Looking Ahead to June 13, 2021 -- 3rd Sunday After Pentecost, Proper 6 Year B

The Scripture Reading this week is Mark 4:1-8, 26-34.

The Sermon title is Growing Growing Growing

2013-- maybe the last time our garden was this lush

Early Thoughts: What is needed for good growth? As the children's song says "can you or I or any one know how oats peas beans and barley grow?". (I know my gardening success is related to luck far more than skill)

This morning, as I began to ponder what this week's worship might look like, I looked at the passage and these words from 1 Corinthians 3 came to mind;

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.

 In the end God gives the growth. It seems that both Paul and the writer of Mark agree on that. But the parable at the beginning of Mark 4 certainly suggests that conditions make a difference. How do we help to create good conditions where growth can occur? How do we create conditions where growth is difficult or impossible?

Another thought that floats through my consciousness this morning is about weeds (which reminds me of a whole other Parable in Matthew). How accurately do we identify weeds? What about invasive species? Are there times we get so focused on what seeds we want to grow that we lose sight of which seeds and plants should be allowed to grow instead? Are there times we try to support the wrong growth, keep the wrong plants healthy? If we do that who suffers?

Lots of questions in my head as I start this week. We are called to grow. We are called to help each other grow. We are called to be fruitful. The Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus tells us in these parables and in other places in the Gospels, is like a seed--something that starts small but grows big and produces many times over.

How can we help the seeds grow and be fruitful?
--Gord