Parable of the Mustard Seed by Kelly Latimore

Friends,

We live in a world that tells us there is never enough.

Not enough time. Not enough resources. Not enough opportunity. Sometimes it even tells us there isn’t enough belonging to go around.

Indeed, the myth of scarcity lies beneath so many of our political divisions.

But Jesus tells a different story.

This Sunday, we’ll explore the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast (Matthew 13:31–33, 44–52), where God’s kingdom begins with the smallest of things and quietly grows into something that offers shelter for birds and nourishment for all.

Faith begins by trusting that God’s grace is already at work, even when we cannot yet see it. Scarcity tells us to hoard and compete. Jesus invites us to notice the small beginnings God is nurturing among us and trust that there is enough grace for all.

As we continue discerning a name for our future merged church, these parables have something to teach us. Many of you have offered thoughtful name suggestions. Each one is a small beginning that may one day grow into the name that carries our shared mission into the future. This week, our New Name Team will gather to prayerfully reflect on those submissions as we prepare for all-church conversations and a congregational vote later this summer. I have also prepared a reflection guide that will help the team prayerfully discern the names, and I want to share that same guide with the whole congregation (click HERE). I invite you to spend some time with it as you read through the list of submitted names, preparing your heart for the conversations ahead.

I hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we continue our Journey into Becoming series and discover how God’s patient grace is still shaping us, our community, and our future.

Alongside you,

Pastor Paul