When you ask most Christians, “What was the first Gospel written,” they will answer, “Matthew”.  This is because the church councils listed Matthew first in the canon.  However, the gospel form was composed first by Mark.  According to Mark (the actual title) is a gospel of hope written in a time of great persecution from the Roman Empire.  It is the shortest of the canonical Gospels and is very fast-paced.  It is also probably the most “neglected” of the Gospels in church life.  Come and explore this writing in which opposition and persecution of Jesus and his message are prevalent, in which the urgency of the gospel message is ever present, and in which we find hope for living in a world filled with opposition to the message of grace and mercy.