Today’s text
Matthew 13:36-43
Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.' He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!
Prayer
We await your promise, Jesus. You will complete what you have started, and all that causes falling and all that is evil will be gone.
We can’t imagine such a world. We watch the morning news, and we know: If it bleeds, it leads. Headline news is tragic news, bad news, sorrowful news, news laced with tears and struggle. That’s what first attracts our attention and too much of our conversation.
But you invite another way. Amid the bad news, amid the struggle of living entangled in the life’s inevitable weeds, raise your eyes and hope. Raise your hopes and praise. Raise your praise to the sower of the seed. For even now the seed pushes and strains to the harvest--even in the depths of your soul.
That one, the Holy Mystery, the Loving God, will bring in a harvest of life beyond imagining. Even now it stirs in your heart. Rejoice, there is nothing to fear. The harvest comes.
Pr. David L. Miller
http://prayingthemystery.blogspot.com/
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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
July 16, 2008
Today’s text
Matthew 13:36-43
Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.' He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!
Prayer
Judgment comes, but not just at the end of the age. It comes now.
It arrives with each moment of awareness in which I realize (again) that I have not lived the love which you sow in the soil of this soul. I have judged harshly, contributing to the great volume of hard-hearted lovelessness that fills the world, turning our teeth on edge and teaching (again) that distrust is wisdom and suspicion is prudent. All of which leaves us poorer.
The seed you sow is good. It grows into a harvest of beautiful soul and gracious care for your world. Like waves of wheat swaying in the wind, we are your growing field, swaying with the currents of your Spirit, a gorgeous dance of life and love. And yet, the darnel, the weeds are sown in our souls, too. And too soon we depart the dance and march to the beat of our anger, fear and woundedness, contributing poisonous fruit to a world already toxic.
So are we, Jesus, those to be gathered in the fire for burning? Or will the seed of your life grow despite the weeds? May we yet be the fruit of your good seed, shining like the sun? What have you to say to us, the mixed fruit?
Water the seed, you say. It will grow into the beauty of my harvest, and you will know it in yourselves. Listen. The power of my love is in the seed.
Pr. David L. Miller
Matthew 13:36-43
Then, leaving the crowds, he went to the house; and his disciples came to him and said, 'Explain to us the parable about the darnel in the field.' He said in reply, 'The sower of the good seed is the Son of man. The field is the world; the good seed is the subjects of the kingdom; the darnel, the subjects of the Evil One; the enemy who sowed it, the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; the reapers are the angels. Well then, just as the darnel is gathered up and burnt in the fire, so it will be at the end of time. The Son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of falling and all who do evil, and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. Then the upright will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears should listen!
Prayer
Judgment comes, but not just at the end of the age. It comes now.
It arrives with each moment of awareness in which I realize (again) that I have not lived the love which you sow in the soil of this soul. I have judged harshly, contributing to the great volume of hard-hearted lovelessness that fills the world, turning our teeth on edge and teaching (again) that distrust is wisdom and suspicion is prudent. All of which leaves us poorer.
The seed you sow is good. It grows into a harvest of beautiful soul and gracious care for your world. Like waves of wheat swaying in the wind, we are your growing field, swaying with the currents of your Spirit, a gorgeous dance of life and love. And yet, the darnel, the weeds are sown in our souls, too. And too soon we depart the dance and march to the beat of our anger, fear and woundedness, contributing poisonous fruit to a world already toxic.
So are we, Jesus, those to be gathered in the fire for burning? Or will the seed of your life grow despite the weeds? May we yet be the fruit of your good seed, shining like the sun? What have you to say to us, the mixed fruit?
Water the seed, you say. It will grow into the beauty of my harvest, and you will know it in yourselves. Listen. The power of my love is in the seed.
Pr. David L. Miller
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Today’s text
Matthew 13:1-9
[Jesus] put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner's laborers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the laborers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."
Prayer
I listen, Jesus, and you ask me a question: How do you see?
Your meaning is clear enough. Do you see the beauty of the wheat swaying in the wind, having burst from the cramped confines of the seed? Or do you see the weeds blemishing the scene, unwelcome interruptions amid the tall grain aglow in summer sun.
