Sermon Sunday 16^th July 6^th Sunday after Trinity

 Principal Service

Continuous:

Genesis 25.19–end

Psalm 119.105–112

Romans 8.1–11

Matthew 13.1–9, 18–23 scripture quote, v9 Let anyone with ears listen.

 This mornings gospel readings is a well known story from scripture. In fact if you go into our remembrance chapel you will see our stain glass window depicts the sower throwing his grain. I think when we hear stories we are familiar with two things can happen. One, we think, oh yeah I know this and switch off! Or two we go oh yeah I know this and make assumptions about what is being said. When this story is read there is a tendency to see the finality of the result for each seed, as if there is no hope for the seed that fell on rocky ground or unfertilised soil. Yet it is not for us to make that judgement.

In our story from genesis we see how things don’t always turn out the way we expect. Esau is born first and is therefore destined to inherit, yet it is Jacob who becomes the ancestor to the people of Israel. The idea of primogeniture is very ancient, but it was created by humans through the development of society as a way of keeping order. Yet here, through the actions of Jacob, we see that God is not held down by societies conventions. God’s will, will be worked out in the face of societies conventions, it is up to us to open our eyes to the will of God through the working of the Holy Spirit.

 Going back to the parable, Jesus is giving examples of what can stop someone from acting on the teachings of God. Yet I don’t believe it’s going to stop God from throwing that seed with abandon everywhere. Instead of seeing the seeds as individual people, I think we should see the seed as a time in a persons life. Let me explain. 

Imagine the seed is a story from the Bible. A child goes to school and hears the story of the prodigal Son, but they find it difficult to understand. Maybe it’s because life at home makes it hard for them to relate to this story. The child grows and later hears the story of the feeding of the five thousand, but they just think it’s nonsense and they are assured by their mates that it’s a silly fairytale. In adulthood they go to a wedding and hear a reading from Corinthians and although it sounds quite nice, they don’t believe it’s true. One day they notice the church is open and they wonder inside. They look at the stain glass windows. They come upon one of the windows which shows a man with seed in a bag throwing it around himself. They wonder, what does that mean? But they are too scared to ask the steward for fear of seeming stupid. Time passes and they have a child of their own and their mum keeps saying they should have their child Christened. They’re not sure but they think well it will be nice to get together with friends, what harm will it do? Their child is baptised and they hear the story about doubting Thomas. They wonder to themselves about that story and think maybe it’s ok to ask questions? Time passes and they notice the church is open and they wonder in with their child. They look around at the stain glass windows and they see the window with the sower, the child asks what it’s about and they have the courage to ask the steward this time. The steward tells them it’s based on the parable of the sower and is about God sharing the word and love of God with everyone and is encouraging all Christians to help the seed grow. The child and their parent wonder home but both feel that they want to find out more, so they look online and find out about a Christian holiday club. Years pass and the child is now an adult and works a Chaplain in a hospital. They are there beside their mum on her death bed and they share memories together and pray together and know that she will be welcomed into the kingdom of God when she dies.

The seed came upon this person multiple times and from our perspective the seed died from lack of nutrition or was chocked by weeds, but God believes it is worth continuing to throw that seed in this persons direction.

 Did each encounter prepare the soil for the next? Maybe? As Christians what was the successful outcome? Was it that the child became a chaplain? Or was it that on her death bed she was able to be at peace? We don’t know for sure what shoots came from each encounter, only God knows the journey of this person and each of us. As disciples of Christ it is only our responsibility to share the word of God and the inclusive nature of God.

 At St Mary’s we offer a wide variety of initiatives to our community that may not seem at first glance to have anything to do with the Kingdom of God. For example Wednesdays creating space offers a time to be creative and social together in church, there is no service or structure to the activity but it is opening this building to the community so that they can have the opportunity to use it and feel at home here. That may lead those who go along to come to other events and maybe even services, but it is not seen as a failure if people who go to Creating Space, don’t go to services at this church. Throwing the seed in that direction of the community is worth it if one little shoot eventual comes from it. St Mary’s kitchen, which is a recent initiative, is basically using the money raised by you at tea and coffee to support those seeking asylum by giving them a space to cook for themselves and their families meals that bring them comfort. Both physically and emotionally. Throwing seeds in this direction again may not produce shoots that we see as a community, but we have no idea what providing that kind of hospitality could produce in the future.

 As disciples of Christ we are being invited us to share the seeds of the Kingdom of God with anyone and everyone. We are privileged to live in a place where we have the freedom to do this without fear. It’s not about forcing our beliefs upon people or threatening people with eternal damnation if they don’t believe what we do. Rather, it is about building relationships, friendship and providing hospitality. That is the good soil that we can create, with the help of the Holy Spirit the word of God can become the light to someone’s path that leads them to where the good soil is and allows the seeds to grow. So let us be inspired by God to throw the seed with abandon and pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit within us, that seed may grow.

Amen