The Sower
Stories
Contents
"The Sower" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Big Rocks" by John Fitzgerald
The Sower
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
John pulled up another plant. “Honestly, I wish we could grow weeds instead of vegetables.”
“If we planted weeds we wouldn’t get our exercise, would we?” Carol said from the other side of the garden.
John looked over at the pile of weeds from the morning’s work. “Are you sure that would be such a bad thing?”
Carol laughed and went over to sit down on the grass under a large tree. John wiped at his brow and then went to join her. She reached into an insulated bag and pulled out a drink and a sandwich. She pushed the bag over to him and he helped himself.
“The beans are growing nicely this year,” John said between bites.
“They are.” Carol took a drink. “I think something got into the carrots last night.”
John shrugged. “All God’s creatures have to eat.”
Carol considered him for a moment. “That’s mighty calm of you given how mad you were last year about that rabbit.”
“Truth is we end up giving away lots from this garden, don’t we?” John took another bite from his sandwich. “No reason the animals shouldn’t get a share too.”
“We’re the ones who put in the work though -- the planting, the weeding, the worrying, and then the harvesting.”
“Amazing that so little work produces so much.”
“Little work?” Carol narrowed her eyes. “It seemed like plenty to me last year.”
“For all the meals we ate?” John started counting on his fingers. “We worked three days getting things ready and planting, a couple of half days weeding and then a day or two to harvest.”
“Add another day or so to get things stored properly.” Carol held up a couple more fingers. “Plus the time it takes to can or preserve what’s left at the end of the season.”
“Okay so a little more than a week and a half’s work for most of the vegetables we need for the winter. Sounds like a good deal to me.”
Carol examined the garden for a moment and then nodded. “I guess you’re right. We do okay.”
“We do more than okay when you think about it.” John pointed to the neat rows of tomato plants. “We get so much from each seed. It’s remarkable how God provides.”
“Indeed.” Carol pulled out some brownies from the bag. “You know in all the years we’ve had a garden I’ve never quite understood why Jesus says in his parable that the Sower puts the seed everywhere. I mean we put good seed in good ground and get a good crop. Why would you put seed on the path or other places where it won’t grow?”
“Good question.” John rubbed his chin. “Did you ever consider not loving any of the foster kids we took in?”
Carol shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Not even the ones who came to us angry and rebellious like Duncan?”
“Duncan was a handful.” Carol sighed. “I wish we could have done more for him.”
“We did everything we could, didn’t we? We loved him just like the others.” John took his wife’s hand. “The truth is that sometimes love didn’t bring the results but other times it did.”
“That’s true.” Carol squeezed his hand. “I don’t regret loving any of them in the least.”
“No, because that’s the way you are.” John smiled at her. “I figure God is that same way and just loves us so much that even if there’s little or almost no chance we’ll believe that God’s still going to sow the seeds of love and grace on us anyway because that’s just the way God is. If there’s even a tiny possibility God will take that chance on us.”
Carol turned and looked at her husband. “Have you been thinking about this before today?”
“I was thinking about how wild Judy was when she came to us.” John shook his head. “Remember all those nights we figured she was a lost cause?”
“We never gave up on her though.” Carol smiled. “Now she has a career and a good life.”
John nodded. “God never gives up on anyone because that is just the way God is I figure.”
“That makes sense to me when you put it that way.” Carol stood up. “I think we’ve spent enough time talking. Those final rows will not finish themselves.”
John stood beside her. “No, I expect they will not.”
The two of them went back to work on the garden more thankful than ever for the generous nature of God.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
* * *
Big Rocks
by John Fitzgerald
Psalm 119:105-112
An expert in time management spoke to a group of business students. During the course of his talk he produced a one-gallon jar and set it on the table in front of him. Next, he took out twelve fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them in the jar. When he completed this task he asked the class, “Do you think this jar is full?” Everyone in the class responded with a “Yes.” Next he took out a bucket of sand an poured it into the cracks and spaces between the rocks and jar. Again he posed the question to his class, “Do you think this jar is full?” This time the class seemed skeptical and someone answered, “The jar is probably not full.” Next the professor poured a pitcher of water in between the rocks, jar, and sand. After performing this he looked at the class and asked, “What do you think the point of this illustration is?” One of the students raised his hand and said, “The point this illustration is no matter how busy your schedule is you still can cram something into it.” The expert said, “Good answer, but that is not what I am looking for. The point of the illustration is this. If you do not put the big rocks in first you will never get them in at all.”
What are the big rocks in your life? Have we put first things first? Or are filling our jar of life up with non-essentials?
Psalm 119 is an attempt to get us back to the really important or big rocks of daily living. This writing is both the longest psalm and longest chapter in our Bible. The structure of this Psalm is an alphabetical arcostic in which each stanza consists of eight lines corresponding to a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Almost every verse mentions God’s Word.
Our stanza from Psalm 119 under consideration for today (verses 105-112) emphasize God’s Law. Verse 105 is a joyous proclamation that Christians have identified with throughout the centuries: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
People are looking for a pathway in righteous living while living in the midst of a troubled world. Psalm 119:105 affirms that God’s law grants us a lamp and light for showing us the way we must go. Meditation upon holy scripture illuminates the choices and lifestyle we must take on.
Often folks ignore the teachings of scripture and choose to do their own thing. Confusion and even evil arises when we are not grounded in God’s Word. The big rocks of life are discovered when we take Psalm 119 to heart and study our Bible.
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
*****************************************
StoryShare, July 16, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"The Sower" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Big Rocks" by John Fitzgerald
The Sower
by Peter Andrew Smith
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
John pulled up another plant. “Honestly, I wish we could grow weeds instead of vegetables.”
