Loading...Dear Beloved people of St. James’,
I am so sorry I am not able to be with you this morning. I’m thankful you are all people open to adapting and adjusting as the need arises. I promise you, here in my quarantine, I am resting and working on healing, strengthened by your prayers and messages of support. (Did that sound like Paul? )
Today’s Gospel is a familiar one. Jesus has been trying to describe to the people around him what the Kingdom of God is like. Today, he uses the familiar parable of the mustard seed.
But first, he says that “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”
He does not know how. Hmmm.
This got me to thinking about a project that young children might do in school. I had planned to prepare it for you. I was going to take clear, sandwich-sized zip bags, add about an inch or so of soil, and a sunflower seed. I was going to add a little water to moisten the soil and seal the bag.
What I wanted to do was give each of you one of these bags and invite you to tape it to your wall—someplace where the sun will hit it for part of the day and where you would remember to look at it daily. I hoped you would watch as the seed transformed into both root and stalk, and when it got big enough, that you would either plant it at home, or bring it to Debbie Hanna to add it to the butterfly garden or to another spot on our church property or give it to someone to plant in their garden.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But I bet you can try this at home with any seed.
I would have put this question on each bag: “What is God growing in you?”
It’s an important question. Each of us has different abilities, gifts and talents. Like Jesus tells us today, the tiny mustard seed can grow into a mighty bush that can support and protect birds and their nests.
So, I ask you, what is it that God is growing in you?
And for what purpose? [pause]
I hope you know that the seed is LOVE. And its purpose is to be shared.
Because we are children of God, because we are followers of Jesus, we are filled with these seeds of holy and life-giving love! When we remember that, it is so much easier to scatter the seeds of God’s love everywhere we go.
You know the song, [sing] “Love is nothing ‘til you give it away?” It is so simple and it is so true! The beauty of scattering these seeds of love, to [sing] “give it away, give it away” is that we cannot run out of God’s love. Nope. When we give it away, the only result is that we [sing] “end up having more.”
Even if we frivolously scatter our seeds, we will continue to have this love. What’s even better is that because we’ve shared, others will share. God’s love will never disappear! It will continue to flourish in this world.
How do we share? Well, that’s in today’s collect: “through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness and minister your justice with compassion.”
We proclaim to those we meet with our lips and in our lives— in words and actions—that God is love and that every single person is worthy of that love.
We look with compassion and find ways to support those who are on society’s margins and those whose lives are closely linked with ours … and sometimes those are the same people.
Today, especially, as you bring your donations for the Oldham County Red Cross Food Pantry to the altar, and throughout each week as you give of yourselves in the ministries you have chosen, you make a difference in the lives of those you meet. Not because you feel obligated, but because you are scattering the seeds of love that have taken root in you. Because you know that God’s love is worth giving away.
So back to those bags of dirt with a single seed and the question to consider:
- What has God planted in you?
- Are you willing to give this experiment a try?
- Can you use it to pay attention to the love God has planted in you?
- And if the seed sprouts roots and a plant, will you tell me about what it meant for you to watch the process?
- Will you literally or figuratively plant this seedling for others to experience?
Because you are a gift, filled with the amazing love of God. Called to scatter the seeds of love, abundantly and with abandon.
I hope to see you next week! May the love of God go with you, and may you scatter it, today and always!
I’m feeling your love! ~Rev. Debbie
