Sunday reflections

I preached on wheat and weeds this morning. At the end I included comments by a friend: "Great Gospel reading, one of my favorites. Weeds - well, aren't we all weeds? Were not some of the great ideas/movements in history considered "weeds"? "

It was only this afternoon that I remembered my hymn from six years ago, inspired by the same Gospel lesson. It has been on my blog before, but here is a re-run.

This world is sown with heaven’s seed
Text: Paul E. Strid, © 2002
Tune: The Eighth Tune (Tallis’ Canon)
LM

This world is sown with heaven’s seed,
Like star-cast bounty, splendor-filled,
Yet cast on earth amidst our need
With God’s own life and love free-spilled.

Here in the soil of daily life
It grows and spreads with vigor sure,
Yet with God’s peace there springs up strife
And weeds for which we find no cure.

Our wisdom is too frail to sift
The good from evil, life from death;
We know too well the painful rift
Between our clay and God’s own breath.

God, you alone know false from true,
And you alone within one space
Can hold them both, give each their due,
And reconcile our fallen race.

Bring all creation into flower,
Let all fruit flourish, all things grow
Into their fullness, by your power,
And help our feeble minds to know

That all creation comes from you
And you alone are goal of all,
That when you sift the false from true
And free the world from death’s sad pall,

Then may we know the weed’s own role,
The value of each pest, each trial,
The worth of each beloved soul,
Your grace to save and reconcile.

To you be glory in the field
Of earth and heav’n and of our heart;
May all creation praises yield
And sing the Gardener’s gracious art!
-the BB