Do you know how to fix things? I confess, when things break at the house, I’m not especially useful. A clogged drain does not respond in a happy way when I read a poem to it. Most of the time, a car that won’t start doesn’t suddenly turn over when you pray for it. When the refrigerator stops working, it does not really help it to say to it, “Tell me how you feel about that.” Thankfully, there are those who through aptitude, training and practice have a developed knowledge that helps all the people like me.
What then, do we do, when our hearts are broken, and our relationships are strained? What can we do when our culture is so broken that we feel our ability to relate to each other is damaged? Can we trust our impulses to help when we are not sure what to do with our own rage and despair? How do we fix that? Can our wisdom help us in the midst of these challenges?
Long ago, Jesus told a story about a farmer. This farmer noticed that, right there among the good wheat, were weeds that to the casual observer looked like exactly like the wheat. But to the farmer’s wizened eye, it was apparent that among the wheat an invasive plant was growing. Those who helped the farmer offered to pull up the bad weeds. But the farmer said, basically, “No. Let’s wait until the harvest. Trying to pull the weeds now would do damage the good wheat.”
Jesus told stories like this one so we would see a sacred wisdom that would guide us. In service on Sunday, we’ll talk about that wisdom. The sermon is titled, “How Do We Fix This: The Way of Wisdom.” It arises from I Kings 3: 3-14, and Matthew 13: 24-30, which will be read by Maria Schmidt. We’ll be led musically by the Chancel Choir, under the direction of Gerry Sousa and accompanied by Lois Leong. We’ll sing, pray and have a time for children.
If this is your first time to visit St. Mark’s, or of you are a seasoned member of our church, we’ll look forward to connecting with you. Services begin at 10:30 in the sanctuary. If you are joining online, visit www.smumc.church, and click on the Live Stream banner.