Wadhams United Church of Christ
2569 County Route 10, Wadhams, NY 12993
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Mark 4:1-9
As I was doing my preparation for today, my mind kept running back to a magical garden I once had when we lived in Jay. This one year, a drifter who lived somewhere just outside of town asked if it would be okay for him to till part of our yard for a garden. Being so surprised that he had a work ethic, I agreed to let him do it. Besides, he had promised us that we could help ourselves to anything that grew there. So he planted corn, zucchini, cucumbers, and tomato plants, and we enjoyed a lovely mix of fresh vegetables that year.
The following year, the drifter had surprisingly moved somewhere else, so I decided that I would use part of the tilled plot to plant wildflowers. (Be patient, I’m getting to the magical part.) The spring was a pretty damp one, and between the soggy soil and my procrastinating tendencies, I didn’t actually sow any seed until the end of June. I had fallen in love with the Vermont Wildflower Farm, and had bought a canister of seeds earlier in the year that promised a carefree garden that would yield blooms all through the various phases of the North Country growing season.
Because I’d been so late in scattering the seed, though, we didn’t actually see any flowers until well into August. And here’s the magical part: just as Labor Day was rolling around, our wildflower garden was in full bloom. Everything was wackily growing out of season, with early bloomers mixed in with the late ones. While the rest of our domesticated flowers were looking shaggy around the edges, the wildflowers were growing like crazy. Well after everyone else’s gardens had bloomed and faded, my magical wildflower garden was bursting with colorful blooms.
You’re probably wondering what all of this has to do with the parable of the sower. I was frankly puzzled by that, too, but I’ve learned that if I just plunge in to my special world of magical gardens and the like, there’s usually something worthwhile in the story. Here’s the link: I related to something in the sower. If I had done my garden the way it was supposed to be done, I would have sown the seed a lot earlier, and my wildflowers would have bloomed when they were supposed to bloom. But being the wacky kind of guy I am, I went ahead and scattered the seed anyway, even if it was nearly the fourth of July, not even knowing if I was going to have a garden or not, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
Did you happen to notice where this guy in Jesus’ story was throwing his seeds? Remember, this guy’s family supposedly depends on his simple ability to grow some crops, and the seed was either saved from last year’s stuff or purchased with his hard-earned money. With everyone’s future livelihood riding on the outcome of his efforts, he takes the seed out and whips it everywhere: he throws it on the footpath, he tosses it on the shallow soil with the rocks sticking out, he flings it into the tangle of thorny briars over in a corner, it’s blowing out into the road, there’s some landing in the ponds and brooks, and a little bit even lands where it’s supposed to. This guy’s a candidate for sowers anonymous. I’m surprised they didn’t find some seeds growing in the driveway, or up in the rain gutters, or in those grassy little hollows you sometimes find between huge boulders. He’s like Johnny Appleseed on steroids.
I know I’m supposed to stop at this point and contemplate what kind of soil God wants us to be, but we’ve all heard at least one too many sermons on that topic. I’m much more interested in this wacky farmer. The neighbors probably had to stop inviting him over, because he would reach into his pockets and throw some seed in their swimming pools, or on the deck, or maybe even on the new carpet. I’m personally convinced that if Jesus had played the story out a little bit more, he could have told us a gripping story of the intervention the farmer’s family and friends had to have to help save this man from his irrational obsession with scattering seeds wherever he went.
Instead, there’s a twist in the tale. When his befuddled disciples ask him to explain his story, he sighs deeply and replies as if they were hopelessly ignorant school children: If you can’t understand this story, how will you understand all the other stories I’m going to tell? The farmer I talked about is the one who brings God’s message to others. The parable isn’t about what kind of soil God wants us to be; it’s about this wacky farmer who goes around flicking seed wherever he goes. Jesus is grooming them to be just like that farmer, and he’s preparing them for the fact that not everyone is going to respond or grow in the same way. The moral of the story is that as followers of Jesus, we’re supposed to grow up to be just like the wacky farmer.
I know, it seems downright unreasonable, if not completely foolish, but let’s stay with it for a while to see where our teacher might be taking us. Even though we may not understand as much about God as we would like, part of the journey of faith is to scatter God’s message wherever we go. Even though we may consider some people to be highly unlikely or unsuitable candidates for the message, it’s not up to us to be selective about who we share that message with. Even though it’s been more than ten years, I still remember a patient I visited as a hospice chaplain. His daughter wanted to introduce me as a friend, not a chaplain. “He’s been a devout agnostic his entire life,” she explained. “Having you come for a visit was my idea, not his. I don’t think he’d be very receptive to a minister’s visit.”
Being the wacky guy I am, I had a different approach to the whole thing. “Let’s just be honest about it,” I suggested. “If God is in this visit in any way, then God will take care of it.” I could tell she didn’t like the idea, but she reluctantly agreed. She brought me into the room. “Daddy, there’s a minister here to see you.” I think we were both holding our breath to see what would happen next, but neither one of us was prepared for what actually happened. After a few minutes of dead silence while he digested the information, he stuck his hand out and said, “I’m glad you came. I’ve got some things to tell you about.” Looking over at his daughter, her mouth was wide open in shock. You just never know who needs the message God has entrusted to us, and you never know where you’re supposed to be tossing it around.
