This week's sermon

 First I am giving everyone in the congregation a few mustard seeds....

Mustard Seeds

       Jesus tells us if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we could uproot trees and put them in the sea.

       As you all can see, mustard seeds are tiny—smaller than a peppercorn.

       So why is it so hard to have a mustard seed of faith?

       In Jesus’ time, there was much dispute within the Jewish community, different interpretations of the Law abounded.

       And the Pharisees and Sadducees were always looking over your shoulders.

       Even the Pharisees and Sadducees did not agree on things. Pharisees believed in some form of everlasting life. The Sadducees didn’t.

       (And that was Sad You See!...Sorry.)

       Plus, the shadow of the Romans fell on everything and everyone.

       It was hard to know What or Who to believe and have even a little faith—faith as small as a mustard seed.

       And what about us today—those of us who want Jesus to “Increase our Faith”?

       Well, first of all, we live in such a divided nation that even Christianity is divided.

       There are Christians who believe in White Nationalism, as hard as that is to reconcile with orthodox theology.

       We are divided over ‘pro life’ and ‘freedom of choice’ in the debate over abortion.

       I heard on the news this week that over half of Republicans want the United States to declare itself “a Christian Nation”.

       I don’t know what that would do to Episcopalians, never mind all the millions of non-Christians who have a different faith—Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Native American religions, African religions, people with no faith in anything.    

       It is hard to have even a mustard seed of faith with religion in such shambles.

       Add to that the deep political divides in our nation and the multitude of opinions about what ‘democracy’ even means.

       And Jesus’ response to the problem of ‘faith’ is deeply disturbing to us.

       He tells us to be faithful ‘slaves’.

       Talk of slavery causes a knot in our stomachs and a confusion to our minds.

       What can he possibly mean?

       Let’s try this on for a moment. Change the word ‘slave’ to ‘servant’.

       Servant isn’t much better for us, but it can have interpretations that make it easier to bear.

       A priest is a ‘servant’ of the Gospel, of God and of the people he or she ‘serves’.

       That kind of ‘servanthood’ sets us free to do God’s work in the world. To ‘be there’ for others.

To offer comfort and support to the weak and encouragement and praise to the strong.

       Being a ‘servant’ of God is liberating and life-giving.

       That’s what we must seek to do in this chaotic world—serve God and other people.

       And stive to have faith—even a mustard seed sized faith.

       But if we get there, don’t start uprooting trees—start uprooting cruelty and oppression and bring light to this oh, so darkling world.

(Let’s spend a few moments pondering our mustard seeds of faith….)