Proper Ten 07/16/23
The Still Point
A Time of Meditation and Reflection
Seventh Sunday after Pentecost:
Proper Ten
... At the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless;
Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is,
But neither arrest nor movement. And do not call it fixity,
Where past and future are gathered. Neither movement from nor towards,
Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point,
There would be no dance, and there is only the dance...
T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Peace on each one who comes in need;
Peace on each one who comes in joy.
Peace on each one who offers prayers;
Peace on each one who offers song.
Peace of the Maker, Peace of the Son,
Peace of the Spirit, the Triune One.
Opening Prayer
Loving creator of all, watch over us…and keep us in the light of your presence. May our praise continually blend with the song of all creation, until we come to those eternal joys which you promise in your love through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
The Gospel Matthew 13:1-9,18-23
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “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! Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Poem: "Mulberry Fields" by Lucille Clifton (1936-2010)
They thought the field was wasting
and so they gathered the marker rocks and stones and
piled them into a barn they say that the rocks were shaped
some of them scratched with triangles and other forms
They must have been trying to invent some new language they say
the rocks went to build that wall there guarding the manor and
some few were used for the state house
crops refused to grow
I say the stones marked an old tongue and it was called eternity
and pointed toward the river
I say that after that collection
no pillow in the big house dreamed
I say that somewhere under
here moulders one called alice whose great grandson is old now
too and refuses to talk about slavery
I say that at the
masters table only one plate is set for supper
I say no seed
can flourish on this ground once planted then forsaken
wild berries warm a field of bones
bloom how you must i say.
Meditation
Today we have one parable from Jesus about gardens and growth, and another from African American poet Lucille Clifton. Jesus reminds us that many things contribute to the growth of a plant: good soil, sunlight, roots, water, and the company of other gentle, soul-enriching plants. As is typical with Jesus, his message is deceptively simple. At every corner, he cautions us not to give all our attention to immediate gratification, warns us not to listen entirely with the heart while sacrificing understanding, and reminds us not to be drawn away by the lures of wealth or power.
Speaking of the lures of wealth and power, Clifton seems to be responding to this parable with another reminder: it's impossible to discuss any metaphors of growth, agriculture, or farming with also acknowledging that rewards in those realms, at least in much of the Western world, were reaped on the backs of the enslaved. She has another way of looking at the fruitful growth of the soul: bloom however you must, whether in a field of bones, on a cliffside of rocks, or in the middle of the desert. This is, we might admit, a much more life-giving message: even when we don't have the serendipitous blend of water / sun / fertilizer / roots / other good plants, the grace and love of God gives us permission to find a way to bloom.
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean to you to 'bloom how you must'?
What are the 'thorns' that prevent you from blooming in God's love?
Who are the 'good plants' around you that help you bloom?
Perhaps you can make an intention this week to seek that person out.
If you have a garden or a houseplant, take some time this week to wonder at the miracle of its growth.
What is this garden or houseplant teaching you this week?
Prayers
We bring before God someone whom we have met or remembered today
We bring to God someone who is hurting tonight and needs our prayer
We bring to God a troubled situation in our world
We bring to God, silently, someone whom we find hard to forgive or trust
We bring ourselves to God that we might grow in generosity of spirit, clarity of mind, and warmth of affection
We offer our thanks to God for the blessings in our lives
We name before God those who have died.
Gracious God, you hear all our prayers: those we speak aloud, those we hold in our hearts, and those prayers for which we have no words. Hear the prayers of your people, and grant them as may be best for us, for the sake of your holy name. Amen.
Accept our thanks for all you have done, O God. Our hands were empty, and you filled them.
May Christ’s holy, healing, enabling Spirit be with us every step of the way, and be our guide as our road changes and turns, and the blessing of God our Creator, Redeemer and Giver of life be among us now and remain with us forever. Amen.
Reflections this month offered by:
