THE EPISTLE LESSON Ephesians 2:4-10
THE GOSPEL LESSON Mark 4:26-32
SERMON "Cultivating Patience: Reformed Always Reforming"
WORSHIP NOTES
Welcome to worship at Westminster on this the 31th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which is also Reformation Sunday. At Westminster, Ordinary Time is the last season observed in the liturgical year before Advent begins on November 27. The liturgical color for this season is green.
Throughout the Ordinary season, we depart from the Revised Common Lectionary scripture texts in order to reflect on particular gifts of God's grace that are collectively called the "fruits of the spirit." Each week, we will examine a particular gift of the spirit and consider how it shapes and molds us on our Christian walk together. This focus on spiritual gifts will lend a context to other activities in the life of the congregation, including the Missional Transformation Process and the Centennial Fund appeal.
The spiritual gift we consider in worship today is patience as expressed in the two parables told by Jesus about the kingdom of God. Through the metaphor of seeds that grow, we gain a sense of the need for patience when seeking God's kingdom in a world today. These seeds may be small and seemingly insignificant, but with patience, we observe how the seeds grow into great trees where "birds can find shelter." Since this is Reformation Sunday, the liturgy this morning is take from different Reformers in different times. The Prayer of Adoration was written by John Calvin, and the Prayer of Confession is adapted from John Knox's liturgy of 1560.
The music through which we worship today draws from the roots of our reformed tradition. Our opening hymn, "I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art," is a setting of a text by the reformer John Calvin. Similarly, our closing hymn is "A Mighty Fortress," which is a hymn of the reformer Martin Luther. To proclaim God's word on this Reformation Sunday, the choir will sing a motet setting of Psalm 122 by the Italian reformation-era composer, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Monteverdi's compositional style shaped meaningfully the use of polyphony during the Baroque musical era. The continuo part in this motet, which is played by the cello and harpsichord, is based on a four-note pattern that repeats almost continually throughout the piece.
