SunJul272008
THE GOSPEL READING TODAY IS FROM MATTHEW
CHAPTER 13, VERSES 31-33 AND 44-49
“HE PUT BEFORE THEM ANOTHER PARABLE “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MUSTARD SEED THAT SOMEONE TOOK AND SOWED IN HIS FIELD. IT IS THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE SEEDS, BUT WHEN IT HAS GROWN IT IS THE GREATEST OF SHRUBS AND BECOMES A TREE, SO THAT THE BIRDS OF THE AIR COME AND MAKE NESTS IN ITS BRANCHES.
HE TOLD THEM ANOTHER PARABLE: “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE YEAST THAT A WOMAN TOOK AND MIXED IN WITH THREE MEASURES OF FLOUR UNTIL ALL OF IT WAS LEAVENED.”
“THE KINDGOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE TREASURE HIDDEN IN A FIELD, WHICH SOMEONE FOUND AND HID; THEN IN HIS JOY HE GOES AND SELLS ALL THAT HE HAS AND BUYS THAT FIELD.
AGAIN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MERCHANT IN SEARCH OF FINE PEARLS; ON FINDING ONE PEARL OF GREAT VALUE, HE WENT AND SOLD ALL THAT HE HAD AND BOUGHT IT.
AGAIN, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A NET THAT WAS THROWN INTO THE SEA AND CAUGHT FISH OF EVERY KIND; WHEN IT WAS FULL, THEY DREW IT ASHORE, SAT DOWN, AND PUT THE GOOD INTO BASKETS BUT THREW OUT THE BAD. SO IT WILL BE AT THE END OF THE AGE. THE ANGELS WILL COME OUT AND SEPARATE THE EVIL FROM THE RIGHTEOUS.
(PAUSE AFTER THE READING)
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU REMEMBERED SITTING WITH A GROUP OF FRIENDS, OR FAMILY, OR MAYBE EVEN ONE FRIEND, AND TELLING A STORY. MAYBE YOU HAD SOMEONE RECALLING A GREAT MOMENT, OR SOMETHING FUNNY THAT HAPPENED. A GOOD STORY-TELLER WON’T MISS A SINGLE DETAIL. THE STORY WILL BE TOLD SO WELL, IT WILL BE AS THOUGH YOUWERE RIGHT THERE WITH THEM WHEN THEY EXPERIENCED THE MOMENT THEY ARE DESCRIBING. SOMETIMES THE STORY IS SO GOOD, THE NEXT TIME THAT PERSON IS WITH YOU, YOU MAY ASK THEM TO REPEAT THE STORY TO SOMEONE NEW WHO HASN’T YET HEARD IT. THAT’S HOW I THINK STORY-TELLING IS DONE.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL STORY-TELLING FESTIVAL IN JONESBORO, TENNESSEE. THERE WERE SEVERAL LARGE CIRCUS-TYPE TENTS SET UP, AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEKEND, YOU COULD MOVE FROM TENT TO TENT TO HEAR A DIFFERENT STORYTELLER. YOU COULD ALSO HEAR ONE PARTICULAR STORYTELLER AT ANOTHER TIME DURING THE WEEKEND FESTIVAL TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND AND A REAL NICE WAY TO RELAX AND JUST LISTEN, AND LET MY IMAGINATION TAKE ME SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE STORIES WERE ENTERTAINING, AND MANY, ALONG WITH THE ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR, CONTAINED A LESSON OR TWO.
