Let us with a gladsome mind
(and a version to listen)
Ye servants of God, your master proclaim!
We plough the fields and scatter
(and a version to listen)
To God be the glory,
I bind unto myself the strong name of the Trinity
12th. July 2020 Service
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Call to Worship
God’s Word is a lamp to our feet
and a light to our path.
God’s Word is made visible in Christ
in him we are rooted in truth.
God’s Word is revealed through the Holy Spirit
and lived out in our faithful response.
Come and listen for God’s Word in this time of worship.
We wait with anticipation to receive the Word of Life.
The Collect for today
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Prayer of Adoration and Confession
God our Father, you are the light of the minds that know you,
you are the strength of those who serve you, and
you are the rest of those who look for and find you in Jesus Christ.
God of growth, you sow, you give growth and you gather,
you tend and you prune,
you judge and you save.
God in whom we live and move and have our being,
In worship we come and pause in your presence—
to rest from our work and responsibilities,
to rest from our play and distractions,
to rest from our fears and concerns.
Receive our love and attention during this time of worship
that we may enjoy your presence in our lives and within this world which you love.
Father, as you watch over us,
we confess it is so easy to be sidetracked from the paths of truth and peace.
Preoccupied with our own comfort, we neglect to stand up for those who suffer.
Tempted by what we desire, we fail to protect the earth and respect its limits. Too often we pass by on the other side or expect others to minister grace and blessing to those in need.
In your mercy, give us wisdom to walk in your ways,
the will to seek things that truly matter,
and the grace to renew our relationship with you and with one another.
Assurance of Pardon
The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus sets us free from the power of sin and death. Minister now the word of healing and restoration that we may live as forgiven people, forgiving one another.
Prayer for Understanding
Guide us, O God, by your Word and by your Spirit,
that we may clearly see the way to follow you and have the courage to live by the truth revealed to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer (in the words most familiar to you)
The Readings
Psalm 119:105-112
Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life, Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,
and teach me your laws.
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,
I will not forget your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare for me,
but I have not strayed from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage for ever;
they are the joy of my heart.
112 My heart is set on keeping your decrees
to the very end.
Matthew 13: 1-9, 18-23
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
2 Such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.’
18 ‘Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:
19 when anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.
21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.’
Romans 8:1-11
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,
4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
This is the Word of the Lord, to Him be all praise and glory.
Sermon
Forty-five years ago, today July 12th, I arrived in Prince Edward Island to begin my first ministry. I was ordained eighteen days later in North Tryon Presbyterian Church in a building that is set beside fields of rich red soil in which potatoes are planted and harvested for export all over the world. Apart from a few fishermen from Rustico on the north shore of the Island, all my parishioners in North Tryon, Breadalbane and South Granville were involved in farming. The present building pictured above is double the size it was in 1975 and the faithfulness of the people who worship there is testimony to the good soil which over the years has yielded the fruit of the gospel in PEI. What is encouraging is that today there are a lot of new families and a thriving young people’s ministry, a feature of this congregation for the past 200 years.
It was fascinating to observe the cultivation of potatoes in PEI, from the ploughing, the planting, the growth and the harvest during a short growing period from June to October. In the 1970s the industry was expanding. Sophisticated new techniques were being used with the aid of newly developed chemicals. Seed potatoes were cut into quarters, dusted with hormones and planted. The growing plants were fed with fertilizers and sprayed regularly with insecticides and the tops sprayed to kill them just before harvest. The manse and church were buzzed by small planes and enveloped in clouds of chemicals throughout the summer. In contrast, some of my parishioners would knock the Colorado beetles from the plants in their gardens into a bucket with laundry tongs every morning.
The yield at the end of October was huge. Potatoes the size of mangoes were shipped off to McCain’s or Venezuela or stored in massive warehouses and sprayed to prevent them sprouting or turning green until they were sold. The bounty seemed wonderful. Years later in the early when I visited in the winter, it was sad to see that where there was reduced snow cover, the topsoil blowing into the Gulf of St Lawrence. Chemical fertilizers had stripped many fields of organic matter. This has been rectified in recent years as sustainable techniques have been introduced.
