Worship, Prayer and Bible Resources
Ordinary 11- Year B - Liturgical Colour - Green
Introduction
You could get quite depressed when you look around at the world and see such a pitiful state of affairs and the inability of good people to bring about change and stop wickedness. Yet we Christians should not be surprised at our inability to make everything lovely. Jesus never promised to us that we would establish his rule on earth. Indeed it is made quite plain that God's kingdom is not a kingdom established upon this earth, with power and authority. Christians are not supposed to set up an earthly country.
That does not mean that God is not at work in this world. There is most wonderful change and growth going on, but the growth of the kingdom is imperceptible. You have to look for it very carefully and to those who lack the eyes of faith, it will be impossible to see. However those who follow the master will never underestimate the power of God. They belong not to this world but to a world to come, their country is not an earthly state but the kingdom which is growing soul by soul and silently.
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that
know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are
peace.
Opening Verses of Scripture Mark 4
"What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
or Ps 20 v 8
'Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.'
Collect Prayer for the Day
Almighty God, you have broken the tyranny of sin and have sent the Spirit of your Son into our hearts whereby we call you Father: give us grace to dedicate our freedom to your service, that we and all creation may be brought to the glorious liberty of the children of God; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. CW
God our saviour, look on this wounded world in pity and in power; hold us fast to your promises of peace won for us by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. CW
First Bible Reading 1 Samuel 15.34 - 16.13
Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD was sorry that he had made Saul king over Israel.
The LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’ Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.’ And the LORD said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.” Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.’ Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, ‘Do you come peaceably?’ He said, ‘Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.’ And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is now before the LORD.’ But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.’ Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, ‘Neither has the LORD chosen this one.’ Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘Neither has the LORD chosen this one.’ Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The LORD has not chosen any of these.’ Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are all your sons here?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’ He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, ‘Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. NRSV
Second Reading 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (11-13) 14-17
Brothers and sisters, we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others; but we ourselves are well known to God, and I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! NRSV
Gospel Reading
Mark 4.26-34
Such a large crowd gathered around Jesus that he got into a boat and began to teach them using many parables. Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’
Jesus also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. NRSV
Post Communion Sentence
O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. CW
Commentary
The parable of the mustard seed in our gospel reading is a parable of hope. There will be tremendous growth from small beginnings. The interpreter’s bible emphasises how small the seed was.
“A baby borne into a harsh world; a teacher on a hillside; a condemned man killed on a cross; an empty grave; and just eleven men believing in him.
What a tiny seed in a vast and hostile field. How could such a seed ever come to harvest?”
William Barclay sees this as a very personal parable. He says that sometimes his disciples must have despaired – how could they ever win and change the world. However even H.G.Wells said
“A historian can’t portray the progress of humanity honestly without giving a foremost place to a penniless teacher from Nazareth.”
The Interpreters Bible wants to make the point that it’s not about gradual growth of the seed but it is the contrast between start and finish – the tiny seed and the large bush. It reminds us that in John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath” the strange preacher, Casey said, “One person, with their mind made up can shove a lot of folks around.” 1 Corinthians 2:16 reminds us “We have the mind of Christ”.
Tom Wright takes a rather different view over the start and finish contrast in the parable. He says that Jesus wanted his followers to live believing that the kingdom was arriving with him and that it would come, not all in a bang, but through a process like the slow growth of a plant. He asks whether this is a cop out. Does God care about the here and now with final victory still to come – though God acted suddenly and dramatically at Easter (Calvary and Resurrection) when God actually acted to put the world right. So we are to wait with patience “Like people in the early morning who know that the sun has risen and are now waiting for the full brightness of mid-day”. He says that Mark has its own flavour, with two echoes of the Old Testament.
The parable begins “What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?” This is an echo of Isaiah 40. 18 “to whom will you liken God.” It is not an accidental echo. It is about a fresh vision of God coming to restore Israel after devastation. Israel must not think that her God is powerless – on a level with the pagan idols who promise much and do nothing. So nobody should look at Jesus in Galilee and say “How can this possible be the beginning of the Kingdom of God?” The smallest seed becoming a large bush is Jesus’ picture of what God’s way of working, God’s way of growing the kingdom is like. Furthermore at the end it will be a royal kingdom. This is the other Old Testament echo (Ezekiel 17:23 and 31:6 and Daniel 4:12 and 21), birds of the air nest in its shade – the image of a great kingdom growing like a tree ‘til those around can shelter under it. Jesus is saying “Don’t worry. Remember who your God is and what he has promised. A kingdom that will offer shade to the whole world. Dick France reminds us that the seed will grow for that is the nature of the seed and of the kingdom of God. He says that the kingdom of God means God being King and taking control. This is not something we can achieve or even promote but it is what God does. Growth is a miracle with the power of growth being built into the seed. It will grow in God’s way and in God’s time so we can be confident.
