Seed Throwing

Today's Gospel reading from Matthew was the familiar

Parable of the Sower and the Seed.

Do you recall the story of the seeds being tossed

upon all sorts of surfaces?

No decent farmer would plant seeds in rocks or thorns.

So was the sower ignorant of proper planting techniques? Wasteful?

Or just extravagantly Loving in allowing those seeds to land

where the wind blew,

knowing that one day there would be an abundant harvest?

Be ye a seed thrower this week.

You just can't give away too much of God's love!

art: Sadao Watanabe 1913-1996

stones and love

Today's reading from Acts 19 tells of those who came from Antioch and Iconium, who influenced the crowds to stone Paul. And when they were done, (ie. pretty sure they had killed him) they dragged him out of the city. Imagine the frenzy, the intenisty of their fear and rage. Don't mess with our beliefs buddy!


But then the disciples showed up, surrounded him and behold! He got up and headed for the nearest bed and breakfast for much needed rest and then....what? Oh, he didn't head for the B & B? He went back into the city? What kind of crazy fool goes back into the place where people tried to kill him? Oh yeah, Jesus. And you, and me.


I have to believe that there was divine power in the disciples surrounding Paul as he lay dead on the ground. Just goes to show - grace and love abound in those who surround us with their love...thank God for them today and may you be given the strength to rise up and continue to love....even those you don't really want to love today.

Rhoda's Story

Acts 12:13-15 (The Message)

Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. When he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see who it was. But when she recognized his voice—Peter's voice!—she was so excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the door and left him standing in the street.

But they wouldn't believe her, dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said, "It must be his angel." All this time poor Peter was standing out in the street, knocking away.

This scripture is from this morning's daily office reading. Let's raise a toast to Rhoda - a woman who stuck by her story when no one believed her. I wonder if those present apologized after they saw Peter at the door.  Whatever you are facing today, may God give you the grace and strength to stick to the truth that you know, no matter the obstacles.

puddles of love

 "We are little pots,

even the grandest, most magnificent of us.

We can't contain the downpour of your love.

And the overflow,

puddling on the ground about us,

mingles with our own senseless tears

of greed and loss and need."

There are the first lines of L. William Countryman's poem "Pots and Potter"

from his latest book, "Lovesongs and Reproaches: Passionate Conversations with God."

It reminds me of a section of this Sunday's gospel story from Luke.

Jesus tells a parable about people at a banquet jostling for the best seat at the table,

only to be told that they would have to move,

because that particular seat was "saved" for someone special.

That's always an awkward moment. And who hasn't experienced it?

Aren't we the silliest creatures?
Trying to finagle a way to be seen, heard, and known,

by those who were never designed to meet our deepest needs.

For all along God is pouring his love

down upon us to the point that it's producing puddles at our feet.

May we remember to put away our umbrellas in order to breathe in deeply of

this neverending downpour of love.

p.s. Get the book! this is just a taste of the riches you'll find between the covers.

Roberta Hiday

Take Heart Daughter

Then suddenly a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well." Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well.
-Matthew 9: 20-22

I really can't recall where I found this picture - I've been saving it for when this story came around in the Lectionary......would love to know the artist...does anyone know?

As for me - I get chills just looking at this woman crawling through the crowd on the ground - an outcast from her society - but determined to reach this man she has heard about - willing to risk her life to do so. And God's love being so immense that it could not help but flow forth.... Just who does Jesus exclude from His love? Is there anyone? I don't believe so......