Perhaps you see both. But if so, does your heart brim with hope as you celebrate the promise of the seed’s growth, or does the presence of weeds spoil it for you? Do your eyes move more quickly to the ugly tangle of ragged weeds than to the beauty of life and hope?
How do you see? You ask again. And your meaning is clear.
You call me to repent and see as you see. You invite us to enter the world of your kingdom, eager to witness your beauty amid the tangled raggedness of life.
And seeing, we rest in the hope. For the seed of your gracious rule will grow into its proper harvest, in us and in our world, in us. Joy lies ever at hand for those who perceive it.
So open our eyes, Lord.
Pr. David L. Miller
Matthew 13:1-9
[Jesus] put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner's laborers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the laborers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."
Prayer
I listen, Jesus, and you ask me a question: How do you see?
Your meaning is clear enough. Do you see the beauty of the wheat swaying in the wind, having burst from the cramped confines of the seed? Or do you see the weeds blemishing the scene, unwelcome interruptions amid the tall grain aglow in summer sun.
Perhaps you see both. But if so, does your heart brim with hope as you celebrate the promise of the seed’s growth, or does the presence of weeds spoil it for you? Do your eyes move more quickly to the ugly tangle of ragged weeds than to the beauty of life and hope?
How do you see? You ask again. And your meaning is clear.
You call me to repent and see as you see. You invite us to enter the world of your kingdom, eager to witness your beauty amid the tangled raggedness of life.
And seeing, we rest in the hope. For the seed of your gracious rule will grow into its proper harvest, in us and in our world, in us. Joy lies ever at hand for those who perceive it.
So open our eyes, Lord.
Pr. David L. Miller
Monday, July 14, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
Today’s text
Matthew 13:1-9
[Jesus] put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner's laborers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the laborers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."
Prayer
Ever-Present Grace, this is how I shall name you this morning. I have no names suitable for you. The best I can do is to speak what you are to me, and thus to know you in the speaking. And you are Ever-Present Grace.
You also are a sower. Every second you sow seeds of faith and love in our lives, yielding a harvest of freedom and joy. But our moments also sow seeds of cynicism, fear and hard-heartedness.
In the supremacy of your divine freedom, you create us to bear the seed of your life to fruition, growing into the full harvest of what you intend for us. We do not know what that is. It lies hidden in the seed. We know only that we will bear resemblance to our brother, Jesus, glistening with the compassion of your divine grace.
And this is all your doing, Loving Mystery. You are the mysterious power of the seed, and I take courage I this.
For, I look at the tangled snarl of my life, unable to determine with confidence what is good and what is not, what is your seed and what yields the foul fruit of cynicism and fear.
But I will not worry, since you command me to turn from anxiety and rest in hope. The seed you sow in love and freedom will yield the loving joy you are.
Pr. David L. Miller
Matthew 13:1-9
[Jesus] put another parable before them, 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off. When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the darnel appeared as well. The owner's laborers went to him and said, "Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where does the darnel come from?" He said to them, "Some enemy has done this." And the laborers said, "Do you want us to go and weed it out?" But he said, "No, because when you weed out the darnel you might pull up the wheat with it. Let them both grow till the harvest; and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: First collect the darnel and tie it in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn."
Prayer
Ever-Present Grace, this is how I shall name you this morning. I have no names suitable for you. The best I can do is to speak what you are to me, and thus to know you in the speaking. And you are Ever-Present Grace.
You also are a sower. Every second you sow seeds of faith and love in our lives, yielding a harvest of freedom and joy. But our moments also sow seeds of cynicism, fear and hard-heartedness.
In the supremacy of your divine freedom, you create us to bear the seed of your life to fruition, growing into the full harvest of what you intend for us. We do not know what that is. It lies hidden in the seed. We know only that we will bear resemblance to our brother, Jesus, glistening with the compassion of your divine grace.
And this is all your doing, Loving Mystery. You are the mysterious power of the seed, and I take courage I this.
For, I look at the tangled snarl of my life, unable to determine with confidence what is good and what is not, what is your seed and what yields the foul fruit of cynicism and fear.
But I will not worry, since you command me to turn from anxiety and rest in hope. The seed you sow in love and freedom will yield the loving joy you are.
Pr. David L. Miller
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