Call to Worship Come as you are, to discover what might be In the presence of the One who is always by our side. Come, knowing there is a place here Kept especially for you Where you can find Acceptance, Refreshment And love. Just come. And be still. And know God is God And loves you. Hymn 160 – Praise my soul Prayers of Approach and Confession God of wisdom, You are the light of the minds that know you, the strength of those who serve you, and rest for those who seek you. God of growth, You sow and you gather, you tend and you prune, you judge and you save. God who tends our lives, we come to you in worship, to rest from our responsibilities, to turn from our distractions, and to hand over our concerns to you. Nourish us with your Word, so that we grow in Christ, rooted in the presence of the Holy Spirit. Faithful God, You have planted the seeds of faith in us, but we confess we have not tended those seeds well. We fail to keep studying your Word, satisfied instead with what we think it means. We consider that we already know enough, rather than pursue deeper encounters with you. Forgive us, God, when we think you have nothing more to offer us. The Word of God in Christ Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and death. Therefore there is now no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus. Your sins are forgiven; be at peace. Lord’s Prayer Readings – Genesis 25: 19-34(Pg 26) Matthew 13:1-9 (Pg 978) Hymn 44- Praise waits for thee in Zion, Lord Prayer of Illumination Christ our teacher, you reach into our lives, not through instruction but story. Open our hearts to be attentive: that seeing, we may perceive, that hearing, we may understand, and understanding, we may act upon your word, In your name, Amen Sermon There is a van Gogh painting called The Sower, where someone is taking scoops of seed and scattering them on the ground – broadcasting, it would be called though media has appropriated the term. It is a very rural ideal. But these days sowing barley or oats is a much more high tech affair. Though, that said, it’s still not an exact science. Around us we see the crops growing, but sometimes there can be little bare patches where, for whatever reason, the seed hasn’t taken. Or you see wild flowers growing up. And while all those flowers might be beautiful to look at – and better still those flowers are brilliant news for the bee – but it’s maybe not such good news for the crop yield. But farmer’s these days do a much better job than the sower in our Gospel story today. I mean, come on, you don’t scatter precious seed on paths and roads or among thorns where there is little chance of them growing. Even I know that. I bought some wild flower seed a month or two back, and knew to prepare a patch and scatter it and rake it over. If I had scattered it on the patio, the birds would soon gobble it up; I have other seeds for the birds! That said, despite my careful planting, not many of the wild flowers have grown! The crowds had gathered at the lakeshore to hear Jesus and were so great in number that he had to go into a boat to have more space and to use the natural amphitheatre of the lake to speak to the people. He told them a story, as he was wont to do. This time it was about a farmer scattering his precious seed, but not targeting the good soil alone, but rather allowing some to fall on the path, where birds soon ate it, and on the rocky ground, where there was not enough depth to put down roots, and among the thorns and thistles, which soon choked the grain when it tried to grow. But some did fall on the good soil, and it gave a good harvest. But it was all a bit indiscriminate. As Matthew’s Gospel continues, it becomes evident that we are to understand the “seed” as nothing less than the Word of God, the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven. As Jesus tells the story, it’s clear that this seed, this Word of the Lord is being sown generously. God seems to be willing to spread his message lavishly. God is generously sending out his message wherever people need to hear it…which is everywhere. Just look at what Jesus does throughout his ministry - Jesus is like the spendthrift farmer, throwing the seed of God’s word everywhere he can, reaching out to all and sundry. But in the hope that the seed would grow in the most unlikely places. I am sure we have all seen plants breaking through concrete, determined to survive and even thrive. So the word of God takes root in the strangest of circumstances. But also it can take a while to grow. We see this in our Genesis reading. Abraham has died, and the narrative moves to his son Isaac and his wife Rebekah, but it is not a happy story. Rebekah gives birth to twins, but even in her womb there is a struggle between them. Esau comes out first, quickly followed by Jacob. Some twins are identical or similar in personality, so close they can almost read each other’s mind. Esau and Jacob were NOT like that. Rather they are like chalk and cheese. Esau likes the outdoor life, while Jacob prefers to be inside. Isaac prefers Esau, while Rebekah favours Jacob. And in the famous incident of the lentil stew, Jacob cheats his twin brother out of his birthright. The birthright meant that Esau as eldest would get a double share of the inheritance, though with the responsibility of heading the family. Inheritance can be an issue. Anthea Franklin, the great Gospel singer, died, but her family are arguing over her will, and a court has had to rule over what notes written in her handwriting are valid or not. But you don’t have to be famous; many families are sadly split over inheritance issues. The seed that was Jacob and Esau was sown, and it is as of they are among the rocks; it is only later that there is some kind of reconciliation. The seeds have grown, not into magnificent flowers by any means, but at least. Let’s get back to the seeds, and Jesus scattering the Word so extravagantly. Some people are going to hear what’s said to them and let it go in one ear and out the other. Others might get enthusiastic about it for a while, but then something else will catch their attention and off they’ll go. There will be some too who will welcome the hope that’s offered, but then choose to let other priorities crowd that hope out. BUT there will be those seeds that will take root and grow and blossom. The harvest they produce will vary – but they will be fruitful!” This could well be a story for the Church of Scotland right now, couldn’t it. It’s a call to keep going because there will be a harvest. But maybe the challenge for us is to take a risk, yes, tending the harvest in the good soil, but also going out to the rocky or thorny ground, where there is a chance of growth. Maybe we will fail, but keep sowing, for there will be a harvest. Ye who have ears, let them hear. Hymn 532- Lord, you have come to the seashore Prayers of Dedication and Intercession God of growing seeds and souls, we offer our gifts in thanksgiving for your kindness to us. Bless and multiply them to add to the abundance of your love at work in the world. Make them seeds of new life to inspire faith in souls they touch in Jesus’ name. Creator God, Sower of the good seed, we give thanks for the seeds you sow in this your created world, and the way they speak to us of the seeds you have sown in our lives and in the life of the world. Seeds can be so small, and yet can have such a large impact. Help us keep our eyes open to see your seeds and let them bear fruit, within us and around us. Let us take a moment in silence to reflect on the seeds that we see, give thanks, and pray for them to keep on growing. As we give thanks, we pray that we may share in your care for creation, from the furthest corners of the earth to our gardens and the plants in the places where we live. We pray for our government and the governments of the world as they look at how they may implement positive policies in response to climate change. We pray that our government may not row back on the legally binding climate targets that it has made. As we give thanks for the seeds of new life that God offers in the birth of children, so we pray for children and young people in schools and universities and the challenges they face, remembering the lack of provision of care homes and the issues about university student assessment. We remember those young people who face a growing number of mental health issues and pray for your blessing on those we name before you. In the face of war and conflict and hatred, we pray for your seeds of new life and peace, especially between Russia and Ukraine In Sudan and other countries where there is conflict. Help us day by day to scatter your seeds of love and peace in a troubled world and amongst troubled people. We pray for the Church, the particular congregation of which we are part, the Church of Scotland as a whole. May the root of your Word deepen within us. May we learn to sow your seeds of faith and hope in the communities in which we find ourselves. We pray for the people we know and love, naming before God in a moment’s silence the ones in particular need whom we carry on our hearts and minds today. As we go out to serve you in your world, give us courage and conviction to live whole-heartedly in your way. We offer our prayers in the name of God the Creator and Jesus, the Sower of the seed of fruitfulness and life. Amen Hymn 360 – Jesus Christ is waiting Benediction Christ is beside us. He goes before and behind us. He watches over us and is there to catch us when we fall. The blessing of the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be with you all and all whom we love. This day and always. Amen
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