Emphasis Preaching Journal

My wife and I have twin eight-year-old girls who are just little soda cans that have been shaken. They are bursting with energy. Cheerfully chattering and singing is their default setting. It's quite delightful. But, of course, it's not always appropriate.

Job 38:1-7 (34-41)
There are a total of 39 questions in Job chapter 38, more than any other chapter of the Bible. It is God’s reply to Job’s situation and addresses his sovereignty.

Note: This installment was originally published in 2006.

When I was in grade school, there was not much freedom for individual children to wander the halls. If a student was seen walking alone down the hallway during school hours, a teacher or administrator was bound to stop the student and ask, "Where are you supposed to be?"

The underlying presumption, of course, was that there was seldom a good reason for a young child to be on his/her own, away from the teacher, and apart from the class. To be

Contents
“Whatever You Ask?” by Frank Ramirez
“I Surrender All” by John Sumwalt


Whatever You Ask?
by Frank Ramirez
Mark 10:35-45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” (v. 35)

Object: Chairs for a short game of Musical Chairs. NOTE: You can use pillows or cushions if it is easier. You will want one seat for each child. However, if you have a large group of children, you can just have three or four take part in the actual game if you prefer. For more fun, talk with your music person to see if they will play the short pieces of music for your game of musical chairs.

Clarence was always very particular, even as a fledging only just out of the nest. He happened to have been born with an especially large and beautifully radiant white bib, which he probably wouldn't have noticed if the large snowy owl, who kept a weather-eye on all the young birds, hadn't remarked to Clarence's mother, "Oh my! What a bootiful bib! You'll have some trouble keeping that clean with a young chick like that! But he'll sooon get into mischief, so it won't be white for long."

What does it mean to be great? That is the question our texts raise today. "Great" is a wide-ranging word: You can have a great king, great skill, a great storm, a great number, great joy, or great fear. You can use it in its Greek form, mega -- as in megachurch; or in its Latin form, magna -- as in magnify. It can refer to physical form, size, or height. Pull yourself up, stand tall, like the cedars of Lebanon! Be great!

Many of you may remember from your grade school days a novel by Mark Twain titled, The Prince and the Pauper. It has been adapted in various forms of Disney productions and even a few cartoon tales. The Twain story begins with two boys with identical features -- one a spoiled royal heir, and the other a street urchin surviving on his wits. By chance they meet. The pauper is enamored with the fineries of the palace, while the prince envies the pauper's freedom to come and go as he chooses.

Historically speaking, the church has usually painted a pretty picture of the twelve original disciples of Jesus. All except Judas have been considered saints. Pious people have named churches after them, often referring to the first disciples as the rocks upon which Christ has built his church. Yet anybody who hears the Gospel of Mark's stories about the disciples gets a different picture of who they were and what they wanted. Sure, the disciples walked the road with Jesus. They listened as he taught. They watched as he did signs and wonders. They followed where he led.