MANY OF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH RANDY PAUSCH, WHO BECAME A BIT FAMOUS WHEN, ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2007, HE STEPPED ON STAGE IN A PACKED AUDITORIUM AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY TO DELVER A LAST LECTURE CALLED “REALLY ACHIEVING YOUR CHILDHOOD DREAMS.” RANDY WAS BATTLING CANCER AND WAS DETERMINED TO SPREAD A MESSAGE ABOUT CELEBRATING DREAMS THAT WE ALL HAVE. HE TOLD A STORY AS HE DELIVERED THAT LAST LECTURE, AND IN MY OPINION, HE DID IT QUITE WELL. HIS BOOK, SIMPLY ENTITLED “THE LAST LECTURE” IS FULL OF STORIES, THOUGHTS, AND RANDY’S PHILOSOPHIES ON LIFE. HE SAID THAT THE REASON HE DID IT IS SO THAT HIS YOUNG CHILDREN WOULD GROW UP TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR DAD. ONE STORY I FONDLY REMEMBER FROM THE BOOK IS WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT HOW, WHEN HE WAS SINGLE, HE REGULARLY SPENT A WEEKEND WITH HIS NIECE AND NEPHEW, TO GIVE HIS SISTER A BREAK SO SHE AND HER HUSBAND COULD SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER. ONE WEEKEND, HE WENT TO PICK UP THE KIDS IN HIS BRAND NEW VOLKSWAGON CABRIOLET CONVERTIBLE. HE TELLS OF HOW HIS SISTER WAS VERY BUSY LECTURING HIS NIECE AND NEPHEW ABOUT BEING VERY CAREFUL IN UNCLE RANDY’S BRAND NEW CAR, NOT TO HAVE ANY FOOD, OR SPILL ANYTHING IN IT. RANDY, WHILE HIS SISTER WAS TALKING WITH THE KIDS, STOOD AND POURED A CAN OF SODA DIRECTLY ONTO THE BACK SEAT OF HIS BRAND NEW CAR. THE KIDS COULD SEE THIS HAPPENING AS THEY LISTENED TO THEIR MOTHER. RANDY (AND HIS BRAND NEW CAR) WERE BEHIND HIS SISTER, SO HE DID THIS AS HIS SISTER HAD HER BACK TO HIM, BUT THE KIDS COULD DIRECTLY SEE EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS DOING.
THAT STORY PRESENTS A VERY CLEAR VISUAL, AS MOST GOOD STORIES DO. AND, IN THAT STORY, RANDY WAS TELLING A LESSON ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD (OR SHOULD NOT) VALUE MATERIAL THINGS. HIS NIECE AND NEPHEW LEARNED IMMEDIATELY WHAT WAS IMPORTANT….TIME WITH UNCLE RANDY….NOT HOW WONDERFUL UNCLE RANDY’S NEW CONVERTIBLE WAS! AND, IN READING THAT STORY (AND TELLING IT TO YOU THIS MORNING), PERHAPS YOU PICK UP A LEARNING THERE, AS I DID WHEN I FIRST READ IT. THAT’S WHAT STORY-TELLING DOES. IT RE-TELLS, AND RE-TEACHES, NOT ONLY FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE LISTENER, BUT, IN MANY TIMES, THE TELLER.
I WAS SAD WHEN I READ IN THE PLAIN DEALER YESTERDAY THAT RANDY LOST HIS BATTLE AND DIED. BUT, HE WAS A WONDERFUL STORY-TELLER, IN THAT “LIVE” LAST LECTURE HE DELIVERED IN SEPTEMBER 2007, AND IN THE BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AS HE DICTATED IT TO A FRIEND THROUGH MANY CELLPHONE CONVERSATIONS.
WHEN JESUS TOLD STORIES, WHICH WE CALL PARABLES, HE FORCED US TO THINK ABOUT THINGS AND LOOK AT THINGS ALMOST WITH A NEW SET OF EYES OR A NEW PERSPECTIVE. JESUS’ STORIES WERE SOMETIMES DIFFICULT OR CHALLENGING TO GRASP. AND, SOMETIMES, HE TOLD SIMPLE STORIES AND LESSONS ABOUT PRETTY ORDINARY THINGS.
TODAY’S READING FROM MATTHEW IS ABOUT FIVE FAIRLY SIMPLE THINGS: A MUSTARD SEED, YEAST, A TREASURE HIDDEN IN A FIELD, A MERCHANT IN SEARCH OF FINE PEARLS, AND, FINALLY, A FISHING NET TOSSED INTO THE SEA.
