Prayers, Parables and Pondering the things Jesus said by the water...
What is a parable?
A parable is a short story that is used to illustrate a complex idea or to give a theological concept a way of being explored. Jesus often spoke to those whom He encountered in parables. This seems to be both a way of sifting through those who truly wanted to understand relationship with Divine and a way of guiding people's imagination so they didn't always choose the "easy road" when it came to discipleship. In Matthew's gospel, chapter 13, where we will explore deeply next month, we hear that Jesus is challenging the religious leaders of his day to look at the Scriptures with a fresh lens. Their response was often one of outrage, of confusion, of exhasperation and despair.
Our challenge, as we look at some of these "Stories by the Sea" is to step outside of our comfort zone, to hear these stories, or parables, with new ears, and to look intently at what the Spirit of God is calling us to do in response today.
Seeds, Stumps and Souls:
What do they have in common?
As we explore our sermon series this month, we may understand a little better why Jesus chooses to employ imagery and parables in his teaching time.
Coming up in the Weeks of September:
Week 1 - The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23)
Week 2 - Weeds Among the Wheat (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43)
Week 3 - Mustard and Wheat (Matthew 13:31-35)
Week 4 - The Significance of Sea and Story (Matthew 13:10-17; 34-35;44-53)
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Read through the 13th Chapter of Matthew and join us for a joyful exploration of parable, prayer and blessed pondering of these things that Jesus said by the Sea...