Pentecost 11 The Kingdom of Heaven is like July 27, 2008

Matthew 13:31-52
31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” 34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
44″The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45″Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47″Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51″Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” 52And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”
I love it when Jesus tells us what the Kingdom of heaven is going to be like. Maybe because I love stories. Or maybe because I can get my imagination around the image. But mostly I think because they make a spin my own web of kingdom images.The kingdom of God is like walking through the dew on a perfect lawn on a hot summer day before it gets really muggy.

The Kingdom of God is like the laughter of Children rippling through a house, a neighborhood, or our church. The kingdom of God is like a long walk or talk with a trusted friend who understands exactly what you’re trying to say.

The kingdom of God is like. The kingdom of God is like a song. Where the words spill out of your mouth from your soul.

Sing: – Sing a simple song unto the Lord, Sing a simple song unto the Lord, sing it with your heart, sing it with your soul Sing simple song unto the Lord.
Our heart song and our the experience that we paste as pictures on our hearts are our understanding of What the world will be like when God finally wins and darkness or evil no longer has hold of the world.

Here is a list of should do’s from Robert Fulgum one of my favorite authors. From his list I think we get a pretty good idea of what his heart song is and what he thinks the kingdom of heaven is like.

Fulgum says in his top 9 musts:
1) Always buy lemonade from any kid selling it
2) Anytime you can vote on anything vote
3) Attend your 25th class reunion
4) Choose having time over having money
5) Always take the scenic route
6) Give at least something to any beggar that asks
7) Always give something to street musicians
Always be someone’s valentine
9) When the circus comes to town. – go

I encourage you to take some time this week to make your heart song list. What is the Kingdom of God like to you?

In the name of God

Pentecost 10 Garden time July 20, 2008

Matthew 13:24-43
24He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. 26So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. 27And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ 28He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” 31He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; 32it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” 34Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable he told them nothing. 35This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.” 36Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; 38the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, 39and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, 42and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!
1weed
1 a (1): a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth; especially: one that tends to overgrow or choke out more desirable plants
I have spent my week reflecting on weeds. Ironically so has Dan Koehane one of our parish members who hearing our Junior warden Cliff Perkins plea for help to pull some weeds if a person had a half an hour. Dan said he would come out and pull the weeds on Sunday. Figuring he would in a couple hours be done. Well 3 or 4 hours on Sunday and Monday and Tues and Wed got Dan all the way around the church. Let’s not mention the sign which Bruce Smallwood kindly mowed before the Bishop came.
I was also reminded of The Bures kids on the dairy farm in Antigo who while their mom and dad were away were told to pull thistles from a 40 acre patch of wheat. They told me they left the Canadian thistles because they really didn’t do much harm. It took them two 6 hour days.
So I, being the curious type, did some research on weeds. It seems Jesus knew his weeds because a Tare is a wheat field weed that comes from the rye family and looks just like wheat until it bears the ear of wheat. Almost impossible to tell the difference until almost harvest time.
Weeds have to be treated with knowledge or your hard work can not only be in vain it can make your problems worse. You have to pull thistles if you cut them they come back and may even spread you got to get the root. Milkweed needs to be cut and once the sap is gone it dies.
One young man I know up in Antigo is a potato field spotter. He goes in the field and looks for bugs.

The definition of a weed is plant not valued where it is growing and usually of vigorous stock.
All this made me think about Jesus’ parable for our lives. Where are the weeds in your garden? Is attention being paid to the garden? Are we looking out for each other’s gardens? What’s a weed and what’s wheat? What just needs to grow somewhere else? Am I being a weed or wheat? Who or what is a weed or wheat in my garden?
I encourage you to take some time this week to think about your life and soul and our common life as a garden and look at what’s growing there.

Finally I would leave you with a gardener’s secret. Patience. It takes love, time, attention to detail and patience to have a great garden. Some weeds are beautiful they just need to be in the right place. Some weeds are noxious and need to be dealt with. Great gardens are built over time. They are a series of successes and failures that gather knowledge and experience and that should also be shared. My prayer for you and us is that together we grow the most beautiful garden for the honor and glory of God Amen

Pentecost 9 Time out of time July 13, 2008

He walked along roads and paths to city and village. He sat in a boat on the lake and taught the crowds. In all of the stories of his life> He never rushed. We never hear about Time as a marker but more as a metaphor.
We box our selves into set established expectations and yet we say we model ourselves after Jesus the Christ. I understand the demands of modern reality and yet if we don’t work at stretching the box who will?The essence of life is to travel well rather than to arrive. Enos Mills the great naturalist and founder of Rocky Mountain National Park said that. How often am I completely focused on getting it done and not attentive to traveling graciously?

