One Sunday morning in a little church, the sermon just seemed to go on and on. Unlike me, the preacher kept circling the point but never quite getting there. One of the little boys in the service that day was getting more and more restless. Mom was having a hard time getting him to sit still. Finally, in a whisper loud enough for the whole congregation to hear, he said: "Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?" (1)

That story is a good reminder that preachers need to follow the old KISS principle. You know: Keep It. Simple Stupid. It also reminded me of how everyone, even the little ones, like to put there two cents worth in.

And this morning, we find out the origins of that phrase, "putting your two cents worth in." It comes from our reading from Mark. Let's look at Mark…