Building the Kingdom in the most surprising places
Gate Pa – Social Service Sunday 2014.
Readings:
Psalm: 105:1-11,45b
First Reading:
Gen 29:15-28
Second Reading:
Rom 8:26-39
Gospel: Matt 13:31-33, 44-52
What I want to say:
The Kingdom of Heaven is presented as being like a weed,
like a woman hiding yeast in flour, like a tenant farmer finding treasure and
somehow buying it, like a merchant selling all his stock to purchase a pearl of
great price, like a fishing net dragging ALL in. It is not what is expected,
not where it is supposed to be, not doing what it is supposed to be doing. it
is just not what we are looking for. So are we the blind ones Jesus keeps
talking about? So, we are invited to look for signs on the kingdom in places we
normally would not think to look, and on this Social Service Sunday, go there
to join in the work of building God’s community
What I want to
happen:
People to pay more attention to the
unlikely signs of the Kingdom, maybe even rethink what the kingdom of heaven is
and what it looks like. maybe even be a mountain biker and look there rather
than where they are, and then we might even join in God’s work of building
God’s community
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Theme
gospel is for third week – Kingdom of Heaven
over
centuries – kingdom heaven understood in lots way
heaven – somewhere else after
die
remember film – Kingdom of Heaven
–
about crusader kingdom in middle east
over centuries number empires thought
themselves as Kingdom heaven
even line thought
in America – highest expression Christian democracy – modern kingdom heaven
some sees church expression
what about
you – what you add to those descriptions?
2. Kingdom of Heaven
wonder
what phrase meant people listening to Jesus
hard tell –
they not write
sources
those did write
apocalyptic – end of time
either
in another place – heaven
or
in this world
end of
Romans – and high priests too I suspect
3. Jesus and the Kingdom heaven
with all
that in mind let’s hear what Jesus has to say about all this.
3rd
week heard Jesus talk about Kingdom heaven
recap – 2
weeks ago – sower and soils –
Jesus talking about why using
parable
fulfil Isaiah –
hear and not understand
see
and not ….
inside
comment – we are the ones that see and hear and understand – not like those
people out there
last week – wheat and tares or
weeds
this week
have these 5 quick snippets
face of it seem pretty straight
forward
as we listen, remember that we
have had 2000 years
one things take granted when
Jesus speaking
–
nothing is straight forward
explore
like a weed, which birds nest in
–
is this what those in authority thought
of Jesus and what teaching?
it connects us to the great
vision of the kingdom
gathering
of all people in peace and reconciliation,
foreshadowed
in the eucharistic feast.
like a woman hiding yeast in
flour,
like a tenant farmer finding
treasure and somehow buying it,
like a merchant selling all his
stock to purchase a pearl of great price,
like fishing net dragging ALL
in.
if I was
to describe kingdom Heaven
-
not sure any these would be my list images
-
really – kingdom heaven like weed?
It is not
what is expected,
not where
it is supposed to be,
not doing
what it is supposed to be doing.
it is just
not what we are looking for.
if i am
honest – there is something going on here and I seem to be missing it?
So are we
the blind ones Jesus keeps talking about?
4. Social Service Sunday
as said in
pew sheet
theme is
building community
day
reflect on how GTG, Whanau Aroha, Centrepoint build community
give
thanks
ask how we
can be more involved in these and other things that build community
Today – also
invited to look for signs on the kingdom in places we normally would not think
to look,
Book –
where you look is where you go
e.g. mountain bike riding – look
where going not where are
less likely fall
off
big lesson for us in this
not
looking where are – looking out what doing and what might involved in
hard
no one
ever said easy
none
parable about easy
are about
looking in unexpected places.
and on
this Social Service Sunday, go there to join in the work of building God’s
community
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