October 6, 2024
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
"Scatter Seed Everywhere"
Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
October 6, 2024, 2024 Based on Matthew 13:1-9
Guerilla Gardening.
I know by now I’ve clearly established this as one of my favorite Sermon allusions and topics but I have a new story to share. You may recall guerrilla gardening is a category of gardening where people take on planting and caring for neglected pieces of lands and abandon lots without any permission from the land owners or local government.
I recently discovered a fairly quirky couple named Shalaco and Phoenix who go by the name SFinbloom or San Francisco in Bloom. Like I said, they are quirky. A few years ago Shalaco and and Phoenix noticed a problem in San Fransisco. Forgotten sidewalks, abandoned lots, and non-native weed infested planters throughout their urban neighborhood.
Shalaco would ride the sidewalks on his skateboard passing all of the unused ugly spaces until one day he had idea. He bought a bunch of native California wildflower seeds, poppies, and yarrow, and bluebells, stuff that’s really pollinator friendly. He mixed them together and he put them in an old glass parmesan shaker he had, the kind you find at pizza places.
He thought this would be the most efficient way to quickly scatter seeds. The shaker was pocketable, it wouldn’t easily spill, and as he skateboarded around and came across a forgotten spot, he could quickly and easily scatter the wildflower seed over it. He wouldn’t even have to leave the skateboard, just shake the shaker here and there, and hope for the best… that rain would soon come, the seeds would germinate, and not only would the street be a more beautiful spot, but the pollinators would be happy.
He posted a video of him doing it, and the wild flowers that eventually grew where he shook seeds and… it went viral, someone commented that they should dress like bees while they do it, and the rest was history, more viral success, a business selling parmesan shakers and wildflower mixes for your geographic area
Jesus tells us a story, about a farmer who scatters seed. He talks about all the soil it falls on, rocky dry soil, weed infested soil, and good rich fertile soil. He tells this story to a gathered crowd to encourage folks to prepare and enrich the soil of their hearts and lives so that God’s word might grow, but the parable tells us something else…
God is a pretty reckless farmer.
I mean to scatter seed everywhere… Not just in the prepared, tilled, and fertilized garden bed, but also in places where no one would expect seeds to flourish… on weedy soil and on rocks. I think this parable tells us more about who God is than who we should be.
That God doesn’t care whether the soil is perfect for growth, God’s going to cover it in seeds anyway, trusting that the seeds of the kingdom of heaven will grow. In imperfect places, on soil where growth is unlikely, in places where the ground is already crowded out with weeds God will scatter the seeds, God’s parmesan shaker will be shaken, because God sees that even if one seed does grow, and take root, the world will be a better place for it.
So why bring this image up today? What does this story have to do with World Communion Sunday?
I look around the world today and I see a lot of rocky soil. I see a pretty harsh environment for the seeds we plant to flourish. The time doesn’t feel right to be gardening, because most of the time I feel like my efforts of seed planting will be in vain.
War rages on in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Ukraine, in this environment, How could I ever imagine the seeds of peace I help to plant to take flourish and grow.
Inland Western North Carolina was absolutely devastated from floods from Hurricane Helene, and the climate continues to change in ways that will make hurricanes more extreme and more common, and corporate interests continue to be prioritized over the interests of our people… How could I ever hope the seeds of our environmental stewardship, of hope and healing to grow?
In the wake of war and a changing climate we have more refugees and asylum seekers than there have ever before been. Millions of people desperate for a safe place to live their life, desperate for a welcoming community to take them in, in the face of so much need we wonder what little seeds of our effort might do?
In the Years following the police involved murders of Michael Brown, and George Floyd, many seeds of reform were planted in the US. The Black Lives Matter movement began, Police reforms began throughout the country to train officers in Implicit Racial bias, de-escalation tactics without lethal force. And yet, data backs up the ways reform efforts have failed over the past decade. Nationally, police officers killed the most people last year than any other year since 2014, and Black and Hispanic people are still killed at a disproportionate rate compared to white people.
The seeds of justice were planted into a garden overgrown by the weeds of a racist system. Those seeds grew, and made huge changes, but the weeds and the problems they create still exist. We wonder if the cost of our efforts is worth the benefit they produce. We wonder if it is worth it to continue to plant seeds if they won’t germinate as we hope they would.
On World Communion Sunday, we come to Christ’s table and remember a vision of a heavenly banquet. Where People come from all over the world, from every nation, and people, and culture, and place to find a seat prepared for them with more than enough provided for them by Christ’s hand, to share food together, to dwell in peace. It’s a perfect image of what will grow when the seeds God is planting take root. A vision of the peace, joy, and abundance that we believe will exist in God’s Garden.
And on this World Communion Sunday, I think it’s important to note that even though the soil of this world is struggling, even though conditions are imperfect and less than ideal, God is continuing to scatter seeds.
Even though the world doesn’t yet look like we would hope it would, and the vision of this table still seems like a far off hope… We still scatter seeds.
Take for example, our neighbors 46 miles to the east at Covenant Presbyterian Church in downtown Springfield, OH. A church of 261 members, Covenant Presbyterian Church has four Haitian families who have found a home there in the last two years and enriched their church community, they’ve even gotten to baptize two of their children into the Christian faith.
In the wake of the untrue, racist, and xenophobic allegations that have rocked the Springfield community and brought the attention of the eyes of the world, Covenant Presbyterian has received offers of support from all over the world: from other presbyterian churches and presbyteries, and even from the Iona community in Scotland.
The pastor of Covenant, Rev. Jody Nobel said “We didn’t know what was coming, but God did… She said it is crazy cool how God is connecting us all, We are reaching across lines to say that this is not who we are as a community.”