Jesus loved to use agricultural metaphors to illustrate his message. In the parable of the sower his seeds of course were grain, but the point is not what is planted but how it fares once it is in the ground.
The first thing we notice is that the sower is prodigal, profligate, generous. He is over-generous, to the point of being wasteful in his use of the seed.
He almost seems to have squandered valuable seed. Using the ancient rural method of broadcasting by hand, the sower walked up and down the field, scattering seed to right and left as he went. But this sower was not careful. Read it again, and as you do, think about the value of seed in that ancient rural economy:
As he broadcast the seed, some fell on a walking track, and birds swooped down and gobbled them up.
Some fell among the rocks, where the soil was thin. The seed quickly germinated. But their roots were shallow, and the soil soon dried out and the plants withered and died.
Some of the seed fell among thistles. The thistles quickly outgrew the young plants and choked them.
But other seed fell on good soil and yielded a harvest. In some places the yield was a hundredfold, some was sixty and some thirty.”
When seed is precious, what sane farmer would allow some of it to fall on a footpath? Or waste it on thin soil covering sun-baked rocks, or scatter it among thistles? Sowers were normally experts at their job. Each seed was precious. Nothing was wasted.
When I read this story, I have images of the profligacy of the natural world. Picture the spawning of corals, clouds of pollen, the quantity of seeds and fruits our common trees yield each year; how the humble dandelion or willow herb spread without restraint every year. That is the nature of life, and the life of nature as God has intended. Much of reproductive life is sacrificed to feed the billions of other organisms on the planet.
Who is this sower? It is a person who broadcasts the Gospel word of the Kingdom of God. God and his Christ are not put off by those adverse conditions where the soil has been flattened by countless feet, forming a walking path. They deliberately and generously sow some of the seed in tough conditions where souls have been hardened by the traffic of life.
Jesus knew every well that the birds would come and peck up most of the seed. The sparrows are experts. Much of the seed does not stand an earthly chance of making it to harvest. But Jesus knew there is always a heavenly chance!
Yet maybe, just maybe, a few patches of soil will receive the seed. Maybe some of the uncaring feet who walk all over that hardened soil will unknowingly kick a seed into a crevice, or press a few seeds deep into the earth, where they can germinate… Maybe a few seeds at the edges of the road will grow and produce healthy ears of corn.
Some seed fell among stones and rocks, where the soil was thin. This seed quickly germinated. But their roots were shallow, and the soil soon dried out and the plants withered and died.
Here we have the precious seed of God which falls in rocky terrain. Here, spread over the bedrock, are a few patches of receptive though shallow soil, In the flush of early enthusiasm, the seed will take root and sprout. But because this soil is shallow, the hot sunshine soon dries it out and the young plants wither.
There may always be some shallow people around who will get all excited about religion, make an impulsive decision to be Christ’s followers, yet it comes to nothing. A few setbacks happen to them or to their family, sickness or loss of employment hits them, and they turn sour and give up on faith.
You may encounter within the church some “realists “who will say: “Why waste good seed on such shallow people?” To which Jesus the sower says: “Ah, but did you notice two healthy ears still growing in that crevice over there, and another three back to that way?”
Some of the seed fell among thistles. The thistles strongly outgrew the young plants and choked them. What about the seed sown among thistles? The soil may be soft and moist, but the seed does not stand a chance, does it?
Among new converts, any who attempt to keep their faith without changing other aspects of their lives, are doomed to fail. Those who still have their eye focussed on their career or wealth, the latest fashion, and all the deceitful glamour of the world, will soon lose the struggle for spiritual growth in the cause of Christ Jesus. Those who ignore prayer and the sustaining support of Christian fellowship are most at risk. The weeds around them will choke the good seed of Christ.
So why then does the Divine Sower persist in sowing seed among the thistles? The reason defies worldly common sense but is eminently sensible to God. There may be only a scattered few seed that will outgrow the thistles, yet they mature in the faith and produce substantial heads of grain.