WHEN I FIRST READ THESE WORDS FROM MATTHEW IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY’S MESSAGE, IT WAS A FEW WEEKS AGO. I HAD RETURNED FROM A WEEK UP AT THE COTTAGE IN RED BAY, ONTARIO. MARTYAND HER MOM HAD OPENED THE COTTAGE FOR THE SUMMER ON THE FINAL DAYS OF JUNE. I ARRIVED A FEW DAYS LATER AND STAYED FOR A WEEK.
WHILE I WAS FIXING BREAKFAST ONE MORNING AT THE COTTAGE, I DECIDED TO PREPARE PANCAKES. I HAD CHECKED THE CUPBOARD THE NIGHT BEFORE AND SAW A PARTIAL BOX OF MIX IN THE CUPBOARD, AND IT SEEMED LIKE A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT FOR THREE OF US FOR BREAKFAST. SO, THAT NEXT MORNING, I PREPARED THE BATTER. I LIKE TO LET IT SIT FOR ABOUT A HALF HOUR BEFORE COOKING IT. I THINK IT MUST HAVE BEEN ONE OF THOSE THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY MOM OR DAD GROWING UP. (UPON GIVING IT MORE THOUGHT, THOUGH, THEY PROBABLY PREPARED THE BATTER IN TIME, BUT THEN HAD TO WAIT UNTIL ALL SIX OF US SCHEUERMANN KIDS WERE UP TO BEGIN FIGURING OUT THE REGIMEN OF SERVING BREAKFAST TO ALL OF US). BUT, ALONG THE YEARS, I CONVINCED MYSELF THAT ‘THE WAIT” WAS A NECESSARY STEP IN THE PANCAKE-PREPARATION-AND-SERVING PROCESS. IT GAVE THE BATTER TIME TO MIX THROUGH, AND PERHAPS FOR THE YEAST, THE LEAVENING AGENT, TO DO ITS THING SO THE PANCAKES WOULD BE FLUFFY AND DELICIOUS, AND NOT FLAT.
WELL, THIS PARTICULAR MORNING, AT THE COTTAGE, THE PANCAKES CAME OUT EXTREMELY FLAT. AND, QUITE HONESTLY, WITHOUT THE BUTTER AND REAL MAPLE SYRUP, I VENTURE TO SAY THEY WOULD HAVE TASTED LOUSY. I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE THE BOX OF MIX STAYED IN THE CUPBOARD OVER THE WINTER, UNTOUCHED. DON’T GET ME WRONG, IT WAS SEALED UP SECURELY; THERE WEREN’T ANY BUGS IN IT OR ANYTHING. IT SIMPLY HAD SAT, UNATTENDED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WHEN I READ JESUS’ PARABLE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BEING LIKE YEAST THAT A WOMAN “MIXES WITH THREE MEASURES OF FLOUR UNTIL ALL OF IT WAS LEAVENED”, IT MADE ME THINK OF MY FAITH, AND, IN ESSENCE, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I SIMPLY PUT THAT ON A SHELF FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND DON’T TEND TO IT? IT BECOMES FLAT AND TASTE-LESS.
I’M NOT SURE THAT WHEN JESUS TOLD THIS STORY HE WAS THINKING ABOUT PANCAKES BEING SERVED AT THE FAMILY COTTAGE, BUT THE PARABLE, THE STORY, AS THEY SAY “WORKS FOR ME”.
THAT IS HOW IT IS WITH PARABLES. JESUS TAKES SIMPLE THOUGHTS, SPARKS OUR IMAGINATION AND THOUGHT PROCESS, AND WE EXPERIENCE A LEARNING IN THE PROCESS. AND, IF WE’RE KEEN TO HIS TEACHINGS, WE GROW CLOSER TO THAT “KINGDOM OF HEAVEN” THAT HE MENTIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
IN THE WORDS WRITTEN BY MATTHEW, JESUS TAKES THESE SIMPLE THINGS, THESE SIMPLE THOUGHTS, AND LETS US KNOW WHAT POWER IS IN THEM.
