Happy Father's Day!
Worship
Service for June 16, 2024
Prelude
Announcements:
Call to Worship
L: Let us worship the eternal God, the Source
of Love and Life, who creates us.
P: Let us worship Jesus Christ, the Risen
One, who lives among us!
L: The Holy Fire, who renews us.
P: To the one true God be praise in all times
and places, through the grace of Jesus Christ.
Opening Hymn – This Is My
Father’s World #143 3 vs. in Brown
Prayer of Confession
O Holy God, we acknowledge to
You, to ourselves, and to one another that we are not what You’ve called us to
be. We have not stood by our faith,
shared our hope, or reached out with love. We have done unkind and shameful deeds, and
we have left undone deeds which could have made a difference in the lives of
those around us. We have failed to speak
and act for peace and justice in our world.
Have mercy upon our repentance, forgive our sin, and change our lives,
for we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. (Silent prayers are offered) AMEN.
Assurance of Pardon
L: There is no greater joy in the heart of
God than the moment when a son or daughter opens up to the gift of
forgiveness. God’s Spirit reached out to
assure us of welcome in Christ
P: In
the name of Jesus Christ, we are God’s by grace. With great joy we are made alive. Thanks be to God! AMEN.
Gloria Patri
Affirmation of Faith/Apostles’
Creed
I believe in God the Father
Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under
Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the
third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on
the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge
the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic Church; the
communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and
the life everlasting. AMEN
Pastoral Prayer and Lord’s
Prayer
God of all
hope, your hope for us enfolds us in promise.
Inspire us to accept the gift of your loving compassion, which accepts
us and cherishes us even in our sinfulness and in our darkest moments. Inspire us to grow into the people your love
hopes we will be. Empower us to be
people of courage in the face of lies, people of service in the midst of
selfishness, people of generosity in a culture of greed, people of fellowship
in a world of prejudice, and people of peace in answer to violence.
God of all
hope, uplift us out of fear to incarnate hope for all persons, that your realm
may be revealed among us even here and now.
We pray
this morning for fathers as we honor them today; those who are still here with
us and for those we honor in memory, who have gone on from this world to live
with you.
We pray
for those on our prayer list, we pray for those whose names we have offered one
another this morning to care about, we especially lift up to you…
In these
moments of silence hear also our inner-most prayers.
God of all
hope, we are bold enough pray these things because your Son taught us how to
pray by saying…Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth
as it is in heaven. Give us this day our
daily bread. Forgive us our debts as we
forgive our debtors. And lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. AMEN.
Hymn – Open My Eyes #324/563
Scripture Reading(s):
First Scripture Reading – Ezekiel
17:22-24
Second Scripture Reading – Mark
4:26-34
Sermon – Sowing
and Growing
Today’s passage
from the Gospel of Mark contains two parables that offer some insights into the
Kingdom of God; the Parable of the Growing Seed and the Parable of the Mustard
Seed. Each of these parables reveal the
mysterious, gradual, and ultimately triumphant nature of God’s Kingdom.
Let’s first take a look at the Parable
of the Growing Seed:
“This is what the kingdom of God is
like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets
up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first
the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the
sickle to it, because the harvest has come."
In this parable, Jesus describes a
farmer who goes out into his field and simply scatters seed on the ground. The farmer's role is to do just that; to throw
out the seed into (we’ll assume, fertile soil), but the growth of that seed
happens independently of the farmer’s efforts. This growth occurs "night and day,
whether he sleeps or gets up," and the farmer does not fully understand
how it happens. In Christ’s day this was
certainly true. Now, with the advance of
science and simple human observation, we actually do know what happens beneath
the soil. We’ve come to understand how a
seed is germinated and once placed in the proper conditions for warmth, air,
light, soil, etc…, a seed sprouts from the ground. Some seeds need very specific
conditions. Some might need to be soaked
in water before they’ll germinate, others need to be notched or nicked in order
for the tough exterior to reveal a place for the seed to sprout, others need a
certain temperature, etc… We’ve also
learned that over time, the germination rate for a seed to sprout declines and
usually after three or four years, that seed is no longer viable. It has been known that some seeds keep their
viability for quite some time. However,
in 2012, seeds that were in the fossilized stomach of a 30,000 year old
squirrel in Siberia were planted and grew into a flowering plant called Silene
Stenophylla – 30,000 years later. So, even
with the advancement of science, do we really know and understand how seeds
grow?
This parable highlights a
fundamental truth about the Kingdom of God: its growth is mysterious and it’s
still beyond human comprehension. Our
responsibility is to faithfully sow the seed, but the actual growth is God’s
work. We cannot force it, control it, or
even fully understand it. This should
both humble us and at the same time, give us some confidence, because we know
that in the end, it’s really not up to us. It doesn’t depend on our abilities or our efforts.
We are simply tasked with sowing the seeds.
Jesus continues with this parable by
describing the stages of growth: "first the stalk, then the head, then the
full kernel in the head." The point
of him mentioning this is that I think he wants us to understand that the
Kingdom of God grows gradually and in stages. It doesn’t just appear in its fullness all at
once but rather it develops over time.
