Objects suggested: Packets of seeds and / or a coconut.

Do any of you plant gardens? 

If you live on a farm you would probably have a really large outdoor garden.  

If you live in an apartment you might have plants growing in pots on your windowsill.  

If you live in the suburbs you might have room to plant a small vegetable garden somewhere in your yard where you could grow zucchini, lettuce, herbs, pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupes, honeydew melons … and lots more veggies.

Or you might be a flower or plant gardener.  Maybe you’re not so much into vegetables, but more into growing plants that make you smile because of their beautiful flowers. 

How do the plants get started?  Yes, you’re right, plants grow from seeds.  We usually think of seeds as being very small.  Some are no bigger than a grain of salt or a speck of sand.  Most seeds are pretty small.

But, did you know that a coconut is a seed?  Yes, this big, shaggy, brown coconut is actually the seed from which other coconut palm trees grow.

You may have seen pictures of how coconuts hang high up in a palm tree.  When the coconut is ripe it falls from the tree all the way down to the ground below.  The coconut may stay there for months and it may look very dry and brown, as if nothing is happening, but eventually a green leaf will poke out of the side of the coconut.  Pretty cool, right?

After some time the coconut puts out roots and a coconut palm tree grows right where the coconut landed.  

Because there are air pockets inside the coconut it will float.  Stories are told about coconuts that have been picked up by waves and float across oceans to land and grow on distant lands.

Jesus said, “The person who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.” (13:37).  Jesus was also know as the Son of Man.  

Jesus uses the story of seeds to teach us that He is the one from whom love comes.  When we receive God’s love we are like “good seeds” which grow and produce more love that we can share with others, even those who live in distant lands.

Maybe this week you can plant seeds of love in the lives of people all around you.  I hope you have fun.

Know that you are loved my friends.

Hope to see you again soon some day.

Peace, chuck.

Spirituality The Episcopal Church Children's Homily Clergy Ordinary Time Podcast The Rev. Charles C. McCoart Jr.