Trinity 2 – 13th June 2021

W E L C O M E T O P R A Y I N G T O G E T H E R

HYMN SUGGESTIONS

Be Still and Know that I am GodJesus, Saviour, Pilot MeI Love to Tell the StoryCome People of the Risen KingBuild your Kingdom Here

There are a selection of hymns here from St Martin’s in the Field: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/hub/asset/hymns-and-choral-music

PREPARATIONInvite the congregation to read Psalm 92.1-4 together.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Faithful Creator, whose mercy never fails: deepen our faithfulness to you and to your living Word,Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BIBLE READING: MARK 4.26-34

He 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.’He 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.

SOME THOUGHTS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION:

Jesus speaks to a group of people; if they weren’t farmers, they knew someone who was. Everyone listening was very aware that if the crops failed, then next year they would spend a lot of time being hungry, poor, or both. I know that this might be hard to believe, but most of the people who were listening to Jesus that day were more interested in the weather than British people are. So when Jesus talks about seeds,

sowing and harvests, it is important stuff – although not as important as the thing that it is illustrating – the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is like a seed sown.

We need to pause there and remind ourselves of what the kingdom of God is. We know it is like a seed sown, but what kind of seed is the kingdom of God like?

Jesus preached about the kingdom of God more than anything else, which means it is obviously important. Yet we sometimes wonder if Jesus ever managed to pin down exactly what the kingdom is. Maybe Jesus really didn’t need to describe it because the people he was talking to had seen it.

Jesus healed people: the kingdom of God.Jesus fed hungry people: the kingdom of God.Jesus told people whose lives were trapped how to be free: the kingdom of God.Jesus gave people a reason to live: the kingdom of God.Jesus sat down and ate with people who most folks ignored, and showed them the presence of God: the kingdom of God.Jesus taught people eternal truths from what we call the Bible: the kingdom of God.Jesus turned people’s lives around: the kingdom of God.Jesus made a way for people to overcome sin and death: the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is about peace, justice, healing and wholeness, belonging to God, knowing God. The kingdom of God is about restoration. And this is not about heaven - this is not about some future event - the kingdom of God is about now.

Wherever God reigns that is the kingdom of God. That can be in our hearts, in our families, in our work places, in the middle of our communities, I hope it is in our churches.

Back to the story

The man who sows the seed is Jesus: but don’t worry, anything Jesus does, you can and should do. The seed is the kingdom of God. It is not like we need to wait for the plant to grow before we get the kingdom – the very seed that we sow is the kingdom: each of us has a small seed, but it is the kingdom in its fullness.

Jesus began it: he brought the kingdom of God on earth and showed it to people. When Jesus sowed the kingdom it was small, it only took root in a tiny part of 1st century Palestine. It is much bigger now, and one day will fill the whole earth.

Just as Jesus sowed the kingdom in unlikely places and amongst unlikely people and then watched the kingdom grow, we should too.

In Jesus’ story the sower can sow the seed and know it will grow. The sower doesn’t have to watch it 24 hours a day. The sower also knows there will be a delay and that that is normal: there will be sleeping and rising, there will be a meantime, there will be ordinary moments, but the power of God will make the kingdom grow.

Christ’s story reminds us that we can and should sow the kingdom. The best way for us to do that is to go and do and be the kingdom of God in the world. And the best way to grow as a disciple is to go and stare hunger in the eye and do something about it; to go and find out what brokenness is, and then show people what it means to be whole; to go and find death and darkness and speak words of life and light. It is to find people and bring them to Jesus’ table so they can taste and see that God is good.

The seed will be small, there will be a delay, but God will make the kingdom grow.

However small the kingdom looks, it is growing – in your life and mine.

Harry Steele

CREATIVE PRAYERS

If you feel you can do this in Covid secure way, you might like to cut out some leaf shapes – preferably on green paper. Give each member of the congregation a leaf shape and invite them to write down a prayer about what God is calling them to do.

Collect the prayers up and stick them on to a pre-prepared large outline of a tree that you could draw on a roll-end of wallpaper, etc.

If you can display this prayer tree for a number of Sundays – perhaps there will be chance to refer to it, the Kingdom of God, and the parable of Jesus in the weeks to come.

PRAYERS

Blessed are you, Lord GodYou give the increase to our sowing,To our work and to our plantings. You are the giver of life and life in abundance.May we put our faith in your goodnessand, when we have sown, trust the increase to you.Though our faith is often small, it is in a Mighty God.Blessed are you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

We give thanks for those who taught us the faith,Who sowed the seed of the Gospel in our hearts,We ask your blessing upon preachers and teachers,Upon ministers of the word and the sacraments.We remember homes where the word of God is sownand children are given the chance to grow in the kingdom.We pray for the Bible SocietyFor all who produce and translate the Bible.

Silence

Lord our God,your kingdom come in us as it is in heaven.

Lord, we long for the timewhen the kingdoms of the worldwill become the kingdom of Christ our Lord.May the rulers on earth reflect the gentle and loving ruleof your kingdom in heaven.We pray for all who are striving to do your willin their places of work and in their homes,for all who witness to you by their way of life.

Silence

Lord our God,your kingdom come in us as it is in heaven.

We give thanks for those who love usand show us through their livesa glimpse of your kingdom.We ask your blessing upon our homesand our loved ones.We remember all who suffer from violence or neglectin their homes,all who feel uncared for or unwanted.We pray for the lonelyAnd those who have been taken into care.

Silence

Lord our God,your kingdom come in us as it is in heaven.

We give thanks for the work of healing in our hospitalsand through the healing professions.We pray for our own doctor.We remember areas of the world where there is little careAnd the problems seem to overwhelm those who seek to help.We remember people caught up in disasters,In floods, in drought or in war.We pray for relief agencies and all who contribute to them.

Silence

Lord our God,your kingdom come in us as it is in heaven.

We give thanks for all the saints,for those who spread the word of God,for those who witnessed to your love,for those who brought the Gospel to this land.We remember all our loved ones who are departed from usand pray that they may rejoicein the fullness of your kingdom.

Silence

Merciful Father,accept these prayersfor the sake of your Son,our Saviour Jesus ChristAmen.

David Adams

THE CONCLUSION

Let us pray for the coming of the kingdom in the words our Saviour taught us

Our Father in heaven,Hallowed by your name,Your kingdom come,Your will be done,On earth as in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our sinsAs we forgive those who sin against us.lead us not into temptationBut deliver us from evil.For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yoursNow and forever. Amen.

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