Proper 24 B (October 20): Anchoring Hope, Leading from Behind,

  

Bible Readings: Job 38:1-7, 34-41, Psalm 104:1-9,24,35, Hebrews 5:1-10, Mark 10:35-45

About the images:

Left image: This is a Microsoft free clip art image to which I have added the Bible text.

Right image: This is Australia Rock near Narooma in New South Wales, Australia. Unless you stand in front of the Australia shaped hole you cannot see the bigger picture - the sea beyond. From the side, it appears to be a solid rock wall. This is my image so please feel free to use it. It goes well with the Job reading. Nobody is quite sure how the hole in the rock wall was made but it is known that ships used to tie up here in the early days of Australian white settlement. For more info about Narooma, visit www.visitnarooma.com

Middle Left and Right and Lower Right: Three free cliparts from the Heartlight site - see my links at left.
Lower Left: This is a free Microsoft clipart with a line from the Audio Adrenaline song below.

Bottom Left: An excellent image from Cerezo Barredo - see my link column at left. 

Listening Song: Get Down

By Audio Adrenaline on their album, Underdog (pictured at left). This song fits in well with both the gospel reading and with the Job reading.

Listening Song: You then Me

By Rebecca St James on her album, God, 1996 (pictured at right). This song fits in well with the Mark reading.

Kid's talk: God is Here

Have each letter of the words "God is Here" on separate cards and scatter them about the worship space. Get a couple of people to adlib a conversation about the whereabouts of God and their difficultly working out just where God is - especially when things go wrong. Have a third person join the conversation by noticing the scattered cards. Together, with the help of children in the congregation, sort out the cards so that they spell out the words "God is here" and then work out how these words apply to the conversation about the whereabouts of God in difficult times.

Kid's Talk: Fighting The Green Eyed Monster

Found in Fun Group Devotions For Children's Ministry by various authors, Group Publishing, 1993, ISBN 1559451610, page 75 (pictured at left). This fits in well with the disciple's reaction to the request by James and John in the gospel reading. 

Film Clip: Psalm 104
This clip is from the excellent Work of the People site.  These clips are not free but they are very good and worth the dollars.

Drama: What is a Servant

Based on the gospel reading and found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859100186, page 23 (pictured at right).

Story: Servanthood

Story 623 in 750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers by Craig Brian Larson and Leadership Journal, Baker Books, 1993, ISBN 0801091551 (pictured left). This also suits the gospel reading.

Story: A Lesson in Servanthood

Found in Illustrations, Stories and Quotes to hang Your Message On by Jim Burns and Greg McKinnon, Gospel Light, 1997, ISBN 0830718834, page 151 (pictured at right). This story fits in well with the gospel reading.

Story: True Greatness

Found at

http://elbourne.org/sermons/index.mv?illustration+4537

This story fits well with the gospel reading.

Quote: Fredrich Buechner

"God does not always give us all the answers.......God gives us himself." This quote links to the Job reading.

Response Activity:

Ask people to form inward looking circles of around eight to ten people. Tell them that each circle represents the church. Get each circle group to discuss and reform in any way and in any shape that they like in a way which they think, as a group, best represents the way the church should be.

Closing Prayer:

By Michael Quiost and found in Gentle Darkness by Rowland Croucher (Ed.), Albatross Books, 1994, ISBN 073241007X, pages 421-422 (pictured at right). This fits well with the gospel reading.

Also:

Poem/Meditation: A Child
By Ruth Burgess in Dandelions and Thistles: Biblical Meditations from the Iona Community by Jan Sutch Pickard (ed.) Wild Goose Publications, 1999, ISBN 1901557146, page 63 (pictured at left). This goes well with the Mark reading.

Lots of Useful Stuff: Portrait of the Artist

Found in Multi-Sensory Together by Ian Birkinshaw, Scripture Union,2005, ISBN 1844271641, page 20 (pictured at right).  Based on the Psalm reading.

Poem: Clouds and Prophets

Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1 84417 041 1, page 46 (pictured at left).  This poem is based on the Psalm reading.  

Poem: Life, Beauty Love

Found in The Electric Bible by Peter Dainty, Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 2003, ISBN 1 84417 041 1, page 67 (pictured at left). This poem is also based on the Psalm reading.  

Poem and Comment: Creation

Found in Disturbing Complacency by Lisa Bodenheim, Wild Goose Publications, 2007, ISBN 978 1 905010 37 0 (pictured at right), and found under the first Monday of Advent.  This is a Christmas preparation book, but is very useful for other times of the year as well. This entry is based on the Job reading.  

Poem and Comment: Spirit

Found in Disturbing Complacency by Lisa Bodenheim, Wild Goose Publications, 2007, ISBN 978 1 905010 37 0 (pictured at right),  and found under the fourth Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Advent.  This is a Christmas preparation book, but is very useful for other times of the year as well. This entry is based on the Psalm.  

