Prelude
Welcome
Call to Worship
Leader: Gather, and hear the stories of how God works.
People: What are we meant to hear?
Leader: Stories of how God works in seeds and soil, in the darkness of the earth, in the unexpected consequences of growth, and in people whose methods surprise us.
People: What if we don’t understand?
Leader: Nothing is hidden forever, Listen again!
People: We come to hear.
Opening Hymn
Gather Us In TFWS 2236
Prayer of Confession
Let us join together offering our confessions to our God who is eager to hear and quick to forgive.
Your good news, O God, is precious to us, and we confess that sometimes we treat it like it’s fragile, rare, and meant only for the few. All the while you are out scattering good news everywhere, with no thought as to whether the recipients are worthy or ready.
Forgive us, extravagant God, for our tendency to judge what communities deserve your grace, and which can safely be ignored while we focus on those most likely to be a success story.
Forgive us, God of abundant life, for hoarding your love for ourselves and assuming those other places and people wouldn’t know what to do with it. Forgive us, creator God, for focusing so much on the right way to share your good news that we stunt our growth and restrict your harvest. Turn us aside from the empire’s insistence on efficiency and productivity and control and toward your kingdom ways of sharing far and wide, trusting in your mysterious work under the surface. Amen.
Words of Assurance
Leader: In the vast fields of grace, God's forgiveness is sown abundantly, ready to sprout in every heart that turns toward love. Know that your sins are forgiven.
People: Glory to God, Amen!
Passing of the Peace
First Reading:
Psalm 126
Second Reading:
Mark 4:1-9, 26-29, 33-34
Sermon:
Planting Seeds of Wisdom: Exploring the Parables of Jesus for Personal and Community Growth by Pastor Kevin Rutledge
Hymn of Response
You are the Seed UMH 583
Tithes and Offerings
Offertory Response
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow UMH 95
Offertory Prayer
Divine Gardener, we present our offerings as humble seeds in the vast expanse of your kingdom. Like the sower's scattered grains, let our generosity find fertile ground, producing a bounty of hope and healing. May our gifts take root in the lives of others, fostering a garden of joy that blossoms in unexpected places. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer and Lord's Prayer
Announcements
Closing Hymn
Sent Forth By God's Blessing UMH 664
Benediction
Said Each Week as A Communal Prayer:
Send to us all the people who feel unwanted and unloved in other places, and if they can't come to us, send us to them.
Postlude
Reflections and Caring Conversations
Please use the prompts and prayers below to aid you in your devotions for this week.
Reflection Question: If you read the Parable of the Sower (4:3–9) from the perspective of the soil, what might you learn? What kind of soil are you? What kind of soil is our community? Are there ways in which your soil needs to be tended?
Reflection Question: If you read the Parable of the Sower (4:3–9) from the perspective of the sower, what might you learn? In what ways are you (or your community) putting the gospel into the world? In what ways might you be too anxious about outcomes? In what ways is it bearing fruit?