She said: “People are calling all the time and saying, ‘What can I do to help?”
The church has received significant funds from people who want to help and they are planning to split the funds between the church’s food pantry which many Haitian Americans frequent and a burgeoning Haitian worshipping community. The soil of this incident has been so dry and rocky, but look at the seeds God has scattered, and look what is growing. [https://pres-outlook.org/2024/09/springfields-covenant-presbyterian-stands-with-its-haitian-neighbors/]
Or even in the last week, in the wake of the catastrophic Hurricane Helene which wreaked havoc across the south, but especially in western North Carolina where fully unprepared communities were suddenly washed away by flood, and people were left dealing with a crumbling infrastructure, lost power, trees down, and connection to the outside world, lost.
Out of the ruined garden bed of their community one church is doing what it can to continue to scatter seeds. Black Mountain Presbyterian just three weeks ago decided to embrace a new mission statement “Has Everyone been fed?” which came from the Gospel of Matthew and has been on their communion for the past 25 years. They had no idea how pertinent this mission statement would become.
In the wake of the storm, The church and some of their members posted to their Facebook page hoping to find help from outside of the region.
Within 48 hours they had 500 cases of water, or more. The church received and stored the crucial supply. Then they had to figure out how to quickly get it out to people. They used their limited internet access to post that they had clean water and limited cell service at the church, and people started to come for help and to help. They had people come from all over the place bringing supplies: Atlanta, Florida, and throughout the Carolinas. They received canned goods, Generators, propane, pet food, and started organizing it all throughout the church.
Then they started cooking, at first to try to help firefighters and first responders, but then they had enough donations and volunteers from the greater community to feed more. The first day they fed two hundred, in the next days that would expand to more than a thousand.
One of the leaders said: “There are people who have told us they’ve been turned away seeking assistance from other places, so we’re going out of our way to welcome everyone, “And, the support keeps coming.”
They said: “We know there are people who are trapped, and there are many more people who don’t have $1,000 in their bank accounts to run to Greenville or Charlotte and get an Airbnb or hotel room during all this. Some folks don’t even have money to fill their gas tanks, and we want to make sure they have the things they need. We’re just trying to support as many of these micro-communities as possible. Since we’re all local, we know the places that need help, so getting it to them is a big part of what we’re doing here. And The church is prepared to continue its operation for “as long as it’s needed.”
[https://www.thevalleyecho.com/all-news/black-mountain-presbyterian-shines-bright-in-the-darkness]
The soil was washed away, and yet still God scatters seeds, and look how God’s beloved community grew in the worst of conditions.
So Church, keep scattering seeds, don’t wait for perfect conditions, or for the certainty that something will grow, shake your shaker. Don’t worry about the quality of the soil, plant your seeds of love, hope, peace, and justice, because in God’s Garden, even the smallest seed can sometimes take root and flourish.
May we garden with the same reckless hope, Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE Jazz Suite No. 2, mvt. I Glenda Austin
INTROIT “Kyrie” from Gospel Mass, Robert Ray
Henry Byrne, soloist
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in it
*CALL TO WORSHIP
One: We gather from the west to the east,
All: from the south to the north,
One: to celebrate the God of peace
All: who accompanies us in our acts of peace.
One: This God of peace accompanies us in each and every circumstance around us.
All: We praise God’s name! Amen!
*HYMN 397 “O Look and Wonder” MIREN QUÉ BUENO
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Mary Rebekah Fortman
Gracious Lord, creator of this universe, in your generosity you have given us a world of abundance and diversity. And yet O God, we live guided by greed and selfishness. We confess that this way of living has left us with your creation defaced and your environment poisoned. In Christ, you made us brothers and sisters and intended for us to be united, and yet we have built walls to separate us from those who are “different” from us. Through your Spirit, you gave us wisdom and creativity to build up your kingdom of heaven on earth, and instead we use these gifts to love war rather than strive for peace. We ignore the poor and the weak and honor the rich and powerful. In all this we have not lived according to your will. Forgive us, Lord, for daring to boast in our human achievements and for failing to recognize that you alone are worthy of praise.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE 659 “Know That God Is Good” MUNGU NI MWEMA
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “Gloria” from Gospel Mass Skye Johnson, soloist
PRAYER FOR ILLUMMINATION
SCRIPTURE Matthew 13:1-9 MSG
At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.
“What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Holy Wisdom, Holy Word
Thanks be to God
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Mary Rebekah Fortman
SERMON Rev. Trip Porch
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
HYMN 531 “Seed, Scattered and Sown” SEED SCATTERED
Verse 1 sung by soloist
Verses 2&3 all sing
SUNG CREED “Credo” from Gospel Mass, Robert Ray
Skye Johnson, soloist
TIME OF OFFERING online giving is available at www. indianolapres.org/give
OFFERTORY “Acclamation” from Gospel Mass, Robert Ray
COMMUNION
INVITATION TO THE TABLE
GREAT PRAYER “Sanctus” from Gospel Mass, Robert Ray
Henry Byrne, soloist
SHARING THE BREAD AND CUP “Lamb of God” from Gospel Mass, Robert Ray
Marlon Haughton, soloist
PRAYER AFTER COMMUNION
Gracious God, we offer our thanks for our siblings around the world who gather with us to bear witness to your presence through this feast. By this broken bread may we each be restored for the work yet to come. By this shared cup may we each be claimed and called to propagate the seeds of your Kingdom. Send us out into the world united together as servants of your peace. Amen.
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
HYMN 598 “Amen, We Praise Your Name O God” AMEN SIAKUDUMISA
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
POSTLUDE Jazz Suite No. 2, mvt. II Glenda Austin
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452