Proper 23 B (October 13): Let God Sort it/Treasure Chests

 

Bible Readings: Job 23: 1-9, 16-17, Psalm 22:1-15, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31

About the images:
Upper Left: The needle image comes from Wickimedia Commons, and the camel from Microsoft free clipart.  

Upper Right: This is my photo - please feel free to use it for worship and related activities. I see this as a choices picture - the world often reflected in the window of our faith. 

Middle Left:  This is a free image from Church Galleries - see my link column at left.

Middle Right: This is a free image from the Hermano Leon site - see my link column at left. 

Lower Left: A free image from Cerezo Barredo - see my link column at left

Lower Right: A free image from Heartlight. - see my link column at left.

Bottom Left: Another free image from the Misioneros Del Sagrado Corazón en el Perú

Listening Song: What Good
By Third Day on their album, Time (pictured at left). This songs matches in well with the gospel reading.

Opening Prayer

By Molly Phinney Basquette and found in Before the Amen by Maren C Tirabassi and Maria I. Tirrabassi (Eds), Pilgrim Press, Cleveland, 2007, ISBN 978 0 8298 1750 8, page 117 (pictured at right). Based on the Mark reading.

Kids: The Little Gate

By Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen and found in their book, Stories Jesus Told, Candle books, 2005, ISBN 101859855881 (pictured at left).

Film Clip: Home Movie

Make a home movie of random people in your local area - not necessarily church people but mix a few in.

Ask them all the same questions:

1. What does being rich mean to you? and

2. How do you get to have eternal life?

Ask the congregation to then discuss these same two questions.

Film Clip: Schindler's List

Show the scene near the end of the film  when Schindler is leaving and all the people he has saved crowd around to thank him, however, all he can think about is the ones he didn't save and he looks at his wealth with new and despairing eyes. If you can watch this without weeping, you are tougher than me.  I suggest you watch it a few times before showing it in church so you don't end up a crying mess in the pulpit.

  

Quotes: Millionaires:

Andrew Carnegie: Millionaires seldom smile.

John Jacob: I am the most miserable man on earth .

John Rockefeller: I have made many millions but they have brought me no happiness.

W.H. Vanderbilt: The care of $200 million is too great a load to bear. There is no pleasure in it.

Discussion Questions: Millionaires

In pairs or threes:

• What do you like to think is in your treasure chest?

• Evaluate what Jesus would think of your treasure.

Meditation: Four Changed Lives

Found in Present on Earth by Wild Goose Worship Group, Wild Goose, 2002, ISBN 0901557642, page 183, (pictured at left). This goes well with the gospel reading.

Prayer for Others
Make a powerpoint presentation of pictures from your local newspaper of war, famine, accident, murder, ... (the hard and sad things that we read about) to some contemplative music and allow people to pray either during or after the presentation.

Prayer: Child, I am Here
By Michel Quoist in Prayers of Life, Macmillan, 1965, ISBN: 0717101584 (pictured at right). This goes well with the gospel reading.

Also:

Story Plus Other Stuff: Some Very Hard Homework

Found in Wally the Dodgy Trolley and other Stories of Faith and Humour by Ian Johnson, Scripture Union Australia, Lidcombe, 2000, ISBN 0949720984, page 70 (pictured at left).

Poem/Meditation: Follow Me

By Ruth Burgess in Dandelions and Thistles: Biblical Meditations from the Iona Community by Jan Sutch Pickard (ed.) Wild Goose Publications, 1999, ISBN 1901557146, page 48 (pictured at right). This goes well with the Mark reading.

Worship Activity: The Presence of God

By Jim Burns and Robin Dugall in Worship Experiences, Gospel Light, 1999, ISBN, 0830724044, page 83 (pictured at left).  This is based on the Psalm.

 

Prayer Exercise: When God Seems Distant

Found in Prayer: Heart of the Pilgrimage by Jenny Youngman, Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2007, ISBN 0835898369, page 35 (pictured at right).  This is based on the Psalm.

Sermon ideas: Keep an Eye on the Camels

Found in Life on the Road by Athol Gill, Herald Press, 1992, page 90.  This is based on the Gospel reading (pictured at right). 

Drama: Just a Prayer Away

Based on the Hebrews reading and found in Mega Drama 4 by Verena Johnson (Ed.) Open Book, 2002, ISBN 0859100186, page 47 (pictured at left)

Poem and Comment: Bible

Found in Disturbing Complacency by Lisa Bodenheim, Wild Goose Publications, 2007, ISBN 978 1 905010 37 0, found under the second Tuesday of Advent.  This is a Christmas preparation book, but is very useful for other times of the year as well. This entry is based on the Mark reading.