June 17 – Third after Pentecost

 

1 Samuel 15:34—16:13

David is anointed as king.

 

Psalm 20 (VU p. 742)

Trust not in horses or chariots, but in God.

 

2 Corinthians 5:6–10, (11–13), 14–17

Walk by faith, not by sight.

 

Mark 4:26–34

Parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed.

Spark

Put up election-style signs that read “VOTE DAVID FOR KING!” in the entrance to the church and at the front of the sanctuary. Get creative! Some signs might read “Vote for David, he couldn’t be worse than Saul!”

Theme Engagement Question

What do you believe are the most important qualities in a leader, whether in the church, in politics, or in a community group? Is having faith one of those qualities? Why or why not?

With Children

Bring two castor bean seeds to church. (These are very fast growing seeds.) Plant one in soil and put the other one in an empty dish. Explain how children are like seeds, growing in faith and in God even as their bodies grow. Promise that each week you will check how the seeds are doing and ask the children how they are growing in their faith. Adults can think about how they’re growing too!

Sermon Starter

The Five Gospels, the translation of the gospels based on the work of the Jesus Seminar, has an interesting interpretation of the parable of the mustard seed. It explains that mustard is essentially a weed, one that rarely grows as large as described in the parable. So the kingdom of God is like a weed that is full of surprises. This is an image that connects with the story of David. David was the youngest of seven sons, and like the mustard seed, not much was expected of him. Like the mustard seed of the parable, he was full of surprises, becoming greater than anyone imagined, yet he was also sometimes like a weed in that he made mistakes and caused trouble. No matter what mistakes he made, however, he always came back to God and did his best to keep growing in God’s love and law.

 

If there is an election going on, this is a good opportunity to talk about faith and politics, our expectations of our leaders, and how being able to choose our leaders is a gift. (And remembering the corruption of Samuel’s sons, the idea that dirt in politics is nothing new!)

Hymns

VU 242            “Let all things now living”

VU 560            “O Master, let me walk with thee”

VU 580            “Faith of our fathers”

VU 660            “How firm a foundation”

VU 703            “In the bulb there is a flower”

MV 139           “True faith needs no defence”

MV 145           “Draw the circle wide”

MV 162           “Christ, within us hidden”