THE TINIEST MUSTARD SEED BECOMES THE LARGEST BUSH AND IN TURN, A REFUGE FOR BIRDS.
THE YEAST IS MERELY ONE INGREDIENT IN THE WOMAN’S BREAD PREPARATION, YET IT CAUSES THE ENTIRE MIX TO BECOME LEAVENED AND TURN INTO A FINE LOAF OF BREAD.
THE HIDDEN TREASURE IN THE FIELD IS TUCKED AWAY AT ONE POINT, AND LATER, THE PERSON SELLS EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO BUY THE FIELD WHERE THE TREASURE IS.
THE MERCHANT IN SEARCH OF FINE PEARLS. PEARLS, WHICH JESUS’ LIKENS TO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE POWERFUL OR SUBJECT TO GROWTH OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THINGS AROUND IT, BUT THEY ARE SOMETHING OF GREAT VALUE. THE KINGDOM OF GOD, PERHAPS WE CAN REPLACE THE WORD GOD WITH HEAVEN, IS SOMETHING OF VALUE TO ALL OF US.
THE FISHING NET CAST INTO THE DEEP SEA BRINGS BACK FISH OF ALL TYPES FROM THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA. AGAIN, SOMETHING OF VALUE, SOMETHING THAT ONE GOES IN SEARCH OF, IN THIS CASE THE FISHERMEN.
NOW, WOULDN’T IT HAVE BEEN EASIER FOR JESUS TO GATHER GROUPS OF PEOPLE, SIT THEM DOWN, AND SAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS:
OKAY, FOLKS, HERE’S THE SCOOP. THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A GREAT PLACE THAT YOU SHOULD STRIVE FOR. YOU SHOULD LIVE YOUR LIVES FULLY. YOU SHOULD DO GOOD THINGS AND TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. YOU SHOULD HONOR GOD AND LIVE AS YOU KNOW HE WOULD LIKE YOU TO LIVE. IF YOU DO ALL THAT, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS YOURS. OKAY, THANKS FOR LISTENING.
NOW, WHAT IMAGINATION IS THERE IN THAT STORY? THERE IS NO WAY WE COULD CALL THAT A PARABLE. HOW CAN YOU TAKE THOSE WORDS FROM JESUS, AS I HAVE CHANGED THEM, AND MAKE THEM HAVE MEANING IN YOUR LIFE AS YOU PREPARE PANCAKE BATTER AT THE COTTAGE, OR GO OFF ON A TRIP TO COLORADO TO ENHANCE YOUR FAITH JOURNEY? IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, IT DOESN’T WORK.
SO, HERE WE ARE, LEARNING FROM JESUS’ STORY-TELLING. WHEN I RE-READ THESE PARTICULAR PARABLES AND RELATE THEM TO “COLORADO KIDS”, THE TWO I KEEP COMING BACK TO ARE THE MUSTARD SEED AND THE YEAST. THIS JOURNEY FOR THESE KIDS AND ADULTS THIS YEAR IS LIKE THE TINIEST MUSTARD SEED THAT CAN FLOURISH AND BECOME A LARGE BUSH. THERE WERE THINGS SEEN OUT IN GOD’S BEAUTY, THINGS THOUGHT AND SHARED WHILE ON A VERY CHALLENGING PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL JOURNEY, THAT WILL FLOURISH AND BECOME LARGE THINGS IN OUR LIVES. PERHAPS ONE PERSON HELPED ANOTHER LIGHTEN THE LOAD IN THEIR BACKPACK, OR SAID AN ENCOURAGING WORD OR TWO JUST WHEN IT WAS NEEDED. PERHAPS SOMEWHERE ON OR NEAR THE MOUNTAIN-TOP, SOMEONE REMEMBERED A “HIRE A COLORADO KID” PROJECT THEY DID, OR A CAR WASH, OR SOMETHING THAT SOMEONE FROM THIS CONGREGATION DID THAT HELPED SUPPORT THIS TRIP………
TINY MUSTARD SEEDS THAT FLOURISH AND BECOME LARGE BUSHES, AND EVENTUALLY A REFUGE FOR BIRDS.
