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Weekly Devotional

Aug 27, 2012

God’s Peace be with you all.

Matthew 13:18-30  ¹⁸ "Hear then the parable of the sower.  ¹⁹ 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.  ²⁰ As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;  ²¹ 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.  ²² 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.  ²³ 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."  ²⁴ He put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field;  ²⁵ but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away.  ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.  ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, 'Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?'  ²⁸ He answered, 'An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, 'Then do you want us to go and gather them?'  ²⁹ But he replied, 'No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them.  ³⁰ Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'" 

Our devotion this week is courtesy of God Pause, a ministry of Luther Seminary.

"On What Has Now Been Sown," ELW 550

I love sending songs. This likely has roots in my childhood experience of church. Certain hymns smelled like the cookies and coffee I knew were waiting for us as we spilled from the sanctuary. The best "close of service" hymns pull us to our feet with a lightness and freedom that is rare in our world of obligations and undertakings.

This hymn preaches in us the truth that faith's power, sown in the sweet gifts of word and sacrament, is God's to work in the weeks we enter. We sing together and separately, each of us praying for peace and pardon, and all of us in need of the blessing only God can give.

Of course we flow again into the workday world as laborers in God's harvest; we also get to be God's unexpected, sweet and welcome grace for neighbors near and far.

Lord Jesus, you shall be our song as we journey. From you are all our powers. Send us from your table with peace that passes all human knowing. Give us grace to be grace for others. Amen.

Marc Ostlie-Olson
St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church, St. Paul, Minn.
Master of Divinity , 2007

"On What Has Now Been Sown," ELW 550

1 On what has now been sown your blessing Lord, bestow; the pow'r is yours alone to make it sprout and grow.
O Lord, in grace the harvest raise, and yours alone shall be the praise!

2 To you our wants are known, from you are all our pow'rs; accept what is your own and pardon what is ours.
Our praises, Lord, and prayers receive and to your word a blessing give.

3 Oh, grant that each of us, now met before you here, may meet together thus when you and yours appear, and follow you to heav'n, our home.
E'en so, Amen!
Lord Jesus, come!

In our prayers this week: Bobby, Ann, Jim A., Wayne C., Mike C., and Doris.

God’s Peace,