Seed
Luke 17:1-10

October 7, 2007


The first book I received in seminary long years ago was a 100th anniversary history of the school, Pacific School of Religion, written by one of our professors, Harland Hogue, entitled Christian Seed in Western Soil. That could be our story as well since we have also laid claim to the unsettled West of the continent. The parable Dr. Hogue was referring to was the parable of the sower who scattered his seed in different merits of soil. Today we see the harvest of the seed that fell on good soil, both in Berkeley and in downtown Regina. The seed for today, however, is the parable of the mustard seed.

For once size does not matter. There is even a hint of a boast that this is the smallest seed, and while a mustard seed is not large, the trophy goes to a number of other infinitesimal seeds. Smallness is an odd quantity of faith, yet it doesn’t matter, for the size is just right.

Jesus bluntly tells his disciples how difficult this life of faith is with plenty of chances to mess up and stumble, a scandal according to the original wording. Messing up is expected; you just don’t want to be the one to mess other people up or put them in a compromising position. The really hard part is that when someone messes you up, and then apologizes to you, “I repent,” then you have to forgive him or her, even seven times a day which granted requires a lot of patience.

So much patience and forgiveness that very few of us would think it is right, and the disciples definitely agreed. It’s all in the tone of voice, but “Increase our faith!” was not an earnest and pious plea as we typically have made it out to be. Come on now, you can’t be serious. Sure, you’re God, so you can do all these things with a snap of your finger. You better tell us exactly how to have a lot more faith if that’s what we have to do.

Jesus then tells them how little faith they really need - if you had a mustard seed’s worth. Actually, Jesus is saying that you already have more than enough faith; it’s all your excuses that hold you back from being faithful.

The danger of being a disciple or apostle is that you think you have it made, a super athlete of the spirit. More than a few instances the disciples demonstrated an ample share of smugness and conceit, only to fall flat on their spiritual faces. The danger of being a church for 125 years is that we can assume we have done it all and our past is worth everything. The only time that really counts in being a church is the kairos, “the right time, God’s time,” and that is no longer in the past, but always in the present and future.

Jesus’ responds to his apostles with a little bite, reminding them and us that the way of the Gospel is not always a way of glory. Scott Hoezee paraphrases with a little pizzazz that is not far off.

“Oh and by the way, WHEN you have forgiven someone seven times with the faith you already have, don’t come trotting back to me like some dancing dog and expect a pat on the head for being such a super disciple. You’ll be doing no more than what you’ve seen me do, and what I do is what I’ve seen my Father do. It’s the family way in the kingdom of God and when you act in accordance with who you are by grace, that’s wonderful but you’ll just have to pardon me if we don’t crank up the angel choir with the Hallelujah Chorus each time you forgive your mother-in-law for telling you for the umpteenth time that you may not be good enough for her daughter. This is just how it goes in life. Deal with it and let’s move on.”

This is the seed we have been given. We already have enough faith, and thank God, our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters and cousins in the faith have had a few mustard seeds’ worth to keep this place a location for God’s words and actions 125 years running. Proud of the past, never satisfied with the present, and creatively imaginative about the future, that’s what a mustard seed’s worth will give you.

We already have enough faith, quantity has never been an issue. Faith unused, full of excuses and apologies, works hard to disappear. Yet it has not disappeared in this church and is still alive in a number of mustard seed-sized portions.

This is one of that unique breed of churches known as a downtown, city-centre congregation. Downtown churches are different, behave differently no matter in which city, and having grown up in one, I don’t want to be anywhere else - and so do you. Unapologetically, unashamedly, we are downtown on purpose and for 125 years there has been no thought to escape to the suburbs. Why not? Because of a little faith that seldom can be explained adequately, we know we have to be here, that this is our calling to keep this city human and divine at the same time.

Because of a little faith, we have never let poverty just happen and with the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry and the Downtown Chaplaincy our commitment has been to do what work we can to recognize the very human faces of the poor, distressed, and oppressed and to make poverty history and not a part of our present or future.

Because of a little faith, we keep looking at a torn up, warring world, and have continually opened our doors to the world. Look at our congregation now and know that aiding refugees to resettle in our country and city is one of the simplest and most direct ways to make the Word become flesh in our midst. Vietnamese, Kosovars, Congolese, Ethiopians and Somalians have come, and are coming still. The church always has to be a haven for strangers, a sanctuary, a place and a community hospitable - that is, a lover of strangers.

Because of a little faith, this church at the centre of Regina continues to be hospitable to all manner of organizations and events and groups. Just like Jesus, we even let tax-collectors eat and meet here, along with A. A., G. A., AlAnon, Toastmasters, martial arts and yoga, and all manner of choirs and concerts coming out of our ears.

Because of a little faith, this church has remained steadfast in its conviction that beauty is a mark of the good and the godly, especially in the wondrous and mysterious ways of music. Some people respond to the spoken word, everybody sings some song. More people know Christian theology by singing Charles Wesley hymns, and Handel, Mozart and Bach did not compose for the Top 40. Music here is played and sung beauty and it could not be more fun.

Because of a little faith, we dare to preach and hear and reflect and act upon the Word proclaimed in the Bible, and that takes courage and a little eccentricity in a post-modern world that has decided the Bible is too foreign and useless. Because of a little faith, unapologetically I invite you to enter into the strange new world of the Bible, a new world in which, “the Word,” as Anna Carter Florence says, “is disruptive by nature; it threatens everyone in sight.” The Word is a dangerous thing it intends to change your life.

Because of a little faith, we are not yet finished and God is really not finished with us.

Preached by Robert Kitchen
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan