D-V's Desk

             Jesus gives us five snapshots of what the Kingdom of Heaven is like this morning.   The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, some yeast, hidden treasure, a pearl, and a net of fish.   With the exception of the catch of fish and the hidden treasure, all of these are small, seemingly insignificant.             I have here an index card.   On the index card is a mustard seed, a pearl, and a grain of yeast.   There is also a quarter for comparison.   You may be able to see the quarter.   How many can see the other items?   Not too many.   The mustard seed, the pearl, and the grain of yeast are so tiny in comparison.   But their impact is huge.             A tiny mustard seed can grow into a large bush.   Large enough to provide shelter for birds and small animals.  ...

  Now I am no gardener or even a farmer.   But I was a biology major.   And I loved to help my Mom in her garden.   I also lived in rural Missouri for eleven and a half years, where corn and soy grow on the sides of the highways.   So, I do know a few things about how gardens work.   I am sure you may as well. First, you must carefully select the ground.   Nothing too rocky or shady Then you need to make sure the soil is prepared.   Fertilizer and topsoil may be needed. Finally, you can sow your seeds or plant your seedlings. Your garden will need adequate sunlight and water to flourish. What the sower does in Jesus’ story goes against all good gardening.   Notice how the sower scatters seed haphazardly.   There is no thought for the soil or how the soil (or lack thereof) will impact the growth of the future plant.   No gardener would garden this way in real life.   Rocky ground, thorny ground, good soil all get seed....

          “Don’t think I’ve come to make life cozy.   I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between son and father, daughter and mother, bride and mother-in-law—cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God.   Well-meaning family members can be your worst enemies.   If you prefer father or mother over me, you don’t deserve me.   If you prefer son or daughter over me, you don’t deserve me.”                                     Matthew 10:34-37 (MSG)             Jesus’ words seem harsh.   Especially on a day like today.   A day when we celebrate the fathers and those who have been father-like to us.   After all, many of us first come to know love in our families. ...

  Jesus never says that following Him is easy.   In fact, time after time, Jesus says that following Him is hard, demanding, and not for the faint of heart.   “If any want to follow me,” Jesus says, “they must take up their cross and follow me.”   This morning, in our Gospel lesson, Jesus calls His first followers and gives them this advice: 9-10  “Don’t think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start.   You don’t need a lot of equipment.   You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day.   Travel light. 11  “When you enter a town or village, don’t insist on staying in a luxury inn.   Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave. 12-15  “When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting.   If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation.   If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw.   Don’t make a scene.   ...

St. Augustine once wrote that God is best understood as a community of love.   God exists as a relationship of love between God’s Self, God the Son (Jesus), and God’s Holy Spirit.   There is so much love within the Triune God, that the love overflows beyond the Trinity into creation.   You see, love always seeks an object. And so, in lavish love, God calls forth creation: “sun, moon, and stars; earth, winds, and waters; and every living thing” (EP 2, EOW; cf. Genesis 1) .   Finally, God calls forth human beings as bearers of God’s image.   Man and woman created equally.   Male and female both made with God’s capacity to love and to be loved. In that same love, you and I are sent into the world.   To share that abundant love with those we encounter day in and day out (Matthew 28:18-20) .   So that they, too, can come to know God’s love.   I have said this before, but it bears repeating.   You and I might be the only Bible someone rea...

  “I am the Church! You are the Church! We are the Church Together. All who follow Jesus, All around the world. Yes, we’re the Church together!” I can’t help but think of this refrain every Pentecost.   The song is a hymn from my days as a United Methodist.   A pastor even showed us hand gestures to go with the words.   Richard Avery’s hymn reminds us that the church is not about a building.   The church is about you and me, God’s people, coming together. In its original context, Pentecost was a harvest festival.   Fifty days after the Passover, the people are called to bring the first fruits of their harvest and dedicate them to God.   Those fifty days are where we get Pentecost; pente meaning fifty and cost meaning days.   Leviticus 23 commands God’s people: “Count seven full weeks from the morning after the Sabbath when you brought the sheaf as a Wave-Offering, fifty days until the morning of the seventh Sabbath.   Then pre...