Are You Listening To This?

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WELCOME

Introduce worship leaders

Let us know you are here

This is a communion worship service. If you would like to take communion at your home you can stop the video now and prepare. We have instructions for you in the comments.

ENTRANCE

WELCOME Rob

GREETING

OPENING PRAYERS AND PRAISE

Call TO WORSHIP Liturgist

God scatters the seeds of reconciliation and love, and waits. So much of it lands on flat pathways or rocky roads and won’t take root. God scatters the seeds of healing and hope, and waits. Shallowness and fear claim the seeds and they cannot live. God scatters the seeds of redemption and peace, and waits. These are the places of deep growth where the seed will cast down strong roots. Welcome this day to a seed-scattering station! May our hearts be the rich soil in which God’s love takes root.

OPENING PRAYER Liturgist

Lord, you know us so well. We thank you for your presence in our lives, even when we don’t recognize it. This day we have gathered, coming from a week of unexpected happenings and events which have surprised us. Make us ready to become stronger witnesses for your love as we receive your word and find our spirits and lives healed. AMEN

MUSIC #399 Take My Life And Let It be All verses

PASTORAL PRAYER Liturgist

God who plants seeds of hope and justice within our lives, we are so grateful for this community of faith and for all, anywhere, who hunger and thirst for your healing, reconciling word. You know all the things that are on our hearts today and you bring us together in love and support. We ask your healing mercies with those who struggle with illness of every kind, with feeling lost and marginalized; for those who mourn and for whom the darkness of sorrow enshrouds them. We ask your growth-producing love for all those who celebrate and rejoice today. Be with each one of us and all those whom we have named in our hearts before you. Help us to reach out to each other in compassion and support, for we ask these things in Jesus’ name. AMEN

LORD’S PRAYER Liturgist

Scripture

Matthew 13:1–9 The Message

At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

MUSIC Heart of Worship

Introduction

Today we begin a 4 week series on the Parables about the Kingdom of Heaven in chapter 13 of Matthew. Let’s talk for a second about what a parable is and why Jesus used them.

One of Matthew’s purposes in writing his gospel to was to make or teach disciples. He presents Jesus as the Son of God and organizes his ministry and message in a form that can be easily remembered and/or memorized thus instructing his community in the meaning of discipleship.

A parable is a short vivid fictional story using figurative imagery to teach important truths. A parable disarms the audience and draws the listener in, letting the listener decide what his or her response should be. Remember this as we explore these parables. They are calling us for a response or better yet to action and that action is both general, that is for the church and specific, for you and me! They are not informational but transformational. They are meant to transform us from the inside out.

All rabbis taught in parables. However, Jesus used parables differently than the other rabbis. The other rabbis used parables to expound on the Law. Jesus used parables to talk about God’s relationship with humanity. Rabbinic parables always rested on scripture for authority. Jesus parables rest on him for authority. When Jesus used parables it was a creative and disarming way to revolutionize his audience’s thinking about the Kingdom of God, especially in relation to what other rabbi’s had been teaching.

OK, now let’s set the context of Chapter 13.

Background

Jesus is teaching on the sabbath. He has been chastised by the religious leaders for plucking grains to eat on the sabbath and healing on the sabbath. They even accuse him of casting out demons because he is a demon! Much of this takes place in a home in Capernaum which is probably Peter and/or Andrew's home. The crowd becomes so great that he leaves the house and goes to the edge of the Sea of Galilee, he enters a boat and floats a bit off shore to continue teaching. For the first time in the Gospel of Matthew Jesus teaches in parables.

Exegesis and Application

If we have been coming to church for any length of time we have heard many of these parables preached. In fact, the one today should be familiar to those of you that have been church goers or BIble readers for a while.

Here’s the problem for us. We have already interpreted the parable before we have heard the sermon. In fact the title of the Parable, “The Parable of the Sower” in most Bibles already makes an interpretation. But, I prefer to call this parable “The Parable of the Harvest.” You can see how we title a parable already makes an interpretation for us. Our struggle is always hearing parables as the first time, Just like Jesus’ audience’s heard them.