COULD ANY OF THE GROUP MAKE IT OUT ON THE TRAIL, HIKING AT HIGH ALTITUDES, WITHOUT ANYONE ELSE? HOW ABOUT WITHOUT ANY FAITH OR CONFIDENCE OR INNER STRENGTH? ……THE YEAST THAT BRINGS THE OTHER INGREDIENTS TOGETHER……THE INGREDIENT THAT HAS THE POWER TO TRANFORM EVERYTHING AROUND IT.
HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO BE LIKE THE MUSTARD SEED OR THE YEAST, BEYOND THIS TRIP? HOW ABOUT THOSE OF US WHO DIDN’T EXPERIENCE THIS YEAR’S COLORADO TRIP, OR THIS PARTICULAR FAITH JOURNEY? WHAT LEARNINGS ARE THERE FROM THE PARABLES IN TODAY’S GOSPEL READING……..THE STORIES THAT JESUS TELLS SO WELL? SIMPLE, ORDINARY THINGS THAT HELP EXPLAIN THE EXTRAORDINARY.
THE MUSTARD SEED, THE SMALLEST OF ALL THE SEEDS, THAT SOMEONE TOOK AND SOWED IN HIS FIELD. LET’S CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO SOW SEEDS. LET’S BECOME THE GREATEST OF SHRUBS. LET’S MARVEL AT THE GROWTH THAT COMES FROM ONE TINY SEED THAT WE PLANT, OR, BETTER YET, MANY TINY SEEDS. THOSE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT OR HELPING HANDS, LIKE OUT ON THE MOUNTAIN TRAIL, OR ……. BACK HERE IN OUR HOMES, AT WORK, AND IN THIS FEDERATED FAITH FAMILY.
LET’S NOT LET THE EXPERIENCES OF THE COLORADO TRIP BECOME LIKE THE PANCAKE MIX IN THE COTTAGE…….SOMETHING WE PUT ON THE SHELF AND FORGET ABOUT.
THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE YEAST THAT A WOMAN TOOK AND MIXED IN ……. UNTIL ALL OF IT WAS LEAVENED. LET EACH OF US BE CHALLENGED ENOUGH TO TRANSFORM WHAT IS AROUND US. “BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD” IS A POINGNANT QUOTE OF GHANDI WHICH HAPPENS TO BE ON A BOX OF NOTE CARDS I HAVE AT HOME. BE THE YEAST THAT CAN TRANSFORM EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.
LET US PRAY
DEAR GOD, THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER SAFE AND MEANINGFUL COLORADO FAITH JOURNEY. WE ARE SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR THIS SUPPORTIVE CONGREGATION AND FOR THE FAMILIES OF THIS YEAR’S “COLORADO KIDS” AND ADVISORS. THANK YOU FOR THE THOUGHTS THAT WERE SHARED BY THEM TODAY AND FOR THE MANY STORIES AND THOUGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED AND WILL BE SHARED OUTSIDE OF THIS MORNING’S WORSHIP SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS AS TOLD IN THE PARABLES WHICH WE HEARD TODAY. HELP US TO LEARN FROM THESE STORIES AND TO REALIZE THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, AS WE REMEMBER EVERY TIME WE SAY YOUR PRAYER….”THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”.
CONTINUE TO REMIND US THAT YOUR POWER IS WORKING IN US, AND THROUGH US AND AMONG US.
BE WITH EACH MEMBER OF THIS YEAR’S COLORADO TRIP AS THEY CONTINUE TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERIENCES THEY HAD, FROM THE FAITH THEY HAD IN EACH OTHER AND IN YOU. IN YOUR NAME, WE PRAY. AMEN.