ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
May 13, 2021
Scripture: Mark 4:26-29
Jesus also 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.”
Thought for the Day: The life of faith is an amazing, yet sometimes awkward dance with God. Too often we try to lead, and then out of frustration, we sulk in the corner and refuse to dance. Despite our lousy capacity to learn the ebb and flow of the partnership, God’s grace continues to beckon us back to the dance floor. I recognize the mixing of the metaphors – planting vs. dancing, tossing seed vs. doing the twist – but there is a point to be made. In the parable Jesus shared, there is responsibility on the farmer to plant the seed, then there is a time of waiting in which God and the soil and the bumblebees do their thing, and then the farmer needs to step back in for the harvest. It is a holy collaboration through which the Good News of God’s love impacts the world. Whether you like the metaphor of the farmer or the metaphor of dancing, just remember you have an important part in God’s kingdom being made manifest in this world. It doesn’t rest entirely on your shoulders, but don’t shrink from what you have been called to do.
Prayer: I know there is a part for me in bringing your grace to the world, O Giver of this Gift. Help me to own my task and to honor the work you have called me to do. Amen.