The Kingdom of God did not come right away after Jesus ascended into
heaven. The Kingdom of God did not
appear when Christianity had spread as the dominate world religion throughout
the globe. And the Kingdom of God is
still not here yet.
In our fast-paced world, we often
desire immediate results. We want to see
the fruits of our labor quickly and become discouraged when progress seems
slow. However, this parable reminds us
that God’s Kingdom grows according to God’s timing, not ours. We need to be patient and trust that God is still
at work, even when we can’t see immediate results. The growth of God’s Kingdom in our lives, in
our communities, and in the world often follows a gradual and sometimes, I
think, imperceptible process. But that
process is assured to us by God’s faithfulness.
Finally, the parable concludes with
the harvest: "As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it,
because the harvest has come." Despite the mystery and gradual nature of
growth, there is an end result; there will be a harvest. The fruit of our labor together with God will
bring that Loving and Peaceable Kingdom to fruition. That promise should give us some king of hope
and assurance. No matter how slow or
uncertain the growth may seem, the harvest is guaranteed because it is, in the
end, God’s work.
Jesus isn’t finished talking about
seeds in the next parable.
"Again, he said, 'What shall we
say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the
smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when
planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big
branches that the birds can perch in its shade.'"
I’m not really sure that the mustard
seed is actually the smallest seed on earth, but it is known for being very
small, almost insignificant in appearance. And Jesus uses this seed to further illustrate
the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom begins
in small, seemingly insignificant ways. If you remember, Jesus’ ministry started with just
a few followers, a small band of disciples in a tiny corner of the Roman
Empire. Against the backdrop of the
world's power and influence, against the forces that want to bring it down, the
Kingdom of God can seem awfully small.
I think Jesus wants to use the
message of this parable to encourage us not to despise small beginnings. When you read scripture, God’s story with
human begins often start from humble beginnings or seem insignificant at first;
just a conversation between God and another person – a story perhaps, an act, a
truth, or a relationship. But those
small acts of faithfulness, the quiet prayers, the unnoticed deeds of love—all
these are like those mustard seeds that God uses to grow the Kingdom. We may not see the immediate impact – did
Moses, did Abraham, did David, did Diana, did Rahab, did Ruth, did Mary or
Joseph. None of them, but God is at
work, and these small beginnings will yield great results.
Jesus tells us that the mustard
seed, once planted, "grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants,
with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade." I always thought that the mustard seed was
just a tallish plant or maybe a small bush, but I learned that the plant Jesus
is referring to in this parable is actually a tree, Salvadora Persica, also
known today as the toothbrush tree, an ancient plant native to the Middle East,
Africa, and India.
In spending some time in Italy and
Spain, I know that the small olive tree can also become quite large and after
hundreds of years can have a trunk that grows to be four or five feet in
diameter. In any case, the
transformation from a tiny seed to a large plant or tree illustrates the point
that from small growth something substantial and influential can occur.
This growth is a testament to God’s
power and the transformative nature of God’s ultimate presence in our lives. The tiny mustard seed expands far beyond its
humble beginnings, offering shelter and refuge. It assures us that God's
Kingdom will have a far-reaching and positive impact, sheltering the innocent,
making home for the homeless, protecting the vulnerable. Our small acts of faithfulness and kindness to
others contribute to this expansive growth, bringing transformation and
blessing to the world.
Interestingly, I find out that in
the Old Testament, birds often symbolized the Gentile nations or the evil one. They are rarely used in a positive light. They are often eating the seeds or pecking at
rotting flesh. Several theologians
believe that by including the small detail that the birds find shelter in the
branches of the mustard tree and build their nests in it, Jesus is therefore
emphasizing the inclusive nature of God’s Kingdom. Which is also reflected in the parallel
passage from our Old Testament reading.
God took a small cutting of the crown of the tree and planted it on a
lofty mountain. There, it grew into a noble
cedar where under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches
will nest the winged creatures of every kind.
And therefore, even the trees of the field shall know that I am the
Lord.
In other words, God’s Kingdom won’t
be limited to a specific group, but rather will be open to all who seek refuge. And all will know the love, grace, mercy, and
wonder of God. Therefore, God’s love and
salvation are for everyone, and we are called to reflect this inclusivity in
our lives and communities. The Kingdom
of God is meant to transcends cultural, racial, and social barriers, inviting
all to find rest and hope in its shade.
So, we are called to faithfully sow
the seeds of the Good News, trusting that God will bring about the growth. Our efforts may seem small and insignificant,
but God can use them in powerful ways that we might never be aware of. We simply are asked to be patient and trust
that God knows what God is doing; that God is indeed, even now, at work.
Thanks be to God
AMEN
Offertory –
Doxology –
Prayer of Dedication –
God of hope and grace, accept these gifts we
bring this day. Use them for the good of
all. Bless the work of our hands, the
thoughts of our hearts, and the wholeness of our selves that, together, we may
fulfill your hope for a creation of abundance for all. AMEN.
Closing
Hymn – The God of Abraham Praise #488/23 1-3 vs. in
Blue,
4th verse in Brown Hymnal
Benediction –
Go and sow
seeds, scattering them everywhere you go.
May they flourish at God’s good timing and bring about the Kingdom of
God. Go in peace. AMEN.
Postlude
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