{"id":22053,"date":"2024-05-27T07:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T06:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/urc\/urc-daily-devotion-27-may-2024"},"modified":"2024-05-27T07:30:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-27T06:30:00","slug":"urc-daily-devotion-27-may-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trinitywimbledon.org\/index.php\/urc-daily-devotion-27-may-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"URC Daily Devotion 27 May 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matthew 13: 31-33 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

He put before them another parable: \u2018The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;  it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.\u2019 He told them another parable: \u2018The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

When people think of mission, they often divide it into two halves: those aspects concerned with promoting faith (in the original marks of mission, the first two \u2013 proclaiming the good news and teaching it), and those aspects about changing the world (or \u2013 showing love to people, transforming injustice, and treasuring creation). It\u2019s all mission, but some put more emphasis on one half or the other. In fact, many find the proclaiming\/evangelistic dimension more challenging, because they\u2019re not sure what story to tell \u2013 sometimes our own experience feels \u2018too small\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the thing about God\u2019s mission \u2013 which inspires our faith and our action to change the world \u2013 is that nothing is too small. After all, we should remember that it\u2019s principally the story of <\/span>the kingdom of God \u2013 which is what Jesus spoke about more than anything else. And he told us, in many parables, that God\u2019s kingdom is found in the smallest of things, like yeast, seeds \u2013 and the example of children.<\/p>\n

In fact, yeast was regarded as unclean \u2013 but it illustrates God\u2019s kingdom, mixed in with the dough of ordinary life. And mustard plants were considered a nuisance, a weed, but they grow enough to give shelter to those who are wild. And children, through curiosity, adventure and imagination, show us how to pursue a new world. So small things, small events, small stories have the power to witness to the presence of God\u2019s kingdom which is turning the world upside-down \u2013 wherever we hear the groans of creation, or the cries of the oppressed, and respond, or we care for those bruised by life, and build communities of good news. Through all these things, big or small, we have a story to tell and to practise \u2013 of God\u2019s new world taking root amongst us.<\/span>
Small things matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer<\/span><\/strong> <\/p>\n

This is our story! This is our song!<\/span>
There are forces in our world<\/span>
which seem insurmountable,<\/span>
exploiting creation and the poor,<\/span>
building walls and waging wars;<\/span>
they even colonise our minds<\/span>
to seem inevitable;<\/span>
but they are undone by the good news of God\u2019s love<\/span>
even in the smallest, weakest of means,<\/span>
responding to the groans and the cries,<\/span>
caring for those bruised<\/span>
and building communities who dare to pursue<\/span>
the new horizon. Amen! <\/span> <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Matthew 13: 31-33  He put before them another parable: \u2018The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;  it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the … <\/p>\n

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