This is a particularly challenging parable which has aspects to it which we might find difficult to accept. On reflection we might realise that Jesus was being realistic about how people use their freedom to relate to the gospel. It is designed to be a challenge us, its hearers, to take its message seriously.
Jesus and his Father persist because if there is a chance that a half dozen of seeds may grow and mature, it is a big win. For the sake of a few, Christ Jesus will risk wasting his love on plants living in the inhospitable thistle territory. There is an outbreak of joy in heaven over one sinner who repents and finds abundant life. The numerical return may seem unsustainable to an accountant, but in God’s eyes, the risk is always worth it.
God’s accountancy and ours are poles apart. Praise God it is so, or most of us would not be here today.
“This is God’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes.”
The God of Jesus is determined to maintain a free broadcast policy, spreading the seed of the Gospel among the thistles, on the footpaths, or among the rocks. No adverse conditions are so extreme that he will throw up his hand and says: “Not here. This soil is hopeless.” Jesus will do anything- go the second mile, turn the other cheek, forgive seventy times seven, suffer abuse and betrayal- rather than turn back from his policy of broadcasting the seed of the Gospel in favourable conditions or in inhospitable ones.
No cost is too much for Jesus of Nazareth and his God. Even if the soil must be watered and fed with his own body and blood, he willingly will do so. The Divine commitment it absolute. For his mercies ever endure, ever faithful ever sure.
But other seed fell on good soil and yielded a harvest. In some places the yield was a hundredfold, some was sixty and some thirty.”
The good soil in the parable has excellent results. Some of the best soils produce a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty which is a good yield. Here we must be careful, for it is human nature to compare results. In PEI it often seemed the larger farming operations were more successful. The large field adjoining the Manse was owned by Walter Bell, an eccentric bachelor. His yields were good, maybe in the thirtyfold region. Interestingly his field was managed in the old ways with more crop rotation and fewer chemicals. He is long gone, but he did not lose his topsoil, and today it is looking very lush.
Let no one who produces a hundred-fold look down on those who yield sixty fold, and never allow those who harvest sixty fold to put down those who only manage thirty fold because even in the good soil, conditions vary, opportunities are not the same.
Some parts of a field may receive less rain or may be deficient in trace elements. Parts of the wheat field may be closer to uncultivated land and more subject to attacks by flocks of birds or to raids by scavenging ants. Many factors determine the spiritual yield of the gospel and ultimately the outcome is the gift of God.
There is no room from spiritual superiority in the church of Jesus Christ. We celebrate with the thirty-fold harvest as much as we rejoice with the hundred-fold. For that matter, we equally celebrate with those whose Gospel yield comes in at a modest threefold. And we should rejoice when the footpath or the rocky and weedy places produce an occasional positive result.
The Presbyterian ministry in North Tryon goes back to 1794 started by the Rev’d Dr James McGregor with the present church being built in 1858. In the subsequent years there have been ministries of varying length including that of a deaconess who singlehandedly kept the work alive from 1944 to 1960. Since then, the congregation has remained constant as families have stayed faithful down the generations and as new families have come in. Good soil and good yields require consistent commitment, hard work and care, and a willingness to broadcast the word even in the hardest places where God’s best miracles often happen. One year we added ten new members to North Tryon congregation because of a single encounter with a seriously ill young man in the local hospital whose testimony opened up a remote community called Mount Tryon to the congregation.
In this powerful parable Jesus captures something important about our lives of faith. You and I, of course, are called to be ‘good soil.’ And you and I, all of us — whether we are ministers or not — we are also called to scatter ‘seeds.’ Sometimes they are ‘seeds’ of kindness and compassion and generosity. Other times they are ‘seeds’ shown in acts of courage. Today I have told the story of a small community on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in which the seed of the gospel has been scattered for two-and-a-quarter centuries and is still thriving. We too may scatter ‘seeds’ as we tell stories — especially our own story of how Jesus has changed and shaped our life journeys. And yes, we may believe that all these ‘seeds’ save lives. It may take a long time. In fact, you and I may not be around to see the harvest. But the promise is that when we scatter seeds such as these, some will take root and yield as Jesus says, “some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty…” Amen.
