Well, it took me a week, but I finally figured out what Jesus is saying in today’s gospel. I know that will come as a surprise to most of you, but it did. It took me until yesterday morning to figure out something as simple as one of Jesus’ parables. They are so simple. Aren’t they!

Knowing that I would preach today, I moved into the week with this Gospel parable of Jesus spinning in my head as I walked through the many events of my week. I tossed it around in my head as I worked in my yard moving a few plants around so that they may find more fertile soil and grow more abundantly. I tossed it around in my mind as I attended the Pads meeting Monday night, a night in which I personally felt surprised at times, angry, and sad at what I was hearing. But I also heard passion and conviction and a strong belief that what we are doing is right.

This gospel continued to spin in my mind as I moved into our work with United Power for Action & Justice and listening to the work we are doing but knowing that there are very powerful people that stand in the way of justice because of their own self interests. I saw, in my own work this week with those advocating for worker rights, the injustice and discrimination of immigrant workers so that companies will reap profits.

And as I walked through this building every night this week to make sure it was secure, I could see that the seeds that have fallen on the path we walk together in this place have found very fertile ground.
Such contrast in all that I have seen and heard and felt this past week.
So what do I think Jesus is saying in today’s Gospel? Simply this: “This is the Real World baby”.
This is just the reality of life. Each of us, and the hundreds of thousands that will hear the words of Jesus today, or on any given Sunday will go out into the world and spin it in our own way. Jesus knew this back then when he sat in the boat and addressed the thousands that gathered at the shore. He knew then that his words would fall on paths in which they would be devoured, some would fall on rocky ground, and some would fall among thorns. But Jesus also knew that his words would find places where the soil was good.

We know that it is not easy to understand this real world today, and it should not surprise us that the words of Jesus just might land on hard rock, or be devoured by birds, or fall among thorns. Life can fill many with fear, uncertainty, doubt, and much of this lies just below the paths that we all walk, so our walk can be quite fragile at times. Some walk the path of great wealth but in many cases, it is at the cost of so many that have so much less. Many will walk the path of life and just not get it at all.
But there is good news. Jesus pictures a man who sows seeds. The seeds fall on all sorts of ground and much is lost. But enough falls on fertile soil so that the sowing is worthwhile and no one needs to worry about that which is lost.

This is good news, because I can look back on the past week and see that despite the struggle of many who work for social and economic justice, and despite the opposition of many to provide shelter for the homeless, most of us, truly “hear” what Jesus is saying and we bear fruit. Some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty, but we will continue to bear fruit.

I mentioned earlier that it has been my week to lock up the Church. In doing so, I move through every part of this building each night. I enter the renovated space of the Grauer Lounge, and I think of the generosity of Joan and David. And I can smell the new soil of our courtyard. I move through the newly constructed spaces and think of the hard work of Sue Beyer and her team’s endless and devoted commitment to making this a better space for all of us. I walk through the areas now under construction and see new walls going up that will provide additional space for our children’s formation. I think of the generosity of all who have contributed to the open doors campaign.

It is easy to see that that which has grown old in being made new.

I step into the church and it is much cooler now, and I imaging that if we didn’t have air conditioning this morning, you all would be looking at your watches, while fanning yourselves, wondering when I will shut up.

I make my rounds and end up where the offices are and I look into the office of the rector and see Sarah’s boxes; boxes that will soon to be un-packed. Her surroundings will begin to take shape and her presence among us will soon be felt. I see a picture of Trish Morris on the desk where Jim Morris has worked for the last year, and I believe that St Mary’s is a better place because of Jim’s contribution.
The building is quiet this late at night but as I stand in the middle of the lounge, getting ready to leave, I can still hear the echoes of the many voices of our vestry and our search committee discerning the call of a new rector. I hear the echoes of staff and clergy reviewing our mutual ministry agreement. And I think of the tireless leadership of Susan Czolgosz and Tom Durham.

As I leave the building I check one more door on my way out; Amity’s. I think of Amity standing in the midst of those gathered Monday night to discuss the PADS site at St Paul of the Cross. I listen to her words, words full of emotion and passion. I think of the deep respect and admiration that I and each of us have developed this past year because, like each of us, Amity found herself walking down an unexpected path. But it was a path sown on good soil, because, in this place, we are the many who hear the words of Jesus and understand them. So we continue to bare fruit abundantly not just in this place but in the world around us. What has been sown along the path that we now walk as a congregation bears much more fruit because Amity has walked the path with us.

This Sunday marks the last Sunday that we, as a group, will stand at the table and celebrate the Eucharist. I find it bittersweet. I cherish the work we have accomplished this past year and it has been a privilege to serve here. And I look forward with great anticipation and joy as Sarah joins us this week.

As we move forward, I am confident that we will continue to sow on good soil and bear much fruit. That is who we are. So I will end with some of the prayerful words of our opening collect in which we ask:
God mercifully receive our prayers as we call upon you, and grant that we may know and understand what things we out to do. And may we have the grace and power to faithfully accomplish them.

Amen.