The Wisdom of Parables

Dear Saint Andrew’s,

This Sunday we will be trying something new at the 10:30 service. The liturgy will be from Enriching Our Worship, a supplemental Episcopal resource created to compliment the Book of Common Prayer and broaden the language and images used in worship. (See July newsletter article for details). As a means of being more hospitable to those who are unfamiliar with Episcopal worship, the entire liturgy is in the bulletin. I am very grateful to Kara Mattingly, our parish secretary, for her hard work in creating our beautiful new bulletin.

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the following parable:

“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: 1-9

Jesus’ disciples were forever trying to get him to speak in plain language, but Jesus often chose to teach in parables. I think he taught this way as a means of getting people to really ponder what he was saying. I imagine people walking away from his teachings, scratching their heads, ruminating over his words, and then some time later having an “aha” moment. There is great wisdom in this way of teaching. It enables the cosmic Word of God to take root in the ordinary, often messy and ambiguous circumstances of our lives.

Please remember in your prayers the Lambeth Conference, a once a decade gathering of bishops from the world-wide Anglican Communion. As you are probably aware, there is much that divides us, issues of interpretation of Scripture, human sexuality and gender. Our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori, asks that we pray for the bishops attending Lambeth, using this beautiful prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, page 515:

“O God of unchangeable power and eternal light: Look favorably on your whole Church, that wonderful and sacred mystery; by the effectual working of your providence, carry out in tranquility the plan of salvation; let the whole world see and know that things which were cast down are being raised up, and things which had grown old are being made new, and that all things are being brought to their perfection by him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our LORD; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

I look forward to joining with you as we come together as Christ’s wonderful and sacred mystery on Sunday.

In faith, hope and love,
Shearon+