Mark 4:26-34, Two Parables About Seeds June 18 , 2006 The Rev. Diane Livingston, Deacon Church of the Resurrection, Starkville, Mississippi There is much in today’s Gospel about seeds and planting and growing and harvesting. The parables direct us to ways that the Kingdom of God is like some of these things associated with seeds. In the parable the one who scatters the seed doesn’t know how the seed sprouts and grows and becomes a harvest ready to reap. Often the growth of God’s Kingdom in the world is beyond human understanding or control. Yet there are times when people may recognize its progress and actually play a part in it. In the second parable today about the mustard seed, we are reminded that God indeed often uses the most unexpected vehicle to bring about the Kingdom. As I read and thought about the scripture during the past few days, I kept coming to the children. I pondered about how the things that go on here in church and through the people of the church affect the lives of the youngest among us. Like the one in the parable who scattered the seeds and then watched them sprout and grow and yet does not know how it all works, we potentially are ones who do the same with the lives around us. What our children are exposed to with regularity and enthusiasm, sometimes without their total willingness as most adults keenly know, often does impact on them. It may not be immediately that results- or the harvest, to use the parable language - happen but definitely seeds are scattered and many do sprout and do produce a harvest. It does truly matter whether we are here regularly and part of corporate worship. Seeds are not planted or sprouted with only irregular intermittent attention. We need the insight and support of other Christians around us - those who are like us and those who are different from us. Sometimes as God’s People we don’t understand all that is happening but more often than not we play a role in this amazing Kingdom. We can’t control God’s Kingdom by plotting out who we think God will use and who will impact who. But we have to put ourselves in the field regularly and be a part of the Body of Christ to give ourselves and those we influence the best chance possible of experiencing God’s Kingdom. As I dwelled on children and the effects of what they are exposed to, I recalled some dear examples: a friend of mine who has 11 grandchildren shared one day about sitting at a child’s table with her then 3 year old twin granddaughters as they had a tea party. One passed a tea cup to the other and said, “This is the cup of summation; have some.” The other received it and said, “Mmmmm, the cup of summation; it’s good.” She smiled realizing that they were referring to the eucharist cup of salvation and the words spoken at the church altar to which their parents brought them regularly. A family we came to know and enjoy a lot at seminary had 2 young boys at that time. As their mother Barbara watched them play in their front yard after a rain storm which had created a large puddle, she saw each one take a running start and then jump as high and as hard as he could. As the first one landed in the puddle he shouted, “I baptize you in the name of the Father.” The second one right on his heels jumped and shouted, “And I baptize you in the name of the Son.” And, yes, you guessed it: the first one was back for another jump and shouted, “ And I baptize you in the name of Holy Spirit.” The sheer pleasure of enjoying water on a hot afternoon was coupled with what obviously had made an impression on them while being part of baptisms. Finally, one more child story: at a home communion in another community we gathered and the host couple explained that their 4 year old niece from out of town had come to spend several days with them after her mother had unexpectedly been put to bed with pregnancy problems. They had set up a little table in front of the table that would be the altar that evening and to keep her occupied had put out a paint-with-water book and a cup of water and a paint brush. Those present formed a semi-circle around the altar and the service started. I happened to stand directly behind this little girl and as the service went on I could tell that she had stopped painting and had became totally absorbed in what was happening. Her eyes were glued on Bill who was celebrating and she seemed mesmerized by what has happening at the altar that she was directly in front of. As he held up the bread and then the chalice with wine to consecrate them, she stood up, totally oblivious of everyone else in the room. Without any hesitation, she reached down and lifted the water cup as she watched Bill lift the eucharist chalice. Others had begun to notice how she was responding and it indeed was an awe-filled holy communion. Seeds are scattered; seeds sprout and grow; and yes, a harvest comes. As in the mustard seed story, we are often surprised to see that the most unexpected vehicle is what God uses. That the mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, becomes the greatest shrub of all and actually makes branches that give aid to other creatures is not what we may have expected. Realizing that God often chooses the most unlikely to be the bearer of God’s Kingdom hopefully may give cause to each of us to be humble in all of our encounters. This morning I used examples of children but it is important to remember that all of us are children of God. Whether our encounters are with the chronologically young or those young in their spiritual journey or those well groomed in their faith but who are weary or hurting with their present difficulties, we must give away what we have received. I do not believe that God gives us the gift of faith, or the secrets of the Kingdom as the parable puts it, to keep just for us. God is an inclusive God who desires that all be invited into the Kingdom to know the love of God. If we keep our faith private and do not share with others, we may miss opportunities God gives us to help something needed in a family or a community or the world sprout and grow. As Christians, we are warned not to be discouraged or to give up when it may seem that our testimony to the gospel appears insignificant or even fruitless. As Mother Teresa so aptly put it: never hold your hands in prayer if you are not willing to open them in service. Prayer is vital and never to be underrated but as we pray we must be willing to respond and therein lies the service. And in that service lies the ripe harvest of God. We may see the beauty and majesty of a little seed that became the greatest vehicle of something needed. Also, we must acknowledge that though we may be part of the process, that is, the sowing or the sprouting or the growth but we may not always see the end result or the harvest. We are not in charge of God’s Kingdom and so we must leave what ultimately happens in God’s hands. Our culture dictates that to measure success we must have facts, numbers and all kinds of outcome measurements. This is not the way with God’s Kingdom. To use Mother Teresa’s words again: we are not called to be successful but rather to be faithful. If we have been faithful in what we can do, we have done what God has asked. Let us start in this parish with the children of God all around us: the children, the youth, the adults. Let us see each person with awe and not be afraid to share our faith with them. Let us be brave to enter the world out there and be open to share and love and also to open ourselves to receive God’s Kingdom from unexpected persons. Let us not be reluctant to share the cup of summation, to loudly proclaim the joy of every person’s baptism as they are received as children of God, and to experience regularly the wonder and awe of God’s gift to us every time there is a eucharist feast.