16 June 2024

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Bible readings for today

• 1 Samuel 15:34; 16:1-13
• Psalms 20:1-9
• 2 Corinthians 5:6-17
• Mark 4:26-34

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Liturgical Colour: GREEN

Today is Disabilities Awareness Sunday

Collect

E te Matua Mutunga-kore,
na tāu Tama a Īhu Karaiti,
e whakanuia nei he Ariki nō te ao katoa,
i takohatia mai āna taonga ki te Hāhi;
tukua mātou kia noho kotahi i roto i tōu Wairua,
paiheretia ki roto i te rangimārie,
kia mauria mai ngā mea i hāngaia katoa kia koropiko ki mua i tōu torōna;
e ora ana koe, e kīngi tahi ana,
kotahi anō Atua ake tonu atu.
Āmine. 
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Eternal Father,
your Son Jesus Christ,
now exalted Lord of all, pours out his gifts on the Church;
rant us that unity which your Spirit gives,
keep us in the bond of peace,
and bring all creation to worship before your throne;
for you live and reign
one God for ever and ever.
​Amen.

The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:26-34)

There are multiple references to mustard seeds in the gospels, as Jesus used the simplest of parables to share a glimpse of the Kingdom of God. 

Parables of growth

Do you ever get confused as to which seed or planting parable Jesus is talking about? This parable, shared in three gospels, is spoken to the disciples (rather than a wider crowd of listeners). Within Marks Gospel, it comes in a chapter full of growth parables, and it can be helpful to locate where this story falls: 

Mark 4
1-20 The Parable of the Sower
26-29 The Parable of the Growing Seed
30-34 The Parable of the Mustard Seed

The Mustard Seed parable occurs in Matthew (13:31–32), Mark (4:30–32), and Luke (13:18–19). When you read this parable in Matthews Gospel, it's surrounded by many more seed stories!

Children's Talk: Little Mustard Seed

Have any of you ever seen a mustard seed? (pause for answers) Well, did you know that mustard seeds are sooooo tiny, that you would have trouble trying to hold a single mustards seed in your hand? But the amazing thing is, the tree that the seed eventually grows into is sooooo big, that it's hard to believe it came from such a small seed!

In today's story, Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. What a strange thing to say, what do you think he meant? (pause) Well, I think that Jesus was trying to explain that even one person who lives their life by following Jesus' example, can cause a ripple effect that causes lots of people to meet Jesus and start to follow his example.
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Each of us can be like a mustard seed too. Just by being ourselves and following Jesus's example, we too can play a part in being a big mustard tree! Exciting huh?!

Mustard Seed Activities

• Small bottle craft (Hunt and Host)
• Bracelet (Ministry Ark)
• Crafts, seed bombs and other ideas (North Scottsdale United Methodist)
• Playdough Mat (Flame Creative Kids)
• Cupcake activity (Flame Creative Kids)

Visio Lectio

A beautiful print image from Rev. Sarah West at Visio Lectio
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Godly Play

Here is a video of the Godly Play session for the Parable of the Mustard Seed

Quick Questions

• Why do you think Jesus said that the kingdom is like a tiny mustard seed?
• Can you think of any other examples of things that start out small and turn out big?
• What are some 'small things' that you can do to share with other people about Jesus?

Ooh, we love this week's Visio Lectio from Rev. Sarah West, shared here with permission. Check out her website at visiolectio.com
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Gospel Conversations

A seed sown in the ground... the farmer sleeps, wakes, sleeps, wakes, and the seed mysteriously grows. It's a familiar image even today for many of us, but what was Jesus meaning when he used the image as a parable? We have three wise and experienced heads tackling that question this week, with Graham Redding (Knox Church, Dunedin), Bishop Kelvin Wright, and Wendy Scott (St Matthew's, Masterton) joining Michael Godfrey.

A GC from From 2023
​A great discussion from the Diocese of Dunedin. Tony, Gillian and Anne thoroughly enjoy themselves as they toss around ideas about mustard seeds and seed-scattering, kereru and ploughers - and some bonus Martin Luther. Mark 4:26-34 for Ordinary Sunday 11.

Alternative Collect

Creator God, 
you created the world and all that is in it,
you planted us as seeds into that world; 
may we flourish and grow and in turn sow
seeds of love and compassion, 
justice and truth, hope and faith. 
Through Jesus Christ, 
who is alive and reigns with you, 
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 
one God now and for ever. 
Amen

Seed Scramble Game

Today's game is a variation on a lolly scramble!
​What you need: lots of something that represents seeds (e.g. pom poms), and paper cups (1 per child) 
What to do: Explain to the children that you will throw the seeds to them, and they have to try and catch them in their paper cups. 
Variation: You could separate them into pairs and get them to try throwing and catching them to each other.

Samuel anoints David (1 Samuel 15:34; 16:1-13)

Intergenerational Worship

Intergen ideas for this passage from 1 Samuel, sharing the story of David being anointed by Samuel. It includes a Creative Bible Engagement + Prayer, a Creative Bible Engagement + Song and an Interactive Prayer that can be used as part of the Prayers for Others, an Early Word or as a Sermon Response.

Written and compiled by Beth Waldron Anstice for Intergen Australia. 

Disabilities Awareness Sunday

Resources

• ​Sunday resources (Elevate Christian Disability Trust)
• Anglican Taonga article (Anglican Taonga) 
• Avoiding Abelist Language (Augsburg.edu)
• A simple reflection tool (Erik Carter) - a resource for schools, but you could replace the word 'student' with 'children' and reflect on how you are creating a space for all children to belong in your churches. 
• Disability, Limitation and the Crucified God - an article by Maja Whitaker (Catch)

Anglican Resources

• Building the Kingdom of God Expect the Unexpected (Disabilities Ministry in - Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia)
• Disability Ministry Resources (Anglican Province of NZ)
• Learning Sign Language
• Julie's Story
• 1 Million Names in Braille
• Sermon by Revd Vicki Terrell

For more information contact
Revd Vicki Terrell or Cherryl Thompson 

Church resources and reading 

My Body is Not a Prayer Request
​Amy Kenny
"Much of the church has forgotten that we worship a disabled God whose wounds survived resurrection, says Amy Kenny. It is time for the church to start treating disabled people as full members of the body of Christ who have much more to offer than a miraculous cure narrative and to learn from their embodied experiences.

Written by a disabled Christian, this book shows that the church is missing out on the prophetic witness and blessing of disability. Kenny reflects on her experiences inside the church to expose unintentional ableism and cast a new vision for Christian communities to engage disability justice. She shows that until we cultivate church spaces where people with disabilities can fully belong, flourish, and lead, we are not valuing the diverse members of the body of Christ.

Here is an Facebook Live interview with Amy Kelly
Soujourners Article (Amy Kenny)

Children's Book

The Big Wide Welcome is a book by Trill Newbell, and published by the Good Book Company. 
This beautiful hardback Bible storybook for 3-6-year-olds uses the Bible’s teaching on favoritism from James chapter 2 to encourage children to love and welcome people regardless of their wealth, personality, or background, just like Jesus does.
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Download a "​Our churches should be big-wide-welcome places – places where there are no favorites, and everyone is loved" colouring sheet  

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