There was another guy I visited with for several months. He was a recovering alcoholic, and was pleased that he had been able to work the AA program for more than twenty years. He had sponsored dozens of addicted people, helping them to find a path to sobriety. He had requested chaplain visits, but every time I brought up a spiritual topic or asked a question related to faith, he changed the subject or lapsed into silence. Again, he admitted to being an agnostic, but that was as much as I ever got from him. Even though I found our visits somewhat frustrating, I showed up faithfully, because by this time I was curious as to what was going on.
When he finally died, I was asked to do the eulogy, because I was the only clergy the guy knew. Because he’d had so much influence over so many people, they decided to hold the memorial service in a church, of all places. The place was packed, with standing room only. As I talked about my time with him, I mentioned how difficult it had been to talk about spiritual subjects. The place erupted into wild and riotous laughter. I was stunned by their response, but I kept going. A few minutes later, it was their turn to be stunned. I told them about my last visit with him, the one where he asked me to teach him how to pray. Afterwards, I asked one of his friends about the laughter. “For more than twenty years, he worked the program,” she said. “But he never could deal with the spiritual heart of the program. No one could talk with him about it, not for twenty years.”
It might look like rocky soil to us, or a scruffy patch of tangled briars in someone’s messy life, or an icy pond of total resistance to all things spiritual. But if we’re going to grow up to be like the wacky farmer, we keep tossing the love of God around wherever we go. We never know where it’s going to take root. We have no way of knowing who is like the good soil, or who is going to have the weeds come up and choke out the Spirit’s life within them. I know that some traditions don’t believe that it’s necessary to talk with people about faith, that it can happen all by itself without any help from us, but sometimes people need the human touch to make it real. I needed to hear it from people who had experienced it. I’m thankful that there were some wacky people who didn’t mind telling me how God had transformed their lives.
If someone wants to ask someone about the life of faith, how will they know who to ask if they don’t have some clues? I’m not saying we need to go around handing out tracts to everyone we know, because a seed isn’t the same thing as a fully-matured plant. Jesus didn’t go around drilling holes in people so he could tell them the whole gospel in two minutes or less; instead, he told stories that got people’s interest. He dropped hints and clues wherever he went. Then, when people got interested, they sought him out to ask him their questions, or to receive his healing touch. In the rocky soil of the North Country, it’s easy to get discouraged, because we don’t get much response to our hints, our clues, and even our outright invitations to come join us.
But while we’re out there flicking our seeds, every once in a while, the seed lands where it’s supposed to, and then we’re pleasantly surprised at the outcome. Still other seed fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted… The good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest – thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted. So if we want to grow up to be just like the wacky farmer, we have to learn to be less cautious about the seeds of love we sow.
Just like the lead character in Jesus’ story, we toss the seeds of love in the path we’re on; we throw them on the shallow soil with the rocks of irritability and indifference sticking out; we fling them into the tangled messes we encounter in people’s lives; we pitch them into the swampy areas of people’s overcrowded and overwhelming circumstances; we lob them into the deep nap of those who have grown so comfortable in life that they have a hard time seeing beyond their own needs; we chuck them onto the decks of people who have a wooden approach to life because it’s the only way they know of to manage the chaos that is rampant in their world.
Sure, it’s kind of wacky at first. But after a while, we learn to relax, and even develop an expectant attitude that with all this seed flying around, some of it’s bound to take somewhere, and when it does, all of our effort will seem worthwhile.
Welcome, Announcements, Joys and Concerns
A Candle for Peace NC #575 (vs 3)
Call to Worship (From Ezek. 36 and I Cor 13)
Leader: “If with all your heart you truly seek me, you will surely find me,” says the Lord.
People: Forgive us, Lord, for anything which keeps us from seeking you with our whole hearts.
Leader: Create in us clean hearts and fill them with your love and your Spirit.
People: Teach us to have that love of which St. Paul speaks: Love that is patient and kind. Love that does not envy, does not boast, is not proud.
Leader: Love that is not rude, self-seeking, or easily angered. Love that keeps no record of wrongs, but rejoices with the truth.
People: All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love will go on forever.
Leader: Accept now our worship and praise that come from hearts full of love for you.
Hymn NC #257 Alleluia! Gracious Jesus!
Responsive Prayer
Leader: On this Memorial Day weekend, we give you thanks for this country. We thank you for those who have worked to make this country what it is, from the first brave settlers on.
People: We remember before you, Gracious Lord, those who have died for our freedoms. Help us to live as those who are indebted to others. May we never forget the past.
Leader: We pray for all who suffer the lingering effects of fighting in today’s wars and conflicts. Comfort them, dear God, and give them peace in their hearts and minds.
People: May we learn to pray daily for a world beyond the torment of war and battle, where the lion will lie down with the lamb. We long for that day, Lord.
Leader: We give you thanks for the opportunities we have to gather with our families on this holiday. We pray for people who will be traveling: keep them safe. We remember those who will be alone.
People: We remember before you those from our families who have gone before us into your heavenly realm. May we be blessed by their memories.
Leader: Lord, we also pray for ourselves. Grant us your peace, and ease our troubled hearts. Draw us to yourself, that we may glorify you in all that we do.
Pastoral Prayer, Lords Prayer
Hymn NC #577 God the Omnipotent
Psalm 46, Mark 4:1-9, Ephesians 1:15-23
Sermon
Offering, Doxology, Dedication
Hymn NC #403 My Hope Is Built
Benediction
Leader: Go now, immersed in the deep and abundant love that God lavishes upon us.
People: We go now, rejoicing in the knowledge that no one or no thing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus.
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