What Jesus’ audience heard on the surface of this parable was nothing new. Jesus is describing how seeds are sown. Since his audience was primarily agrarian what he describes here is a twice yearly occurrence in the fall and spring when seeds are sown and fields are plowed. Notice the seed is sown before the field is plowed. That’s the way it was often done then.

Unusual to us, because farmers today spend a lot of time making sure the soil is ready. In Jesus day, there was no preparation. Thus, much of the seed being lost was not unusual to the crowd. Its hard for us to understand how much seed could be lost.

What or who do you identify with in this Parable? The sower? Are you one that has tried to share the gospel with folks that let the seed wither? Or reject it outright so the birds gobble it up? Or have you watched someone in which the seed germinates then withers?

Are you the seed? Are you struggling to germinate and to grow and to yield fruit?

Are you the soil? Are you tending more to the environment of the seed? Making sure the soil healthy. From a gardening website: “Healthy soil is important. It gives your plants food and water and helps them grow and give higher yield with less effort. Good soil is dark- colored and crumbly when you feel it with your fingers. To keep your soil healthy, remember to: Use well-drained soil. Avoid soil erosion, Stay off wet soil, Add compost to improve your soil . Have your soil tested.

In these days is it the soil or the seed that is being tested or both? 2020 so far has been quite a test hasn’t it? being separated from our families in quarantine. Having to mask. Watching baseball in empty stadiums. Fires in California. Polarization that has resulted in the lack of civility. Worshipping virtually or in your car.

It was the harvest that was amazing to the crowd. To put it in better perspective this is how it is translated in the NRSV

1 The New Revised Standard Version The Parable of the Sower

Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The story of the sowing of the seed would not have been unusual. But the yield would have made them gasp! The average field in Jesus day would yield 10 fold. That is for every bushel of seed you harvest ten bushels. Here though, the seed that fell into the good soil yielded 30, 60, even one hundred fold! That was miraculous. It just didn’t happen!

Depending on where you identify this could be titled the Parable of the Sower. The Parable of the Seed. The Parable of the Soils. Or The parable of the yield or harvest. Depends on what you hear.

Jesus says in verse 9 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” If this is the parable of the yield, what do you hear? Jesus is asking, “Do you understand the yield.?” Do yo understand the harvest?

Could this really be the focus of the parable for 2020? That against all odds that the seed can indeed produce a miraculous harvest? Depends on ow you hear it I guess.

Jesus tells the disciples in the following verses that he teaches in Parables so that the mysteries of the kingdom will be hidden to all but his followers.

Matthew 13:11–15 NRSV

He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ‘You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’

Ladies and gentlemen I submit to you we are the yield. The seed is the life changing, life giving gospel. It is not the soil that is life giving. The response of the soil is the response of our heart, our interior, that indicates the impact of the kingdom of heaven in us. The yield is the transformation of us and the world in Jesus Christ, the sower. The yield is all God’s doing!

Are you understanding really understanding?

Jesus sows the seed everywhere to everyone for there is no partiality in God! No one is shut out of the Kingdom that desires to enter the Kingdom. No one! This means that we scatter the seed everywhere for God is the one who produces the miraculous yield.

You are a miraculous yield. What is your response? This is a call to action. What will you do with your yield? Will you waste it by building barns to keep it in? Or will you share it with the community, so the community is transformed.

During the 18th century in England there was a woman who had heard the story of Jesus, yet she didn’t feel like she was good enough for Jesus. She thought she was unworthy. One day, in despair and depression she went into a small church, and took a seat in the back trying not to be noticed. Suddenly in the middle of the sermon, the preacher stopped, pointed a finger at her and said, “You there! Sitting in the back! You can be saved now! You don’t need anything!” Suddenly it clicked for her. All those seeds others had sown had been harvested that night in the little church. A miraculous yield. 

