. . . As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord . . . Joshua 25:15b

Proper 10 Yr A
Dirt - Sower

Editor's note: During the season of Pentecost, churches that use the Revised Common Lectionary have two options. One, often called "semicontinuous" or "Track 1", provides more detail about the Old Testament stories. The other, called "complementary" or "Track 2", more closely marries the Old Testament lesson to the gospel reading.

Tissot, James, 1836-1902. Sower, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55004 [retrieved April 20, 2023].

Published date 07122023

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Introduction

The gospel according to Matthew this week continues with the Parables—oh, so many parables from which we are to gain understanding. This week's parable is "The parable of the sower." Note from the sermon4kids (just below), the story is not so much about the sower or seed, but about the soil; hence our topic title "Dirt". In our stories about Jesus, we often hear Jewish leaders complain that Jesus was associating with "not-so-good" people. Yet, he persisted to associate with the outcasts of society. In our churches, we hear that we are to be the champions for the disenfranchised and welcome them into our worship spaces. We have learned that we draw strength from the "community of God" who gather weekly to worship. Given this, is our community also our dirt, from which we grow? I think "yes" and look forward to seeing you in the pews.

For some of us, the parables from Matthew are very, very familiar. Some of us are of the generation of Godspell, the off-Broadway 1971 production that retold the parables from the Gospel of Matthew. The production was met with controversy, not the least of which was that Godspell, as written, failed to show Christ’s resurrection. It was almost as if the parables and their lessons were lost in the “controversy” [where have we seen that before?]. The composer Stephen Schwartz attempted to forestall the controversy in his directives to producers noting that the point was, despite the pain of the crucifixion, Christ’s followers were joyful and resolved in facing the future. Are we joyful having learned the parables? Are we resolute to accept our charge as Jesus’ followers? Send your comments.

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. . . . And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!” . . .

From sermon4kids.com: “. . . Jesus told a story about a man who went out and planted some seeds. This story that Jesus told is usually called ‘The Parable of the Sower,’ but actually, the story is more about the soil than it is the sower or the seed.”

Scripture: July 16, 2023—Track 1: Genesis 25:19-34 (image); Psalm 119:105-112 (image); Track 2: Isaiah 55:10-13 (image); Psalm 65: (1-8), 9-14 (image); Romans 8:1-11 (image); and Matthew 13:1-9,18-23 (image). Illuminating the scripture, an image and audio journey.

Collect: 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.

Reflection:
Track 1: How is God’s resurrecting Spirit at work in you and in your community? Where are you experiencing new life? Where are you struggling? How might God be bringing new life from that struggle?

Track 2: If the Spirit of the One who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, what then does it feel like to stand in a state of grace, alive, forgiven, and free? For what purpose has God redeemed you? What kind of soil are you?

Eye Candy:
"Parable of the Sower (~1503), woodblock by Albrecht Durer;
"Sower" (1888), Vincent van Gogh;
"Parable of the sower" (1973), from Jesus Mafa;
"Wheat field with crows" (1890), painting by Vincent van Gogh, Van Gogh Museum, France

Ear Worm:
“Thou visitest the earth” by Maurice Greene;
“O Master, let me walk with thee“, hymn in beautiful a capella harmony;
“Bring me a little water, Sylvie“, sung by women in United States Navy Band (go listen);
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet", sung by Amy Grant;
"Shepherd me, O God", sung by choirs at St. Simon & St. Jude Episcopal Church

Brain Food:
“A blessing with roots”, commentary and illustration by Jan Richardson;
commentary by Carl Gregg;
commentary from Lectionary scripture notes

Living Hearts
Sower of living hearts,
sower of tenderness,
sower of courage,
sower of service,
sower of prayer,
sower of light.
Lord, sow within us!

Sower of gifts,
sower of forgiveness,
sower of faith,
sower of joy,
sower of life,
sower of the Beautitudes.
Lord, sow in the hearts of all people!

Even if we are hard as stones
be patient with us!
Your Good News
will manage to slip
between the tight cracks
in our rock and will
grow into giant sheaves
of Good News!

Parables:
"The Hurricane" (1999, R), story of potent force of small doses of hope, Review;
"Bringing out the dead" (1999, R), story of paramedic, Review;
"Fantasia 2000" (1999, G), new interpretations of great works of music, Review

Hymn Notes: Here's brief info about "Thou visitest the earth" by Maurice Greene (referenced above):

"One of the loveliest anthems for Harvest Thanksgiving is by the English composer Maurice Greene (1696-1755). "Thou Visitest the Earth", one of the best pieces of classical music for Thanksgiving, is a setting of lines from Psalm 65: ‘Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it; and crownest the year with thy goodness . . .’

"That is the complete text, sung first by the tenor solo, repeated and then taken up with delightfully airy harmonies by the chorus.

"Greene, the London-born son of a clergyman, is one of those ‘missing link’ composers. Having become a choirboy at St Paul’s Cathedral under Jeremiah ‘Trumpet Voluntary’ Clarke, he became organist there before moving to the Chapel Royal and becoming professor of music at Cambridge University. In 1735 he was made Master of the King’s Musick—one of the least remembered names in the post (he was followed by the better-known William Boyce). Greene’s best-known anthem is "Lord, Let Me Know Mine End", sung by every cathedral choir in the land. He is buried in St Paul’s Cathedral."

from "Best classical music for Thanksgiving"

For families: Study guide and activities, (former guide), group activity, snacks, kid video

For children: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft

For middlers: See family guide/activities (other activity); bulletin, craft

Coloring: Matthew 13, flower

For youth: Read the gospel aloud. Re-read silently. Think about the different kinds of soil. What is in your life today for which the soil would be a metaphor? What would be the rocky ground, the path, the good soil? Where or how does the seed take root for you? Are there ways in which we can help the seeds find good soil in us? Share if you wish.

[based on “Seeds and Soil” from Lessons that Work (Episcopal Church) https://lessonplansthatwork.org/2014/07/01/seeds-and-soil/]

Comments welcome.

In reading through the Gospel of Matthew, we now reach a section of parables told by Jesus to reveal the nature of God’s Kingdom. This particular parable of the sower describes the basis for our growth in faith and ministry. We must be rooted in the Word of God. Our weekly gathering in Eucharist and our daily prayer and scripture reading are essential parts of this rootedness. We also meet Christ, the living Word of God, in ministry to the poor, the sick, and the neglected.

Track 1. The first reading continues the story of the Hebrew people. Abraham is dead and Isaac is now head of the family. He has twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau, born first, was the heir but sold his birthright to the cagey Jacob, who will later cheat him out of Isaac’s blessing, as well. Yet God will one day intervene and bring hope and redemption out of this scandalous behavior.

Track 2. The first reading from Isaiah also uses the image of planting a crop. Its promise is that God is to be counted on to bring about in us growth into holiness. Just as rain waters the earth and can be counted on to bring about the growth of plants, so God’s presence within our community is bringing about growth in righteousness.

In the second reading today, Paul continues to elaborate on the nature of the new life we have received in baptism. As we live in the Spirit rather than according to the world (the flesh), we are discovering more fully that we have been adopted by God as children. Thus we can count on God’s faithfulness to us and on our ultimate glorification and eternal life.

We gather to hear God’s Word. That Word is not simply the objective written scriptures, however. Above all, the Word is Christ and our celebration centers on meeting him and receiving him, the Word of God incarnate.

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Proper 10 Yr A Dirt - Sower

Introduction

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Proper 10 Yr A
Dirt - Sower