Ordinary 15

12 July 2026

Bible readings for today

Genesis 25:19-34
Psalm 119:105-112
Isaiah 55:10-13
Romans 8:1-11
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Liturgical Colour: GREEN

Today is marked Sea Sunday in the Church Calendar.
This year Matariki will be celebrated on July 9 - 12.

Collect

Praise to you, God,
for all your work among us.
Yours is the vigour in creation,
yours is the impulse in our new discoveries.
Make us adventurous, yet reverent and hopeful
in all we do.
This we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

E te Atua, te whakamoemiti ki a koe, mō āu mahi whakahirahira i waenga i a mātou. Nōu te kaha i hangaia ai te ao, nāu te wero kia kitea houtia ai ā mātou mahi. Tukua mātou kia haere whakamua, i te wehi, me te tūmanako
mō ā mātou mahi katoa. E īnoi ana mātou i roto i a Īhu Karaiti tō mātou Ariki.
Āmine.

The parable of the seeds (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23)

Input for leaders

Visio Lectio
A beautiful free downloadable image by Sarah Lea West. All Rights Reserved, shared and distributed with permission.
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Download

Gospel Conversations 2023 - Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (Diocese of Dunedin)
The parable of the sower is not only very familiar, but is also the one parable Jesus "explains" in detail. Is there anything left for us to glean from it, then - any new way of applying it to our lives?

Intergenerational Worship

Yr A Pentecost 7, 2023: (Intergen Australia)
A collection of resources and ideas written and compiled by Rev Amanda Nicholas. Bible references: Matthew

Talks

Godly Play - The Sower (Salvation Army) - Play session outline for telling the story of the parable of the sower. Includes some great wondering questions.

The parable of the sower (Gary Neal Hansen) - a paraphrased retelling of the bible story with wondering questions.

Parable of the sower (RFour) - simple talk using food to talk about growing and nurturing our relationship with God.

Parable of the sower and soils (Ministry to Children) - full lesson plan.

Games & Activities

Story Telling Diorama (Susan Evans)
Story Cupcakes (Church House Collection)
Seed Box (My Little House)
Flower Pot Dessert (Stuff Amy Made)
Seed Bombs (Practically Functional)
Printable Board Game (Christian Games and Crafts)
Grass Heads (Red Ted Art)
Sower's Sack Craft (Children's Bible Lessons)
Seed Pictures (Krokotak)
Sensory Box (Baby Devotions)
Make seed tape (Mavis Butterfield)
Plantable Seed Cards (Craft Invaders)

Questions

Have you ever grown a plant? What happened?
What do you think it means to have deep roots?
What are some things you can do to grow deep roots in yourself?
How can you plant seeds in others?

Preschool Play

The Four Soils Sensory Tray
You can create a sensory tray similar to talk through the story today, and let them drop a bean or seed onto four different sections representing the soils:

The Path: Sandpaper or hard path. The seed just sits on top.
Rocky Ground: Small pebbles or grit. The seed has nowhere to grow deep roots.
Thorns: Spiky pipe cleaners or fabric. Things get tangled and crowded.
Good Soil: Soft soil or cocoa pops. The seed has room to grow and be fruitful.

The Play-Dough Mat
Use play-dough to mold different shapes on a laminated sheet (here's a template). Kids can sculpt birds eating seeds, roots struggling in the rocks, thorns, and large green plants growing in the good soil.

Planting seeds
Using a recycled yogurt pot or a newspaper folded pot, add some soil and plant some cress seeds. Encourage the kids to water gently and watch for growth over the coming weeks.

Prayer

Farmer God.
good soil brings forth a hundredfold of grain.
May we be that soil; vibrant, deep and teeming with life.
This we ask in God’s name,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
who live and reign, one God, now and forever.
Amen

Media

All who are thirsty (Isaiah 55:10-13)

Isaiah 55:10-13
As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

In this week’s Gospel Conversation, John Franklin, Bishop Anne van Gend and Bishop Kelvin Wright join Michael Godfrey to explore Isaiah's vision of God's life-giving Word. In a chaotic world, they reflect on the enduring hope that God's creative Word still brings life, peace and purpose—and ask how we might become good soil in which that Word can flourish.

Worship song

Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25 &27)

The Book of Genesis speaks of the relationship between twins Jacob and Esau, sons of Isaac and Rebekah, focusing on Esau's loss of his birthright to Jacob and the conflict that ensued between their descendant nations because of Jacob's deception of their aged and blind father, Isaac, in order to receive Esau's birthright/blessing from Isaac.