Invitation to the Offering
God invites us to be generous with our time, our talents, and our resources so that God’s Word may spread in the world and bears fruit in each life it touches. Let us give joyfully and generously, sowing seeds of the kingdom of God.
Prayer of Dedication
Generous God, we bring the gifts we have to offer to you, seeds of goodness you planted in our lives which have flourished. Bless and multiply them. Help us to choose wisely how they can best serve your purposes in our church and in your world. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Tender and loving God, you formed the earth
to be a place of joy and abundance for all your creatures.
For food in all its variety and the people who grow it, transport it, and market it, we thank you.
These days of pandemic have shown us how much we depend on others.
We pray for those who do not have enough food,
and for those whose agricultural supply is at risk
through extreme weather, uncertain prices, and social upheaval.
Help us care for the earth and its fruitfulness
And for each other in our common need of its fruits.
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God of all the nations,
You gather people together in communities to care for each other
and enjoy each other’s company and creativity.
Yet the pandemic has revealed there are so many vulnerable people,
so many places where resources are not shared fairly.
Where there is division, bring unity and peace with justice.
Where people are distracted, give wisdom to recognise what is important.
Where people are tired and anxious, bring strength and courage.
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
God of compassion,
You call us to be communities held together
by prayer and love for our neighbours.
Where people mourn loss of any kind, provide comfort.
Where there is illness and pain, bring healing.
Where there is distress or discouragement, transform fear into hope.
By your Spirit, equip us to serve one another in Christ’s name
that your compassion may touch lives with love and mercy.
God, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.
Loving God, we lay before you now our personal concerns in this time of silence:
We offer you these prayers in the name of Jesus Christ,
Benediction
As you have received the seeds of faith and hope; go now into God’s world to scatter the seeds of reconciliation and peace, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Hymns
For Children
The Story of the Seed Sower
This is the lesson that Jesus wanted his disciples to learn, and it is also the lesson that he wants us to learn today. The seed that the sower was planting in the story represents the teachings of God’s Word. Our heart represents the soil where the sower planted the seeds.
Sometimes our Sunday School teacher or our minister is trying plant the teaching of God’s love in our heart. If our heart is hard and filled with anger and bitterness, the teaching falls on hard ground and never grows, just like the seed that fell on the hard ground in the parable that Jesus told.
There are other times when we hear the Word and we get excited about it, but then our excitement fades away because our understanding is too shallow. That’s the way it was with the seed that fell on the rocky soil.
Sometimes we hear the Word and we believe what it says, but we want to keep on doing the same things we have been doing. That is like planting the seed in with a bunch of weeds. I’m sure you can guess what happens. The weeds will soon take over!
The last seed is the best, it fell on the good ground. If you learn from what you hear in Sunday School and church, the seed that Jesus plants in your heart will grow. Your life will produce good fruit just like Jesus intended. You will be helping others to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God’s love.
Our Father help us to be like the good soil in our lesson today. Help us to listen to your Word and grow up to be the kind of boys and girls you want us to be. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. There is a colouring page below which you may like to print and fill in.
Intimation.
The Kirk Session will meet using virtual media on Wednesday July 22nd, 2020 at 7.00pm.
A Prayer in a Time of Distress
Almighty and everlasting God, you are strength to those who suffer and comfort to those who grieve. Let the prayers of your children who are in trouble rise to you. Hear our prayer. We claim your promises of wholeness as we pray for those who are ill or are suffering loss and long for your healing touch. Hear our prayer. Make the weak strong, the sick healthy, the broken whole, and confirm those who serve them as agents of your love. Hear our prayer. To everyone in distress, grant mercy, grant relief, grant refreshment. Hear our prayer. When we begin to rebuild, we commend our neighbourhoods to your care. Give us strength of purpose and concern for others, that we may create a community where your will may be done. Hear our prayer. God of compassion, you watch our ways, and weave out of terrible happenings wonders of goodness and grace. Hear our prayer. Surround those who have been shaken by tragedy with a sense of your present love and hold them in faith. Though they are lost in grief, may they find you and be comforted; Through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives and rules this world with you.
Amen.