Sowing Seeds of the Gospel
Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!
~ Matthew 13:3b-9
My life is filled with patterns that are so well trodden, overlapping and sunbaked that it’s virtually impossible for the seed of the word to take root. I’m often afraid to let new growth occur on those well-traveled tracks, lest I be forced to build a whole new path. I’ve got weeds of fear and doubt that choke out the most hopeful messages planted by the most determined sower…Yet my struggling faith, as full of weeds as it is, has been the 0place where I have been able to connect with others….God has turned my weaknesses to strength in the fields of God’s harvest.
~ Bradley Schmeling
You are the seed that will grow a new sprout,
you’re a star that will shine in the night;
you are the yeast and a small grain of salt,
a beacon to glow in the dark.
You are the dawn that will bring a new day;
you’re the wheat that will bear golden grain;
you are a sting and a soft, gentle touch,
my witnesses where’er you go.
~ Cesareo Gabarain
Consider the seeds you have planted. What will give your seeds the best chance to grow? What are the troubles that keep the seeds from growing? What has been carried off without ever growing at all? Which plants have been choked by the thorns of materialism or busyness? …What will it take to enrich the soil of your heart so that it is fertile?
~ The Spiritual Formation Bible
You are a seed of the Word, O people:
Bring forth the Kingdom of God!
Seeds of mercy and seeds of justice,
grow in the Kingdom of God
~ Marty Haugen
This parable is not about our power, but about the power of God to grow a harvest. There’s no explaining why seed grows in this place and not that place, on this ground or that path. The miracle is God’s power to bring out of the harvest fruit that will yield mercy and justice, compassion and forgiveness.
~ Bradley Schmeling
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
~ Psalm 119:105
These reflections are for the week of July 12-18 and based on the scriptures for worship on July 12.
Joyce D. Sohl, Laywoman-in-Residence
Joyce D. Sohl has been Laywoman-in-Residence since 2009 as a full-time volunteer. She retired as CEO of United Methodist Women in 2004. She is the author of 4 books, a teacher, retreat leader, writer and non-professional musician. Here at the Center her work is in the area of Spirituality & the Arts with such programs as Tuesdays in the Chapel, Vespers & All That Jazz, Poet’s Corner, quarterly retreats, and art exhibits.