6 Pentecost/Year A
July 12, 2020
Psalm 119:105-112; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9,18-23
Opening Prayer: O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God: Open up our hearts and our minds, to listen and understand those things that give life and peace to our mortal bodies. Help us to be strongly rooted in Your Love, as we learn to open our hearts and our minds to Your wisdom, in the hearing of your Word in the scriptures, in the stories, in the parables, in the prayers, in the music and in the silence. O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God….may it be your Word that is a lantern to our feet and light upon our path…Amen.
Last week, in my sermon…I noted, that in these times of the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lots of voices trying to get our attention these days… often conflicting voices about the best way to address the COVID-19 pandemic; there are other conflicting voices between those crying out for justice and peace for the entire human family and those who continue to oppress and silence the voices of the people who have been trying to tell their stories for years.
I went on to speak about the importance of making time for prayer…especially for our health and well-being, in times such as these… taking time to pray and listen closely for the voice of God… through the one voice, that matters most…the voice of Jesus, whose life-giving Words, are the ones who will strengthen us, teach us, lead us and guide us through all of the ups and downs and mountains and valleys of these turbulent and uncertain times we find ourselves in.
This week… for me…this same core message is at the heart of today’s scriptures.
These turbulent and uncertain times are not going away anytime soon. We need to consider and adopt ways to continue to take care of our hearts and our minds and our bodies for the long journey. And prayer, in its many and varied forms….helps us to take care of our whole selves…our hearts and our minds and our bodies.
Taking time for prayer…is important.
Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are nourished by prayer.
Taking time to spend with the scriptures, is a form of prayer.
Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are informed by prayer.
Taking time to pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and our minds to hear and understand the scriptures, the Word of God….will help us listen for the one voice, in the midst of many, that truly matters…she will remind us of the Spirit of Christ, which dwells in us, and gives life and peace to our mortal bodies…
Our hearts and our minds and our bodies are transformed by prayer.
Let’s take some time right now to pray with today’s gospel reading…as written in the Good News translation…
That same day Jesus left the house and went to the lakeside, where he sat down to teach. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it, while the crowd stood on the shore. He used parables to tell them many things.
“Once there was a man who went out to sow grain. As he scattered the seed in the field, some of it fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some of it fell on rocky ground, where there was little soil. The seeds soon sprouted, because the soil wasn't deep. But when the sun came up, it burned the young plants; and because the roots had not grown deep enough, the plants soon dried up. Some of the seed fell among thorn bushes, which grew up and choked the plants. But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.”
And Jesus concluded, “Listen, then, if you have ears!” (Matthew 13: 1-9)
Next, Jesus explains the parable of the sower…verse by verse…
“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )
Those who hear the message about the Kingdom but do not understand it are like the seeds that fell along the path. The Evil One comes and snatches away what was sown in them. (Matthew 13:19)
Silence
O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…
We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…to quiet our minds and our hearts to hear your words and understand them, and hold fast to them, in hope, so that nothing can snatch away the love of God, the Spirit of Christ, which dwells deep in our hearts.
“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )
The seeds that fell on rocky ground stand for those who receive the message gladly as soon as they hear it. But it does not sink deep into them, and they don't last long. So when trouble or persecution comes because of the message, they give up at once. (Matthew 13:20-21)
Silence
O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…
We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…for us to be rooted deeply in God’s love and God’s fullness of joy….so that we are not easily wearied, swayed or blown astray by the many changes and chances of this life…and instead learn to rest in your eternal changelessness…
“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )
The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit. (Matthew 13:22)
Silence
O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…
We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…to inspire us to turn our hearts back to you, to repent of the sins of greed and selfishness that mark our mortal lives, and to place all of the cares and worries of this world, into your forgiving and merciful, loving hands…
“Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means. (Matthew 13:18 )
And the seeds sown in the good soil stand for those who hear the message and understand it: they bear fruit, some as much as one hundred, others sixty, and others thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)
Silence…
O Spirit of life, O Spirit of God…we pray to you…
We pray to you, in this time of stillness, in the attentive listening of Jesus’ parable today…and we give thanks…we give thanks for the times we can pause and dwell in the scriptures…and listen for the one voice which truly matters… Jesus’….knowing, that in this time of praying with the scriptures, our hearts and our minds and our bodies…are nourished, informed and transformed by the love of God for us, and we are strengthened, encouraged and sustained by this love, to go out into the world…to bear the fruits of God’s love with all those we meet….and to share the fruits of God’s love with a world who is starving and hungry to know that…all shall be well…and all shall be well…and all manner of thing shall be well…
Prayer…..in all of its forms is important for the health and well-being of all of God’s beloved human family…it nourishes us, informs us, and transforms our hearts, our minds and our bodies, so that we can go out into the world – to love one another, as Christ has loved us and taught us.
This week…I encourage you to consider setting aside a time of prayer…daily….for reading or listening to the scriptures….Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your heart and your mind to hear and understand the Word of God….Pray, in remembrance, that the Spirit of Christ, already dwells in you… and will help you listen for the one voice, in the midst of many, that truly matters…The voice of God, the Word of the Lord, the lantern to your feet and the light upon your path…
Let us pray in the words of this hymn, vs 3 & 4:
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God (H 505 – 1982 Hymnal)
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,
make us to love thy sacred word;
the holy flame of love impart,
that charity may warm each heart;
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God.
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God,
enlighten us by that same word;
teach us to know the Father’s love,
and his dear Son, who reigns above;
O Spirit of Life, O Spirit of God. Amen
The Rev Julie Platson, Rector
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, Alaska