Sunday Morning Prayer

Our theme for Sunday is Incarnating Ministry.

We began our prayer with a reflective reading of the Parable of the Sower:
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.  Such large crowds gathered
around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.  And
he spoke to them at length in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.  But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.  Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. . . . “Hear then the parable of the sower.  The seed
sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in her heart.The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But she has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, she immediately falls away.  The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.  But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold."

We then heard ministry stories from Giving Voice Sisters.  We responded to the Scripture reading and the stories by saying:

• We persevere because we love.
• Respuesta:  Nosotros perseveramos porque amamos.

Sisters were then invited to reflect and share around the following question:

• When have you experienced ministry like the birds, rocks, thorns, and rich soil?  Are there other images that come to mind to describe challenges that you face in ministry?
• ¿Cuándo haz experimentado un ministerio como las aves, rocas, espinas, y suelo rico? ¿Hay otras imágenes que se te ocurren para describir los retos que enfrentas en el ministerio?