Sowers and Seeds



That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!

"Hear then the parable of the sower. 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. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 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. 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. 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."

 

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

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Christ Preaching At The Seaport

Jan the elder Brueghel (1568-1625)

Private Collection

http://www.biblical-art.com/artwork.asp?id_artwork=12848&showmode=Full

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is not always granted to the sower to live to see the harvest.

All work that is worth anything is done in faith.

~ Albert Schweitzer

 

 

 

 

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple,

but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.

~ Robert Schuller

 

 

 

 

 

Center for the Arts Evergreen

Exploration of a Medium: Photography

June 24 – July 21

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Conor King, the juror for the show, gave interesting

observations about the award-winning pieces from

silver gelatin to infrared to digital prints.

 

 

Memories in the Making

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Kitty in the Jungle

Cherry holds the painting she just finished.

I love his eyes!

 

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Audrey copied a horse painting she loves by Laura Mehmert!

 

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Congratulations, Gretchen!

Gretchen MacArthur, our new president of Evergreen Rotary for 2011-2012.

 

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One of this year’s sixteen sculptures.

See Through Other Eyes: Spotted Owl

by Ellen Woodbury

(I call him Owlie.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

People only see what they are prepared to see.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 10, 2011     Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

Previous OPQs may be found at:
http://www.dotjack.com/opq.htm

 



That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!

"Hear then the parable of the sower. 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. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 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. 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. 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."

 

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Agnus Day, by James Wetzstein

Matthew13v01to09&18to23_2011.jpg

Agnus Day appears with the permission of www.agnusday.org

 

 

-Sower-(he who preaches the word)

-Seed (the word of God)

-Soil (He who hears the word)

-Way side soil (Hears but does not understand)

-Rocky or stony soil (hears word but has no root)

-Thorny soil (hears but word choked by cares of the world)

- Good soil (Hears word and it produces fruit)

http://web.me.com/lindyblack/Sermon_Fodder/Lectionary/Entries/2011/7/10_Pentecost_4A.html

 

 

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The Sower

Lee Lawrie, c. 1932.

Statue atop the Capitol Building in Lincoln, Nebraska.

http://capitol.org/building/history/team/lee-lawrie

 

 

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Genesis 25:19-34

Psalm 119:105-112

Romans 8:1-11

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23