You see that is what we are doing. An invite to church. Teaching a Sunday school class. Inviting somone to your small group. Cooking and serving at Good News. Serving at the food pantry. Making a phone call to someone you are concerned about. All seeds that come from the miraculous yield. We do not have to convince anybody of anything. The Holy Spirit does that. All we are asked to do is love people. Seeds come from miraculous harvests,

That woman in the story? She went home and wrote this hymn:

Just as I am, without one plea

But that thy blood was shed for me

And that thou biddest me come to thee

O Lamb of God I come . . .

That woman was hymnist Charlotte Elliott.

Are you listening to this? Really listening?

CONFESSION: Liturgist

Lord, forgive us when we doubt your mercy and your love. We are so caught up in getting everything that we want; and we want it all right now. We have trouble waiting and remembering that it is in the waiting that we might hear your voice. It is difficult for us to believe that we can be fruitful, good soil for your words and work. We find excuses not to be attentive to you, but to focus instead on our own desires. Slow us down, Lord. Remind us again of your mercy and your love; for we offer this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.

WORDS OF ASSURANCE Liturgist

God hears your cries and heals your wounded hearts. God is preparing you for good things to come. Place your trust in God who has always loved you and will always love you. AMEN.

THE EUCHARIST

INVITATION TO THE TABLE Rob

We are experiencing Holy Communion in a new way today. Though physically separated from one another, We are still bound together as family through our baptism. As members of the household of God we now join together virtually, Yet still present to one another as we gather from across the miles. This presence is marked by our shared praises and prayers,

Our shared hearing and affirming of God’s word, and now our shared eating.

THE GREAT THANKSGIVING Rob & Liturgist

R: The Lord be with you.

K: And also with you.

Rob: We are one bread, one body, one cup of blessing. Though we are many throughout the earth And this church community is scattered, In your many kitchens, and living rooms, Rest your hands lightly upon these elements Which we set aside today to be a sacrament

Let us ask God’s blessing upon them.

Liturgist: Gentle Redeemer, there is no lockdown on your blessing And no quarantine on grace. Send your Spirit of life and love, Power and blessing Upon every table where your child shelters in place, That this Bread may be broken and gathered in love And this Cup poured out to give hope to all. Risen Christ, live in us, that we may live in you. Breathe in us, that we may breathe in you.

Words of Remembering

Rob: We remember that Paul the apostle Wrote letters to congregations through places We now call Greece, Turkey and Macedonia, And they were the first “remote” worship resources. Our online service has a long heritage.

Liturgist: The Communion words sent to the church at Corinth were these:

For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, That the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed Took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, You proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Rob: Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.

Make them to be for us the body and blood of Christ that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.

By your Spirit, make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory, and we feast at his heavenly banquet.

Through your Son Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,

All honor and glory is yours, almighty Father, Now and forever.

Sharing of the Elements

Rob: Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Bread of Heaven. We are one in Christ in the bread we share. Let us in our many places receive the gift of God, the Cup of Blessing. We are one in Christ in the cup we share.

Prayer of Thanksgiving (After Receiving the Elements)

Liturgist: Let us pray in thanksgiving for this meal of grace, Rejoicing that, by the very method of our worship, We have embodied the truth that Christ’s love Is not limited by buildings made with human hands, Nor contained in human ceremonies, But blows as free as the Spirit in all places.

Spirit of Christ, you have blessed our tables and our lives.

May the eating of this Bread give us courage to speak faith and act

Love, not only in church sanctuaries, but in your precious world,

And may the drinking of this Cup renew our hope

Even in the midst of pandemic.

Wrap your hopeful presence around all

Whose bodies, spirits and hearts need healing,

And let us become your compassion and safe refuge. Amen.

SENDING FORTH

MUSIC

BENEDICTION Liturgist

God has placed the seed of love and forgiveness in your heart. Go into God’s world with joy, telling of the good news of God’s abundant, lavish love for all creation. Go to be a witness to all the miraculous possibilities for hope and peace.

Go in joy to Love Christ Love People and Help People Love Christ

Amen