March 11
Today you get to start learning verses directly from the images (without video).
Read the story synopsis, look at the image, and read the verse.
Then say the verse while you look at the image, picturing the story in your imagination, and try to remember the keywords.
(Most of these particular stories today involve the mischief of Loeb’s brothers, who are not pictured; the location and object are always pictured, but some other aspects of the story are up to your imagination.)
As always, feel free to email me if you want any help with this.
1. Study these stories and images to become familiar with these five verses (7 minutes)
James 5:1 (the whistle on the balcony porch)
Loeb runs out on his porch in the morning to wake up the rich neighbors. He uses a whistle to wake them up… a whistle that makes really nasty noises.
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
James 5:8 (the whistle in the library)
Loeb is in the dusty library, playing a card game with his brothers, waiting quietly to get his sister up; it’s not time for her to get up yet. But Loeb’s brothers want to get her up early so she can join them. They can’t get into her room, but they suddenly decide to use the whistle to wake her up. Before they can, Loeb jumps over the whistle to get in his brothers’ way, telling them, “I’m waiting patiently! You also, be patient.” When he lands, he lands on someone’s hand of cards, which happens to be a flush of hearts.
(Relating this particular story to its verse requires some serious imagination. Make sure to read the verse out loud a couple of times while picturing the story in your head.)
You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James 5:12 (the whistle in the den)
Loeb is lying on the mantle above the fireplace, hoping that he doesn’t fall. All of his brothers are standing below him. He’s afraid the mantle will break underneath him, but his brothers swear that it will hold. Meanwhile, with the whistle in his mouth, Loeb can’t say anything; all he can do is give whistle signals that mean “yes” and “no”.
But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
James 5:16 (the whistle in the bird cage)
Loeb’s mischievous brother have locked him in the bird cage. Although Loeb is scared to death of heights, he sits on the perch to avoid touching the filthy floor of the bird cage. But the whistle was on the floor of the cage, and his brothers have stuck the whistle in his mouth. Loeb is sure he will get sick from this. Therefore, he tells his brothers to confess that this mischief is wrong, and he asks them to pray that he might be healed of the sickness he thinks he has, so it doesn’t spread to them as well.
When they ask him how on earth he managed to get up on the perch, he tells them that he prayed a righteous man’s prayer, which has great power as it is working.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:20 (the whistle in the conservatory)
It’s the very end of the story, and Loeb has finally succeeded in calling one of his wayward, mischievous brothers back into the house to correct their wrongs. This particular brother has been wandering in the garden because he likes to use plants for various purposes. Of course, Loeb has been avoiding touching the whistle ever since it was on the floor of the bird cage, but he’s been carrying it on his head (he doesn’t want to touch it with his hands, but he has to carry it somehow). He knows that since he has brought back his brother from wandering outside, this brother, now repentant, will help to save Loeb from the uncleanliness of the whistle by covering it with clean leaves from the conservatory plants.
…let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
2. Recall the mnemonic stories for these five verses that we learned earlier (1 minute)
James 1:12
James 2:14
James 3:5
James 2:1
James 1:22