William Barclay says that all kinds of people can come together to find the shelter and protection of God in the vast empire of his kingdom. He says that there is an important message for us today. He sees the church as a prototype of God’s kingdom where there is plenty of room – for a variety of theologies and experiences and ways of worship, and above all there is lots of room for all kinds of people. For the New Testament church a big issue was Gentiles. Could the kingdom, the good news, really be even for them? Today there are issues over things like revisiting history and sexuality that can easily divide us and make us as polarised as the world. But Galatians 3:28 says “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, male and female, slave or free. All are one in Christ.” If we believe these words of Paul this should make the church unique – the only place in the world where all distinctions are gone. What good news, what hope but what a challenge to us all as well! Richard Ledger
Meditation
Joyce Ann Zimmerman writes, ‘Much of what we do successfully every day depends upon our cooperation with others. Making visible God's kingdom is first of all the work of God, but isn't it wonderful that God chooses to invite us to cooperate in this great work!’
Today’s reading demonstrates that as ambiguous as God’s Kingdom may seem, we have a responsibility to work alongside God to bring about it’s coming on earth. Sometimes how we do this may seem insignificant, as small as a mustard seed, but God can take our lowly and seemingly small efforts, a brief word spoken, a small act of kindness, a hand of friendship, and from these, do what on our own would have been unimaginable. With God, all things are possible, even if from miniscule and small beginnings. The Kingdom of God is living and growing, and we are an integral part of its evolution and revelation.
A Summer thought
"The mind that comes to rest is tended / In ways that it cannot intend."
poet-farmer Wendell Berry. 'Sabbath',
Hymns
- The kingdom is upon you (The Kingdom is upon you)
- The Spirit of the Lord
- Songs of thankfulness and praise
- Christ is our King
- Awake my soul Tune Morning Hymn
- All I once held dear
- I vow to thee my country Tune Thaxted
- Now let us from this table rise Tune Tallis Canon
- New every morning is the love (Melcombe) HP 636
- Give thanks with a grateful heart (as) MP 170
- Sweet is the work, my God and King (Wareham) HP 514
- Shout for joy (Lansdowne) SF 598
Prayers for Sunday and the week ahead
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Prayer is a plant, the seed of which is sown in the heart of every Christian,
-
if it is well cultivated and nourished it will produce fruit, but if it is neglected, it will wither and die
For the increase of the Kingdom of God, let us pray to the Lord.
Fill your church we pray with confidence in Christ as her Lord, that your
people might make him known by teaching and daily living. Nourish the good
seed of your word in us, that it may be fruitful and grow.
As Christ died for all, may his love renew us all as his new creation.
Open
eyes that are closed to your glory and the ears that will not hear the good
news.
May self-interest be changed to a true desire for the common good.
Guide us to discern the signs of your presence among us, in family life, in
work, in all our dealings.
Trusting in your strength, may we bring to
fruition all that is your will for us.
Bless and comfort those whose work is hard and who see no results for what
they do.
Give them strength to persevere, in the knowledge that you are
working in all things.
We pray for those who have left their earthly bodies and come home to you.
Judge them with mercy, through the sacrifice of Christ.
That we may grow in the service of Christ, we pray in his name. Amen.
Additional Material
Commentary
To understand the original meaning of the First Reading we need to look at the imagery which is being used and the context in which these verses are written. They come at the end of a poetic allegory which is interrupted by an explanation of the symbols. The king of Babylon took the king of Israel from Jerusalem with all his followers into captivity; the symbol used is one eagle capturing another. There is a familiar theme; Israel is not being faithful to the covenantal practices and customs which have been entrusted to it. The reading from Ezekiel uses the symbol of tree-trimmings and replanting of the highest clippings back in Jerusalem. These words have echoes of the Advent promises where God is going to bring back Israel, making the valleys raised and the mountains made low. The branches of the tree will be the faithful and loyal kings, who will form the new kingdom of Israel and all creation, symbolised by the birds of all kinds, who will return to their original innocence pictured in Genesis after the flood. God is faithful and God’s mercy is God’s existence. The lowly trees will branch above the lofty who will wither and be brought low. It is the Lord who speaks and does it.
