Worship, June 11, 2021
Let us worship!
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
--Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
A prayer to center you
For everything there is a season, O God, to every harvest, you have a plan.
Help us to open ourselves to the planting of seeds within us and around us.
Help us to place our trust in you as our gardener, knowing that beauty and growth come from you alone.
May we grow into the bountiful harvest that you have instore for us.
May we have the patience and willingness to wait for your timing.
Open our hearts to you now and helps us to grow closer and closer to your kingdom.
Amen
Holy Words from Mark 4:26-32
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.
Reflection:
I am not a gardener by any means, although that has yet to stop me from trying. One year I saw on Pinterest where you could grow potatoes in laundry baskets. I, for some reason, decided this would be a great adventure to do with my children. While I am not just a poor gardener, I am also not a patient person. Perhaps growing potatoes with small children was not the brightest idea I ever had, but none the less…since the Pinterest post did not emphasis how patient one needed to be to grow potatoes we began the adventure with high hopes. I picked up some laundry baskets from the Dollar Tree. I bought some dirt. I bought some potatoes. I followed the instructions per the Pinterest page (they made it seem so easy and joyful). I put some dirt in the bottom of the baskets. I cut the starter potatoes in half, place them in the baskets, add more dirt. Simple enough so far. Well then you have to wait…and wait…and wait!
This is the step where I think I lost it. As time progresses when growing potatoes in laundry baskets, you are to add dirt to the baskets as the plants began to grow. Easy enough…if you are blessed with patience. Reminder, I am not! I think I made it maybe six weeks before I broke down and turned the baskets over to rummage through the dirt and collect my modest harvest. I could not make it any longer! We ended up with about the same number of potatoes in my harvest as I had planted. Not the strongest yield.
Today’s Scriptures are about seeds being planted and growing into a fruitful harvest. Luckily God is a better and more patient gardener than I. God has a rhythm and a time for all things and the patience to let it come to fruition. Sometimes (often) I find it difficult to wait for that timing. It is especially hard, if like with potatoes, you don’t get to see the fruit of the labor for an extended amount of time. But God works, even in the darkness of a dirt, to make a fruitful harvest. God can use us to plant seeds that we may never see bloom and blossom but just because we cannot see it does not mean that the yield will not be beautiful. God still calls us to plant the seeds and trust God to nurture and care for the development that will come. We must trust that God is the gardener who will ensure that the outcome will be beautiful in God’s own timing.
When I named this website, it took a lot of thought. It was not easy to come up with something that spoke to the heart of what I was envisioning. I wanted to create a space where people from all over could come and find nourishment and strengthen their faith in a way that was not intimidating or scary or overly time consuming. I wanted to create a space where God could nurture people.
I ended on “Scattered Seeds” because I believe that God has planted seeds of faith within us of us and we have been scattered across the world to do the work of God’s kingdom where God has planted us. We are the seeds that God has planted and in God’s own timing we will blossom into a beautiful yield for the kingdom. My hope is that this place is a place where those seeds can receive nourishment and strength to grow and that will help you to see the yield that you desire.
Faith is not an automatic thing. Change is not an automatic thing. No matter how much we would desire it to be so. The efforts we put in to planting seeds in others and even in ourselves take time to matter and develop. We must hang in there and give space and time to let the Spirit move and grow, trusting that God will bring all things to fruition in God’s own timing.
It is tempting to want to rush the end the result, to tip the laundry basket over too early. But if you continue to give it time, to let the seeds you planted grow in God’s timing, your harvest will be even more bountiful, more plentiful and more beautiful. It only takes a small seed and a lot of patience and trust and a from the smallest of seeds on earth can grow the greatest of all shrubs!
Let’s keep planting…
What do you think...
God can plant us in some difficult places;
on a rocky path
in the midst of thorny companions
in a season that is so hot we feel we might wilt
in the middle of a cold and isolating wilderness.
But God’s timing and grace will help us to yield a good harvest despite the situation.
God can help us to scattered good seeds wherever we are planted.
Despite the ground we are planted in.
Despite the surrounding environment.
Despite the climate in which we have been planted.
God desires good.
God uses us for God’s good purpose.
God is the gardener we are simply the seed.
Like a dandelion when it’s puff is blown into the wind,
we can spread the seed of faith, love and hope in the world
and a garden of sun can bloom around us!
Prayer of Sending
God of all creation
to everything you have a season and a plan.
It is often hard for us to wait.
Forgive our impatience.
Forgive our doubt and our concern.
strengthen our faith in your promises and remind us that from even the smallest seed of faith the largest of trees can come forth.
Help us to plant those seeds of faith and to trust in you to bring a good harvest.
Amen
Going out
Go out into the world, seeking the light of Christ Jesus and may you see all around you the love, compassion, joy, generosity, and hope in the Kingdom of God.
and in all that you do, may the love of Christ Jesus uphold you,
the peace of God sustain you and may the Holy Spirit guide you each step of the way