We just returned from our dairy adventure in Antigo Wisconsin. I am always amazed by my time on the Farm. It is full and active yet very much time out of time. Did you know there are still places where adults and high school kids take naps? Not just the kindergartners and littler.
I very much thought of this gospel in a place where the weather is not connected to inconvenience or weekends but to food and sustenance and the ability to accomplish goals and provide.
I watched a 14 and 16 year old run a million dollar dairy farm for 4 of the nine days their parents were away. Grandma and Grandpa and the other Grandma all live on the property or next door but the responsibility for running the milking and the farm was theirs alone. They were impressive. When my friends returned their children had a huge understanding of what having their parents around meant and how much of the pressure and stress were not theirs to deal with.
I believe we are called to that time out of time as believers in Christ. I believe that each Sunday is that for us and I believe it is our vocation to travel well and not just be consumed with arriving. I believe that as a community, missionally we accomplish nothing more than being an oasis from the rush of life and sign post that time is the treasure and relationship and everything else is second. We are a sign of love and kindness to each other and the world than in God’s eye will have accomplished much and God will be pleased. From the guy who was up to his knees just yesterday in the good ground take a moment this week to think about that good ground and what it means to us in our lives and challenge our selves to make our hearts good ground and understand that the good ground is just as important. May God find the good ground of our hearts and minds ready.
In the name of God

Pentecost 4 Follow you where? June 8, 2008

Matthew 9:9-26
9As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. 10And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this; they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”
14Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15And Jesus said to them, “The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. 16No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. 17Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”
18While he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died; but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.” 19And Jesus got up and followed him, with his disciples. 20Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, 21for she said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” 22Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. 23When Jesus came to the leader’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, 24he said, “Go away; for the girl is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him. 25But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl got up. 26And the report of this spread throughout that district.
Jesus says to Matthew, “Follow me” which could make the top 5 for Jesus’ catchy slogans. I would like to beg the question, Follow you where. To the bed side of 91 year old Ruth ORiley who finally after months of struggle got to finally go home. You see Ruth got what she wanted, to go home. She thought on one level that home was meadow merely where her apartment and friends were. God took her at her word and brought her to God’s self while her daughter and granddaughter and friends and her time share priest, Dcn Rick Whitt and FR. Jim from Rhode Island shared a part of the pastoral quarters in Ruth’s life.Follow you where, to the funeral of Caleb Horvath 21 year old who died ripping the heart out of parents who should be celebrating their young son’s life not in memory and tragedy. To Executive council where prayerful and tough decisions had to made about a hollowed piece of land.
Follow you to the race track where for an hour each way I was given the opportunity to talk to three people who felt like the church had no place for them.
I ask you where did God lead you this week? Did you see it as opportunity? Imagine if we saw our lives not as days to survive but as opportunities that God could use us. It is a suttle shift but a life changing shift.
“Follow me” he says, ask yourself where God could be sending me that no one else could or might go. How can I through word and action let those I touch on a daily basis know how this following Him changes my life and how I do business?
Remember Jesus always picked unlikely candidates and pushed them in unlikely ways to transform the world in unexpected way.
May the world be transformed because we said yes when he said Follow me to you.

In the name of God

Pentecost 3 Who makes the cut June 1, 2008

Matthew 7:21-29
21″Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ 23Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’ 24″Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-and great was its fall!” 28Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.After reading the scriptures for today I started having an argument with my self about the most important words for us as believers. After God, and love I found faith to be a very important word but right after faith before a lot of other powerful and essential words I would put relationship. I started thinking about the difference between the person who builds their house on sand verses Rock as the foundation. I thought about the story I heard from the terrible storms in China where the schools made on concrete where crushed but the mud huts next to them stayed standing.

You see the rock and the sand have very little to do with ground and a whole lot to do with faith, trust and relationship. The ground is not the earth but our hearts that God is trying to build on.
I read a story of a little town in southern Texas that had been experiencing an even longer than usual drought and heat wave. The farmers and town’s people were getting desperate so the local clergy organized an ecumenical prayer service in the town square to pray for rain. People were encouraged to bring an object of faith for inspiration.
So they all gathered on that Saturday at noon with their Bibles, prayer book, prayer beads, medals and rosaries. They came from the Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Baptist, Church of God and Church of Christ, UCC , Unitarian and of course The Episcopal church.
After an hour of prayer almost like God flipped a switch the rain began to softly fall. The people raised their articles of faith high into the air in gratitude but from the middle of the crowd one faith item seemed to overshadow all others. A small nine year old child had brought an umbrella. (From Chicken soup for the Christian Soul)

God called out Noah and said Go and he went. Jesus is calling out his followers. He is not calling out the crowd he is challenging those who are following him. His disciples. He is saying you have the truth. You have seen what is possible with God how has your life changed. When the word covenant is used in the Old Testament today that is the first time that word is used. God calls us into a new relationship through Noah and God calls us into a new relationship through Jesus and God calls us into a new relationship through each other.

We know our faith will be tested. We know that we will be stretched and our journey will not be easy but we also know that God will hold us and that in each other, in the story, and the Breaking of the bread He will be in the midst of us.
So I ask you when God calls us out what will the answer be where are we building our house? On sand or on solid ground? Is God calling us into new relationship and if He is, are we ready to be sent?

In the name of God