Today’s Gospel reading continues the parables in the fourth chapter of Mark. Chapter four opens with the parable of the seed sown in various types of soil, continues with the parable of a lamp’s not being hidden under a bushel, as well as a parable about measuring out what has been received. Next we hear two parables about growing things from seeds.
The first parable is about how the Kingdom of God grows within a person precisely because it is of God’s goodness, it cannot be attained by merely human intellectual processing or problem solving. It grows even while we are sleeping or distracted. The Kingdom of God parable is about the tiniest of all seeds which grows into the largest shrub and gives shade and rest to the birds of the air.
These pictures of the “Kingdom of God” are spoken and heard within the context and experience of the Roman kingdom which was occupying Israel during the time of Jesus. The Kingdom of God will not be established by any kind of force, nor reinforced or regulated by outside authorities. It is established quietly, in the inside where the heart is attracted to the supreme goodness of God. It grows almost like a weed. But it is identified by the fruits or actions of faith, hope and love. Jesus speaks in these parables for the listening pleasure (or distress) of the crowds. To His disciples He speaks plainly and yet, the story, which ends this chapter, which follows these parables, which we do have in today’s readings, is about how fragile is the faith of the disciples. They are with Jesus in a boat and the storm comes up, but Jesus is asleep. The disciples have heard the parables and His teachings, but their faith, once tested, is like a mustard seed, very small and slowly growing very slowly. They panic. Sometimes it seems that Jesus expects faith and trusting should be easy. Jesus asks Peter to leave everything to follow Him and later invites Peter to get out of a boat and walk on water! God asks Mary to believe she is pregnant and she does, but she has some very good questions first. God is always asking that we be not afraid. Perhaps that’s because He knows we sometimes can be uncertain, hesitating and afraid to step out with Him.
Seeds of the Kingdom grow into fruits of faith very slowly and sometimes in secret. The parable of the seed growing secretly seeks to encourage trust on the part of Jesus' disciples that the kingdom, already hidden but at work in Jesus' ministry, will, in God's good time, become visible and unmistakable. And whilst we are co-workers with God, it is also true that the Kingdom will achieve its full development by virtue of its own intrinsic power. The extension and growth of God’s Kingdom is not entirely dependent upon co-operation from the human race. We can help or hinder its growth, but it would appear from scripture that neither we, or indeed anything on earth, can stop it. It will break out where it will, sometimes without, or even in spite of, our own efforts. We may not always understand where its shoots will break through the hard rock of our world, but we should not deny that they will. We may not always see the small seeds that are planted, but they will surely grow. And as they do, as people come to see Jesus in the light of the Messiah that has come, so their lives and the lives of those around them and society at large are transformed into new creations. Sam Cappleman
Commentary
The Kingdom of God is like a seed which grows all by itself once it is
planted. The Kingdom, like a small seed, might appear tiny and
insignificant, but the kingdom of God should not be judged by earthly
standards.
This teaching is encouraging for us. It reminds us that God is at work in
this world. We should not be disappointed by the lack of spectacular growth,
because Jesus tells us that Kingdom growth is slow, like that of a plant. If
we watch it we will not see it grow, indeed it is only if we go back after a
time that we will notice that there has been change. There is most wonderful
change and growth going on, but the growth of the kingdom is imperceptible.
You have to look for it very carefully and to those who lack the eyes of
faith, it will be impossible to see.
This might seem rather lacking in excitement, we live in a consumer culture
and we expect immediate results. However we should not be too disappointed.
Growth might be imperceptible, but yet it is also unstoppable. Just as
growth is a fact of nature, so the growth of the kingdom is unavoidable.
For this reason God's Kingdom should never be despised, simply because it
lacks human appearance of greatness. So Jesus uses the illustration of the
mustard seed. It would be easy to despise such a small seed, it is
insignificant. yet is has within it the potential for great growth, many,
many times its apparent size.
We should never judge God's work by its appearance, there is hidden energy
at work which transcends the small appearance on the surface.
