a nice study of the principles we celebrate coming into the world at Christmas time as they were actually displayed during Jesus's life. I did find the discussion question to be too pointed and narrowly-focused, but the content of the book itself was excellent.
December 22, 2023
One of the best non-academic commentaries on the gospel of Mark.
December 30, 2023
This is a completely different look at the Advent season using Mark’s gospel. The birth of Christ isn’t mentioned in this gospel.
November 16, 2024
I learned a lot about the book of Mark.
December 18, 2024
A really beautiful perspective on the Christmas Story. This might be an annual read for me moving forward!
December 24, 2025
I read this for my church’s Advent Bible Study and it was thought provoking and inspiring. Given all the current chaos in today’s society this is certainly a timely read.
January 14, 2025
An insightful read for during Advent; weekly rather than daily, drawn from the Book of Mark. It helped me see things differently.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews