Welcome and Candle Lighting
God of all times, you call us to worship you with our whole lives.
We come to offer our words and the music of our hearts,
our silence and our listening;
to give you praise;
to be encouraged
and to support one another.
So as we gather ourselves together,
as we light the flame of the community candle,
and find ourselves wholly present here,
may we grow to reflect the light of your glory,
your love and grace,
in this place and wherever we go. Amen.
Reflective prayer
God of surprises, who turns the tables, breaks down the walls, treasures the neglected and rejected; God of love, who seeks us out when are lost or wilful or wayward, may our efforts, ambition and energies be held and carried by your Spirit.
Silence
God of joy, who sows the seeds of your love with holy abandon, scattering over rocks and thorns, over path and in fields; God of mystery who spoke in parables, concealing as you reveal, may our hearts be open fields to your Spirit.
Silence
Accepting God, whose kingdom is broad enough for all kinds of odd birds to find a home in; Generous God, who works with the mess of yeast and flour together to make loaves in abundance, may our lives be soft as dough for your Spirit.
Amen.
Scripture Reading:
parables of sorting Matthew 13:24-30; 21:28-32; 25: 31-46
‘But how does it seem to you? A man had two children; going to the first, he said, “Child, go and work in the vineyard today.” But he in answer said, “I will, Lord”, and did not go.
And going to the second he spoke in the same way. And in answer he said, “I do not wish to”, and later regretted it and went.
Which of the two did the father’s will?’ They said, ‘The latter.’
Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, the tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going before you into the kingdom of God.
For John came to you on the path of moral rectitude and you did not trust him, but the tax-collectors and the prostitutes trusted him; yet, having seen this, you did not later feel regret and trust him.
Parable reflections
The Wheat and The Weeds
Something you may or may not know….in the Greek text, Jesus specifies what kind of weed seeds are sown. They are darnel seeds, which when they sprout and even as they set seeds, look almost identical to wheat. The weeds and the wheat are very hard to tell apart until you look closely and carefully.
What does this signify for you?
As you reflect on this parable, I invite you to dwell on the conversation between the Master and the slaves, noticing the kinds of questions they are asking…what sense do you get of their assumptions and their attitudes?
The Master rejects the solution the slaves offer to the situation and instead chooses a different path…
What insight does this exchange offer you about God? About life? About judgement?
The Two Brothers – I will and I won’t
Is this a parable about integrity? Doing what you say you’ll do? Making sure you do more than talk the talk – you also walk the walk? Is it about our tendency to hide behind having the right words and ideas about things “yes, I’ll go” but with no intention to let those words and ideas change our comfortable plans for our lives?
As you reflect on the parable, I invite you to consider what it reveals to you about what matters to God.
Notice (with curiosity and without judgement) what rises in you in response to that…a sense of failure? Or pride? An awareness of how we as a church fail? A story that shows where we are engaging with what matters to God?
A word on obedience…The two sons were given an order from their parental authority figure, with the expectation that they ought to obey. For many of us obedience can seem like a minefield for moral discernment, especially if you have any issues with authority (and really, most of us have work to do in learning how to hold, honour and keep authority accountable).
It may help to think of obedience as intelligent listening – the root of the word in Latin gives us this clue because it means, essentially, to listen into.
Obedience requires us to engage our inner compass, to listen deeply to the wisdom beneath our initial like/dislike and to act in the light of that careful, compassionate, integrated space.
The second son experiences a sense of regret after having refused to obey his father’s instruction. His regret shifts his action. What does that say to you? What questions does that raise for you? When have you experienced regret as a force for positive change?
What are the other feeling triggers that you allow to shift your action to align with your deep, inner compass?
Are there feeling triggers you can identify which shift your action, but which arise from something else – perhaps fear, shame or anxiety? Perhaps pride, resentment or anger? Where do you see these most often in your own life and relationships?
Jesus’ observations about those who are entering the Kingdom of Heaven are about trust and response.
What does this parable help you to see about what motivates your speech and action?
What does it reveal to you about your discerning process and your inner compass?
The Sheep and The Goats
“The sorting in this parable is based on relational compassion. Those with material resources recognised their interdependence with all by redistributing wealth and connecting with others. The imbalance of material resources is perceived as a bridge and opportunity for relationship with welcome, generosity and humility at the core.”
What do you notice about your response to the statement? How does it touch you or move you? Where do you see bridges or opportunities for relationships with welcome, generosity and humility as core values?
After the sorting and judgement, given what Jesus tells us about the values and character of those who are ‘sheep’, how do you imagine they will respond to those who are ‘goats’?
Prayers of the People
The Lord’s Prayer
~ a paraphrase
Eternal Spirit,
Father and Mother of us all,
Holy and blessed is your name.
We pray for justice and mercy to fill all creation,
We pray that your good will be done,
May heaven and earth become one.
Feed us with the bread we need for today.
Let forgiveness flow like a river between us,
From each one to each one.
Lead us into the Fullness of Life,
Stand with us in trial and temptation
And free us from the grip of all that is evil,
For the wisdom, glory and power of Love are yours alone,
now and forever,
Amen
Blessing
May the blessing of God surround us
May angels and friends share our journey
May we be wise and strong and creative
May we celebrate life and hope.
May God’s image grow within us.
May laughter and courage heal us
May the gospel sustain us
All the days of our journey home.
In the name of the creator, redeemer and giver of life, Amen.
