Sermon Tone Analysis
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Call to Worship: ,
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Witnessing God at Work: Be a Tree
Apple seeds are not very large.
Apple trees, under the right conditions, can produce up to 800 or more apples PER SEASON
That’s alot of apples from one tiny seed.
Sometimes we compare ourselves to the seeds in the sorts of parables we’re about to read today, but healthy, mature Christians are really the tree, producing fruit that will make more seeds that will grow more trees.
It can take up to 4 or 5 years for a fruit tree to begin producing fruit.
It doesn’t happen right away.
Trees grow where they are planted.
They don’t get to choose where they grow.
The sower does.
We’re not the sower, we’re the seed that grows, flowers, and produces more seeds to be sown!
This week, we’re going to be trees, not seeds.
Show mustard seeds and/or pass around.
Today’s passages don’t all talk about grand trees.
There is a great deal of tree imagery in the Bible, but in our gospel lesson today, Jesus talks about another sort of
Yoga centering: tree pose
Sometimes the way we hold our body can impact the way we set out into our day or what we are about to do.
In solemn prayer, we bow our heads and close our eyes to show reverence.
Sometimes, we need to show strength or celebration.
Centering Prayer: tree pose
Sit or stand tall and still, flat back, shoulders back and down.
Think of your body as one of the trunks of those sturdy cedars of Lebanon the Bible talks about or as a tall fruit tree.
Bring your hands together at your heart in a “prayer hand” way.
Bow your head if you like.
This is just a strong, active version of the traditional head bowed and hands together pose most people pray with at church.
Psalm 92:
With your eyes open or closed (either way), bring your face to the front so the back of your neck is in a straight line with your back - or as straight as you can get it.
If you’re able, you can “grow your branches” as you pray, reaching your hands toward the heavens and thanking God for all the talents and passions that you have been given.
Pray that God will remind you throughout the day that you are not alone, that you are a powerful part of creation, and that you have fruit to bear.
Pray that God will give you opportunities to “drop seeds” by telling other people the story of God’s love in your life.
Mark 4:26-34
Even mustard has a purpose
Everyone grows up with slightly different set of camp fire or youth group or summer camp songs.
I learned to play the guitar as a teenager by playing songs like “They will Know We Are Christians” and “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy”.
Mustard is everywhere, even though it’s not flashy like the giant cedars
One of my favorites was always:
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in the glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You’ll spread His love
To everyone
You’ll want to pass it on
It’s a great song because it encourages us that it’s just the smallest bit of love that can get a raging fire of the Kingdom blazing.
We often see Jesus offering this idea that small things can become big things.
The things we tend to just walk past in our day to day lives are the very things that Jesus cares about.
The little things matter to God.
Jesus says things like “Let the little children come unto me.”
and “The last shall be first.”
and “
and “The Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.”
We see the imagery of trees frequently in Scripture.
303 times that I found in the English Standard Version.
But here, Jesus talks about seeds.
Little, tiny seeds.
And the seeds growing up in this passage are turning into grain and mustard bushes, not the giant cedars of Lebanon or fruit bearing trees of any sort.
Nothing big or flashy.
Even the humble mustard bush has a place in the imagery of heaven.
Trouble in the Text
It’s not exciting like the giant cedars, but mustard is everywhere .
It chokes out weeds and offers rest for the birds.
It provides protection, safety, home.
Sounds pretty heavenly to me.
Seeds grow.
That’s what seeds do.
Many people know the mustard seed parable.
and both mention it as well.
And that’s common.
Most Gospel scholars believe that Mark is the earliest written gospel and that Matthew and Luke each had it handy when they wote their own - copying much of it word for word.
The ideas of “authorship” and “creative property” were different back then and it was common practice to do that sort of thing.
But this little parable about the seed growing - the one right before the story of the mustard seed - it doesn’t make it into Matthew or Luke, unlike the rest of Mark.
You can see why: It’s sort of boring.
The newspaper headline would read, “Man plants seed.
Seed grows.”
Whoopie.
Who’s flipping through (or clicking through) to read that article?
It doesn’t even say what kind of seed it is.
It seems to be some sort of grain, but that’s all we’re given.
We try to jump in and make it grow better.
But that’s what seeds do.
They grow.
Doesn’t matter if we’re there.
“Seeds grow.”
End of parable.
And yet. . .
this is interesting next to the mustard seed.
We want to plant the fancy seeds.
We forget that mustard seeds are just as important as apple seeds or acorns or all the other cool seeds.
We forget that all seeds grow into important things and that the point is the growth, not the prestige.
We forget that God created all seeds and wants all seeds to be given water and sunlight so they can grow.
There are no Unicorns Here
When I was a kid, I remember being sent on a “snipe hunt”.
Sometimes, I think if I hear one more church say their plan for revitalization is to reach out to “young families”, I will scream.
I know.
I probably just raised a few eyebrows.
But I’m serious.
Sure, on paper, it looks like a good idea.
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