Fertilizing your Seeds Guide Video:
Overview
We began our new sermon series last week, Seeds of Hope by looking at the participative act of planting a seed in the ground as a metaphor for keeping our faith in God’s ability to bring new resurrection life in our lives. We prayed for the imagination to envision the fruit of our planted seeds of hope.
Is that all? Are we done?
We could just walk away and hope for the best, but any spiritual awakening or prayer for transformation that is sincere, begs the question… ‘what else can I do?’
For thousands of years Christ followers have engaged spiritual practices as helpful tools for remaining connected to the core of their faith in times of struggle.
Scripture
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Reflection Questions & Prayer
1. Is the soil of your heart healthy right now?
2. What could you take away (weeds, rocks) to give your seedling the best chance for deep rooting and rich growth?
3. How could you participate in the growth of your spiritual life?
From Carol Penner:
God of hope,
we need your presence here,
because sometimes hope is in short supply.
We’ve been dealing with this pandemic for a year,
and we are so very tired of this all.
Thank you that scientists were able
to develop vaccines in short order
and we celebrate that some people have had their shots already.
We need your help with this vaccine rollout to make it fair,
so that the most needy get it soonest.
We pray for countries where no vaccines are available,
and where cases are climbing with no end in sight.
The vaccine is too late for too many—
too many people have died, too many families are grief-stricken.
Our prayers at this late stage are short and heartfelt;
for the sick—your healing,
for health workers—strength,
for government leaders--wisdom,
for the teachers—patience,
for the business owners—creative solutions,
for the lonely—people to reach out,
for our whole world—an end to this pandemic.
God of grace, wrap the world in your healing arms.
Place your hand on our foreheads, bend close
and whisper words of hope.