Jesus contrasts the smallness of the seed with the outcome of the growth
which takes place from the potential stored inside that seed. There is an
important message here, the Gospel has enormous power and potential, even if
like a planted seed, the growth goes on without even the possibility of
being seen!
So we should be aware of the importance of the small beginnings and the
small changes that we see.
Some have assumed that in speaking of growth, Jesus is thinking about the
growth of the church. The hymn 'The day thou gavest' has this message at its
core. It speaks of the church keeping watch across the whole world, the
voice of prayer never being silent, because the church is ‘unsleeping’. The
kingdom of God is seen to be growing numerically, adding numbers, 'hour by
hour fresh lips are making thy wondrous doing heard on high'. This kingdom
of the church, unlike 'earth's proud empires' will never pass away. It is
glorious and triumphant and very 19th century, we could hardly imagine it
being written today! Although there are some modern songs which use this
kind of imagery, speaking about marching and victory and claiming land for
Jesus. I am not sure what Jesus would have thought of it all. Jesus made it
clear to his disciples that his kingdom was a spiritual kingdom. 'My kingdom
is not of this world' he told Pilate. John (18:36). When we read the
teachings of Jesus about the kingdom it is quite obvious that he had no
intention of establishing a rival kingdom to Rome, the kingdom of God is
about the change in a human heart.
We all have the potential for change and growth, allowing our lives to be
come fit places for God to grow his kingdom. This growth can be painfully
slow. We determine that we will be nicer to our husbands and wives and
families, we promise ourselves that we will practice patience and be more
joyful in daily living, then we let ourselves down. Yet the kingdom still
grows, even if growth, like that of a plant is so slow that stare as we
might we cannot see it. Only as we look back do we see how we have changed
and recognise the potential for what we might become.
There is also an important message here about our efforts. If we just sow
the seed it grows by a power greater than our own. We do our own seemingly
insignificant part, and great significance can result. Our part may appear
insignificant it is not, it is of enormous importance. Our efforts are not
the whole story, it does not all depend upon us - BUT if we fail to sow how
can the seed grow?
Each one of us can sow, play our seemingly small part, we can all plant and
allow the process of growth to take place. Jesus is making the point that it
is not just the spiritual giants, the Billy Grahams of this world who make a
difference. It is each one of us playing our part. It involves the mother
with three kids who makes the effort to get to church in the morning, just
as much as it involves the minister who pretends he runs the place. Both are
equally important, both plant their seeds.
The sowing of the tinniest seeds starts a process over which we have no
control. God will take care of the process. The growth will happen at the
right pace, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Charles Royden
Meditation
Meditation A thought for our holidays
Once Abba Anthony was conversing with some brethren, and a hunter who was
after game in the wilderness came upon them. He saw Abba Anthony and the
brothers enjoying themselves and disapproved. Abba Anthony said: ‘Put an
arrow in your bow and shoot it.’ This he did. ‘Now shoot another,’ said the
elder. ‘And another, and another.’ The hunter said: if I bend my bow all the
time it will break.’ Abba Anthony replied: ‘So it is in the work of God. If
we push ourselves beyond measure, the brethren will soon collapse. It is
right, therefore, from time to time, to relax their efforts. ‘The Wisdom of
the Desert’
Hymns
God is working his purpose out
Now let us from this table rise - Tune Tallis Canon
1 Now let us from this table rise
renewed in body, mind and soul;
with Christ we die and rise again,
his selfless love has made us whole.
2 With minds alert, upheld by grace,
to spread the Word in speech and deed,
we follow in the steps of Christ,
at one with all in hope and need.
3 To fill each human house with love,
it is the sacrament of care;
the work that Christ began to do
we humbly pledge ourselves to share.
4 Then grant us grace, Companion-God,
to choose again the pilgrim way
and help us to accept with joy
the challenge of tomorrow's day.
Fred Kaan (born 1929)
1 Lord Jesus, once you spoke to men
upon the mountain, in the plain;
O help us listen now, as then,
and wonder at your words again.
2 We all have secret fears to face,
our minds and motives to amend;
we seek your truth, we need your grace,
our living Lord and present Friend.
3 The Gospel speaks; and we receive
your light, your love, your own command.
O help us live what we believe
in daily work of heart and hand.
Tune Wareham or Winchester New
1 I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
2 And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice (1859-1918)
13 13 13 13 13 13
Tune Thaxted