June 17, 2012
On a workday at church, we look up at intruding limbs of a pine tree and say, "that needs pruning." After the workday, the space is much more open. When we step back, the tree is huge and cutting away the branches didn’t change the shape much—it made it look better. People who have been around the church for a long time will remember that tree as a small sprig, or maybe as a seed intentionally placed in the ground. Many churches around our country have such trees. Amazing, how such a small seed can produce such a big tree; and the wisdom of the entire tree is contained in the seed. It is a marvel to behold. This Sunday, we will examine the parable of the "Mustard Seed," and how Jesus compared this to the Kingdom of Heaven (Mark 4:26-34). A small seed makes no apology for being small, for when released into God’s keeping, it knows it contains within it the potential of the fully-grown tree.