{"id":1887,"date":"2021-06-12T21:09:48","date_gmt":"2021-06-12T21:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/?p=1887"},"modified":"2021-06-12T21:09:48","modified_gmt":"2021-06-12T21:09:48","slug":"third-after-pentecost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/06\/12\/third-after-pentecost\/","title":{"rendered":"Third after Pentecost"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1894\"\/><figcaption>Vincent van Gogh, <em>Sunset at Montmajour<\/em>, 1888. Private Collection (Public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Dave and Heather!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRELUDE: \u201cLord, the Light of your Love is Shining\u201d (Kendrick)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Prelude-Lord-the-Light-of-your-Love-is-Shining-Graham-Kendrick.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>OPENING PRAYER:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love, <br \/>\nyou raised Jesus from death to life,<br \/>\nresplendent in glory to rule over all creation.<br \/>\nFree the world to rejoice in his peace,<br \/>\nto glory in his justice,<br \/>\nand to live in his love.<br \/>\nFree the world to rejoice in his mercy,<br \/>\nto share his forgiveness,<br \/>\nand manifest his grace.<br \/>\nFree the world to rejoice in his growth,<br \/>\nto follow his example,<br \/>\nand to become Christ to others.<br \/>\nUnite all humankind in Jesus Christ your Son, <br \/>\nwho lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,<br \/>\none God, forever and ever.  Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cFor the fruit of all creation\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/forthefruit.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>For the fruit of all creation, thanks be to God.<br \/>For the gifts to every nation, thanks be to God.<br \/>For the ploughing, sowing, reaping,<br \/>silent growth while we are sleeping,<br \/>future needs in earth\u2019s safekeeping, thanks be to God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>In the just reward of labour, God\u2019s will is done.<br \/>In the help we give our neighbour, God\u2019s will is done.<br \/>In our worldwide task of caring<br \/>for the hungry and despairing,<br \/>in the harvests we are sharing, God\u2019s will is done.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>For the harvests of the Spirit, thanks be to God.<br \/>For the good we all inherit, thanks be to God.<br \/>For the wonders that astound us,<br \/>for the truths that still confound us,<br \/>most of all that love has found us, thanks be to God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p>PRAYER OF CONFESSION<\/p>\n\n\n<p>O God, in whose mercy we find our peace,&nbsp;<br \/>in whose presence we find our place,&nbsp;&nbsp;<br \/>in whose world we find our calling:&nbsp;<br \/>grant us grace so to hear and accept your Word&nbsp;<br \/>that we may be faithful followers&nbsp;<br \/>of your will and your way all our days.<br \/>The road is hard, and we often falter,<br \/>but we know that you urge us on,<br \/>willing to walk by our side.<br \/>Forgive us our halting steps.<br \/>In Jesus\u2019 name we pray. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>ASSURANCE OF PARDON<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God will give us what we need:<br \/>strength for today,<br \/>hope for tomorrow,<br \/>and forgiveness<br \/>for all that is past.<br \/>Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>SPECIAL MUSIC: \u201cDon&#8217;t You Wish It Was True\u201d (Fogerty)<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Dont-you-Wish-It-Was-True.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>FIRST READING: Psalm 20<\/p>\n\n\n<p>May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;<br \/>     <strong>may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.<\/strong><br \/> May he send you help from the sanctuary<br \/>     <strong>and grant you support from Zion.<\/strong><br \/> May he remember all your sacrifices<br \/>     <strong>and accept your burnt offerings<\/strong>.<br \/> May he give you the desire of your heart<br \/>     <strong>and make all your plans succeed.<\/strong><br \/> May we shout for joy over your victory<br \/>    <strong> and lift up our banners in the name of our God.<\/strong><br \/> May the Lord grant all your requests.<br \/> Now this I know:<br \/>     <strong>The Lord gives victory to his anointed.<\/strong><br \/> He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary<br \/>     <strong>with the victorious power of his right hand.<\/strong><br \/> Some trust in chariots and some in horses,<br \/>     <strong>but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.<\/strong><br \/> They are brought to their knees and fall,<br \/>     <strong>but we rise up and stand firm.<\/strong><br \/> Lord, give victory to the king!<br \/>    <strong> Answer us when we call!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p>SECOND READING: Mark 4.26-34<\/p>\n\n\n<p>26 He also said, \u201cThis is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain\u2014first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.\u201d<br \/>\n30 Again he said, \u201cWhat shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.\u201d<br \/>\n33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN OF PRAISE: \u201cLord, speak to me\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/VU-589-Lord-Speak-to-Me.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>Lord, speak to me that I may speak<br \/>in living echoes of your tone;<br \/>as you have sought, so let me seek<br \/>your straying children lost and lone.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>O lead me, so that I may lead<br \/>the wandering and the wavering feet;<br \/>O feed me, so that I may feed<br \/>your hungering ones with manna sweet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>O teach me, so that I may teach<br \/>the precious truths which you impart;<br \/>and wing my words, that they may reach<br \/>the hidden depths of many&nbsp;a heart.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>O fill me with your fullness, Lord,<br \/>until my very heart o\u2019erflows<br \/>in kindling thought and glowing word,<br \/>your love to tell, your praise to show.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/image-2.png\" alt=\"This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-2.png\"\/><figcaption>Vincent van Gogh, Trees and Shrubs, 1889. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam (Public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>REFLECTION<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/june13sermon.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>Weston has a secret portal that gets you under the 401.<br \/>\nWeston has a secret Victorian village hidden amid the highrises.<br \/>\nWeston has a somewhat secret shrine to Mary, right up there with Lourdes and Guadalupe.<br \/>\nWeston has a secret history on the west bank of the Humber, until the river had other ideas back in 1850.<br \/>\nWeston is mystified by the secret of all those bank departures, though greed might be the answer.<br \/>\nAnd finally, number nine on Now Magazines \u201cHidden Toronto\u201d list of the city\u2019s best-kept secrets is\u2026Weston.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m sure I\u2019ve only scratched the surface here.  And I didn\u2019t even start on the secrets of Mount Dennis or the secret part of Pelmo Park north of the 401.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Leaving that for another day, we are surrounded by things unknown and things unexplained.  There is a popular online forum called whatisthisthing, where people will post a picture of something mysterious looking, and enlist others to help them figure it out.  It\u2019s the ultimate crowdsourcing, where the secret of an unfamiliar item is revealed by someone who immediately knows what it is.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Related to this is an entire genre of \u201creality television\u201d with titles like How It\u2019s Made, How Do They Do That? and What on Earth?  There is obviously an appetite for understanding hidden things, or things that are remarkable in their creation, even if they are commonplace or familiar.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>And that takes us to our lesson.  Seeds scattered on the ground, the disproportionate growth of the mustard seed\u2014these parables take something familiar and open up the meaning to reveal more.  And in this case we get the explicit introduction \u201cthis is what the kingdom of God is like\u201d\u2014the implied purpose of every parable.  But before we begin to draw Kingdom lessons, let\u2019s look again at how these tiny literary units work.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>These parables use a device best described with the words \u201cand yet.\u201d  On other occasions, we have talked about parables creating a world, which sours, then resolves to reveal the Kingdom.  These simpler parables function in the same way: describing something, adding the \u201cand yet,\u201d and then pointing to some Kingdom theme.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In the first one, the Parable of the Growing Seed, the constructed world is someone planting seeds, and yet they don\u2019t know how they grow.  Still, the growth continues, until the harvest is plentiful.  In the second\u2014even simpler than the first\u2014the constructed world is the mustard seed, and yet it\u2019s among the smallest seeds on earth.  It grows into a large shrub, and birds make nests in it\u2019s branches.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In each case, the \u201cand yet\u201d is the secret of the parable, the hidden meaning that makes this part of the Kingdom.  The simple act of sowing seeds results in the harvest.  The tiny seed becomes a shrub, far out of proportion to the size of the seed.  It\u2019s about the miracle of growth, of course, but it\u2019s mostly about the abundance that follows the simple act of sowing a seed.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now, a scientist could explain all the steps needed to achieve germination (even a scientist in elementary school) and tell you about hydrating the seed (imbibition), activating the enzymes inside the seed, and putting down a root (radicle).  Soon it will sprout, and the sun will take over from there\u2014first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. <\/p>\n\n\n<p>But rather than looking at the science and saying \u2018mystery solved,\u2019 I think the mystery deepens.  With each new discovery, and each new insight, what is really revealed is the remarkable complexity of everything God made.  The more complex, and the more inexplicable, the more we wonder at the gift of the natural world that keeps giving.  Things that work in nature for the benefit of others, cures waiting to be discovered in the natural world, even the number of stars in the sky\u2014all reveal the glory of the Most High.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>And then God made humans.  Odd that we don\u2019t need to condemn humanity for all our failures relating to the natural world, because we humans are busy condemning ourselves.  Every day we need to choose whether we are part of the natural world, and therefore worth protecting, or we are somehow outside the natural world, and on our own.  At this moment in human history we seem very much on our own, and we may pay a steep price.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>In the same manner that we have divided ourselves from the natural world, we insist on dividing ourselves from one another.  Some divisions\u2014location, language\u2014are a part of the diversity of human life.  While others\u2014race, status, economic standing\u2014 we create and impose on each other.  The need to feel superior seems hardwired somehow, and the project of human living should always be setting aside that particular need.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that there is racism in Canada.  We have been blessed with abundance, and yet we retreat to racism and xenophobia.  We have created a society where everyone has access to healthcare and basic needs, and yet we imagine that some are less deserving or jumping some sort of invisible queue.  We have all the resources to educate ourselves about how to live together, and yet we retreat to the voices that tell us what we want to hear, even when it leads to violence.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that there is racism in Canada, and yet the solution is within us, since we all contribute in some small way.  Sounds like a parable, because it is.  This little world we have created, remarkable in so many ways, still sours because we each carry that gene of superiority, that sense of suspicion, and that willingness to listen to the least helpful voices.  It\u2019s hard to even name that we carry around the kernel of racism within us, but by naming it we can perhaps begin to move on.  <\/p>\n\n\n<p>The point of a parable is resolving to reveal the Kingdom.  Resolving implies trouble, or some human problem we face.  And yet, in the face of trouble, God is most attentive, most willing to stand beside us, and most willing to lift up those in deep need.  The parables show us that God\u2019s direction always points to the Kingdom, where everything that divides us is cast out, where everything that hurts us is healed, and everything that separates us from the love of God is set aside\u2014now and forevermore, Amen.   <\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/image-4-1024x598.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1897\"\/><figcaption>Vincent van Gogh, detail of Wheatfield with Cypresses, 1889. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE:<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nyou have shown your compassion in Jesus Christ.<br \/>\nGuide the work of the church.<br \/>\nHelp it to persevere in faith<br \/>\nand to proclaim your name to people everywhere. <br \/>\nLet us pray for all who serve the church<br \/>\nwith the gifts God gives them.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nyour Spirit guides the church and makes it holy.<br \/>\nStrengthen and sustain all who serve.<br \/>\nKeep them in health and safety<br \/>\nand help each of us to do faithfully<br \/>\nthe work to which you have called us.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for all who do not know God,<br \/>\nthat the light of the Holy Spirit<br \/>\nmay awaken them to faith.<br \/>\nGod of power and love,<br \/>\nmay all your children everywhere<br \/>\nknow your goodness.<br \/>\nHelp us, your church,<br \/>\nto become more perfect witnesses of your grace<br \/>\nso that all may see you in us.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for victims of hate,<br \/>\nand everyone who has experienced violence.<br \/>\nWe pray for the Afzaal family: <br \/>\nTalat, Madiha, Salman, Yumna, <br \/>\nand nine-year-old Fayez, recovering from his injuries.<br \/>\nHeal hearts that are broken, God,<br \/>\nand comfort those overcome with fear.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for those who hate.<br \/>\nReach into their hearts, Lord, <br \/>\nand help them see your design for us:<br \/>\nthat everyone is your beloved child,<br \/>\nthat everyone deserves respect,<br \/>\nthat everyone deserves to live in peace.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\ndefender of the poor and oppressed,<br \/>\ncall to account the rulers of this world,<br \/>\nso that people everywhere may enjoy<br \/>\njustice, peace, and freedom<br \/>\nand a fair share of the goodness of creation.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Let us pray for all who are sick or dying,<br \/>\nall who are homeless or in prison,<br \/>\nand for all who suffer from hunger or violence.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>God of power and love,<br \/>\nstrength of the weary,<br \/>\nhope of the despairing,<br \/>\nhear the cries of your suffering children<br \/>\nand give us the courage to be agents of your love for them.<br \/>\nWe pray in the name of Christ our Saviour. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>THE LORD\u2019S PRAYER<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Our Father who art in heaven,<br \/>hallowed be thy name.<br \/>Thy kingdom come,<br \/>Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<br \/>Give us this day our daily bread;<br \/>and forgive us our trespasses<br \/>as we forgive those who trespass against us;<br \/>and lead us not into temptation<br \/>but deliver us from evil.<br \/>For thine is the kingdom,<br \/>and the power, and the glory,<br \/>for ever and ever. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>HYMN: \u201cIn the bulb there is a flower\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/inthebulb.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>In the bulb there is a flower;<br \/>in the seed, an apple tree;<br \/>in cocoons, a hidden promise:<br \/>butterflies will soon be free!<br \/>In the cold and snow of winter<br \/>there\u2019s a spring that waits to be,<br \/>unrevealed until its season,<br \/>something God alone can see.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>There\u2019s a song in every silence,<br \/>seeking word and melody;<br \/>there\u2019s a dawn in every darkness,<br \/>bringing hope to you and me.<br \/>From the past will come the future;<br \/>what it holds, a mystery,<br \/>unrevealed until its season,<br \/>something God alone can see.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>In our end is our beginning;<br \/>in our time, infinity;<br \/>in our doubt there is believing;<br \/>in our life, eternity.<br \/>In our death, a resurrection;<br \/>at the last, a victory,<br \/>unrevealed until its season,<br \/>something God alone can see<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>BLESSING<\/p>\n\n\n<p>Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way,<br \/>and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless<br \/>until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. Amen.<br \/>\u20141 Thessalonians 5:23<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/meetagainredux.m4a\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><em>God be with you till we meet again;<br \/>loving counsels guide, uphold you,<br \/>with a shepherd\u2019s care enfold you;<br \/>God be with you till we meet again.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"https:\/\/oneking.ca\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/image-5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1899\"\/><figcaption>Vincent van Gogh, Lilac Bush, 1889. Hermitage, St. Petersburg, Russia (Public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gathered through the power of the Holy Spirit, we worship God with gladness. We encourage you to pray over the words that follow, and follow the links within the liturgy. Prayers in this service are adapted from Celebrate God\u2019s Presence (UCPH). Thanks this week to Dave and Heather! PRELUDE: \u201cLord, the Light of your Love &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/2021\/06\/12\/third-after-pentecost\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Third after Pentecost<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1887"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1887"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1887\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/michaelkooiman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}