“If we planted weeds we wouldn’t get our exercise, would we?” Carol said from the other side of the garden.
John looked over at the pile of weeds from the morning’s work. “Are you sure that would be such a bad thing?”
Carol laughed and went over to sit down on the grass under a large tree. John wiped at his brow and then went to join her. She reached into an insulated bag and pulled out a drink and a sandwich. She pushed the bag over to him and he helped himself.
“The beans are growing nicely this year,” John said between bites.
“They are.” Carol took a drink. “I think something got into the carrots last night.”
John shrugged. “All God’s creatures have to eat.”
Carol considered him for a moment. “That’s mighty calm of you given how mad you were last year about that rabbit.”
“Truth is we end up giving away lots from this garden, don’t we?” John took another bite from his sandwich. “No reason the animals shouldn’t get a share too.”
“We’re the ones who put in the work though -- the planting, the weeding, the worrying, and then the harvesting.”
“Amazing that so little work produces so much.”
“Little work?” Carol narrowed her eyes. “It seemed like plenty to me last year.”
“For all the meals we ate?” John started counting on his fingers. “We worked three days getting things ready and planting, a couple of half days weeding and then a day or two to harvest.”
“Add another day or so to get things stored properly.” Carol held up a couple more fingers. “Plus the time it takes to can or preserve what’s left at the end of the season.”
“Okay so a little more than a week and a half’s work for most of the vegetables we need for the winter. Sounds like a good deal to me.”
Carol examined the garden for a moment and then nodded. “I guess you’re right. We do okay.”
“We do more than okay when you think about it.” John pointed to the neat rows of tomato plants. “We get so much from each seed. It’s remarkable how God provides.”
“Indeed.” Carol pulled out some brownies from the bag. “You know in all the years we’ve had a garden I’ve never quite understood why Jesus says in his parable that the Sower puts the seed everywhere. I mean we put good seed in good ground and get a good crop. Why would you put seed on the path or other places where it won’t grow?”
“Good question.” John rubbed his chin. “Did you ever consider not loving any of the foster kids we took in?”
Carol shook her head. “Of course not.”
“Not even the ones who came to us angry and rebellious like Duncan?”
“Duncan was a handful.” Carol sighed. “I wish we could have done more for him.”
“We did everything we could, didn’t we? We loved him just like the others.” John took his wife’s hand. “The truth is that sometimes love didn’t bring the results but other times it did.”
“That’s true.” Carol squeezed his hand. “I don’t regret loving any of them in the least.”
“No, because that’s the way you are.” John smiled at her. “I figure God is that same way and just loves us so much that even if there’s little or almost no chance we’ll believe that God’s still going to sow the seeds of love and grace on us anyway because that’s just the way God is. If there’s even a tiny possibility God will take that chance on us.”
Carol turned and looked at her husband. “Have you been thinking about this before today?”
“I was thinking about how wild Judy was when she came to us.” John shook his head. “Remember all those nights we figured she was a lost cause?”
“We never gave up on her though.” Carol smiled. “Now she has a career and a good life.”
John nodded. “God never gives up on anyone because that is just the way God is I figure.”
“That makes sense to me when you put it that way.” Carol stood up. “I think we’ve spent enough time talking. Those final rows will not finish themselves.”
John stood beside her. “No, I expect they will not.”
The two of them went back to work on the garden more thankful than ever for the generous nature of God.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
* * *
Big Rocks
by John Fitzgerald
Psalm 119:105-112
An expert in time management spoke to a group of business students. During the course of his talk he produced a one-gallon jar and set it on the table in front of him. Next, he took out twelve fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them in the jar. When he completed this task he asked the class, “Do you think this jar is full?” Everyone in the class responded with a “Yes.” Next he took out a bucket of sand an poured it into the cracks and spaces between the rocks and jar. Again he posed the question to his class, “Do you think this jar is full?” This time the class seemed skeptical and someone answered, “The jar is probably not full.” Next the professor poured a pitcher of water in between the rocks, jar, and sand. After performing this he looked at the class and asked, “What do you think the point of this illustration is?” One of the students raised his hand and said, “The point this illustration is no matter how busy your schedule is you still can cram something into it.” The expert said, “Good answer, but that is not what I am looking for. The point of the illustration is this. If you do not put the big rocks in first you will never get them in at all.”
What are the big rocks in your life? Have we put first things first? Or are filling our jar of life up with non-essentials?
Psalm 119 is an attempt to get us back to the really important or big rocks of daily living. This writing is both the longest psalm and longest chapter in our Bible. The structure of this Psalm is an alphabetical arcostic in which each stanza consists of eight lines corresponding to a different letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Almost every verse mentions God’s Word.
Our stanza from Psalm 119 under consideration for today (verses 105-112) emphasize God’s Law. Verse 105 is a joyous proclamation that Christians have identified with throughout the centuries: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
People are looking for a pathway in righteous living while living in the midst of a troubled world. Psalm 119:105 affirms that God’s law grants us a lamp and light for showing us the way we must go. Meditation upon holy scripture illuminates the choices and lifestyle we must take on.
Often folks ignore the teachings of scripture and choose to do their own thing. Confusion and even evil arises when we are not grounded in God’s Word. The big rocks of life are discovered when we take Psalm 119 to heart and study our Bible.
John Fitzgerald lives in Leesburg, Ohio, with his wife Carolyn and has served as pastor at the Leesburg Friends Meeting for the past 27 years. Cornfield Cathedral (Fairway Press, 2013) is the second book authored by Pastor Fitzgerald. John has earned a Master's of Ministry Degree from the Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.
*****************************************
StoryShare, July 16, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
