MAC KIRK

Jairus' Daughter Mark 5 Mark shows that Jesus is Lord of nature ( storm on the Sea), Lord of all in bondage ( casts out the demons) & today Lord of life ( the daughter of Jairus). In all of these I note that all wished to be healed, saved from destruction , and came and worshipped at the feet of Jesus . Mark 5:6 says that was what the man with the demons did. Of course the disciples did that with the storm when they woke Jesus as the waves were filling the boat. Jairus did the same thing. He came 5:22, " He fell at his feet, and beseecheth Him much saying, ' My little daughter is at the point of death: I pray thee, that thou come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be made whole, and live." The first thing we see is that Jairus was though wealthy, and a ruler of the synagogue, came to Jesus for what he thought He may do for his daughter who was dying. This is what all need----to come to Jesus, but it depends on the person and the situation when they co

Mark 4:35-41 " The Questions in the Storm" Today's first half of the Gospel is a sea story, full of drama, and questions of life and death. ( also in Luke 8 & Mt 8) It happens on the Sea of Galilee , 700 feet below sea level, where the wind, and cold wind comes off the mountains and whips up the seas. In the middle of the windstorm the disciples asked, " Teacher, do you do not care that we are perishing?" The Lord responds with questions, " Why are you so fearful?" " Have ye not yet faith?" Then they conclude with a question, " Who then is this , that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" We don't begin to ask questions either sometimes until the storms come. Annie Dillard in Holy the Firm said , " You can get caught holding one end of a love, when your father drops, and your mother; when a land is lost, or a time, and your friend is blotted out, gone, your brother's body spoiled, and cold, your infant

Parables about kingdom growth and power Mark 4:26-34 Remaining silent and speaking when no one else will are both hard to do. There is a time " to keep silence , and a time to speak.." Eccles 3 ...As well as in Esther---Esther 4:14 “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?". "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms: it means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." - Gilbert K. Chesterton. 1. First silence and patience..In today's parable about the kingdom the man plants the seed but it does not come up right away. " And (he) should sleep, and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up, he knows not how." 4:27 Mark This is hard for us to do, to wait for God to bring the harvest when we have planted.

The Things That are Eternal 2 Corinthians 4 Some things happen in our time and lives we do not anticipate or plan for. The death of our dreams? The loss of someone we loved? Life's changes are momentary yet there are times when we bend our knee and our heads and ask, " Why?" It is difficult to know how to trust . Sometimes groups take a "trust walk" where the group is blindfolded and the leader helps them get through obstacles in the walk. At the end a debriefing occurs when questions are asked," Why was trusting your team important?" The one I did was up and down stairs which was really challenging. It seems that God takes us through a trust walk as we go through changes and chances of this mortal life. ( the prayers from 1928 BCP " to be used after the Collects of Morning or Evening Prayer or Communion, at the discretion of the Minister"-----" Assist us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers

2 Corinthians 4 -We should not lost heart This theme today is somewhat like last week about getting a new perspective at the feet of the Cross, at the burning bush, and with the death of a long-reigning King having a vision of the True King high and lifted up. " Since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we 'faint ' not ( do not lose heart)" & we try and not hide our "gospel....( then) it is hid to them that are lost." " We have received mercy" ---" We do not presume to come to this Thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Thy Table. But thou are the same Lord, whose property is always to have mercy..." BCP 1928, p. 82 This is the same gospel in the Old Covenant as well as the New. We have received mercy at the hands of God. It is He that saves us, not we ourselves. Jonah prayed out of