Devotion - Wednesday, March 3

Moving from the south to the upper Midwest presented me with a number of challenges. One of these was to be understood. We sometimes tease about dialects, but it isn’t a laughing matter when you are preaching and the congregation can’t understand what you are saying.

I was the guest preacher at a neighboring congregation. The lesson was the same as today’s appointed reading from Mark 4:1-20 – the parable of the sower who cast his seed, some on the path, some on the rocky soil, some among the thorns, and some on good soil. I did not make reference to the actual words of the text, but started in on my introduction. I recall the murmur which passed through the group, about six paragraphs into my reflection. “It took us that long to realize you were talking about ‘soil,’” I was later told. “We thought you were saying ‘souls.’”

“What kind of soul are you?” took the congregation by surprise.

The kind of soil we are, does affect our soul.

In seminary we learned the wisdom of the ancients, “My soul is restless till it finds its rest in thee.” If I am the rocky path where the word of God is snatched my soul will not find its rest. Nor can it come to peace when there are thorns which choke out the word. The same is to be said for the rocky soil, where there is no depth of root. It is only when the word of God takes root in the good soil that my soul will find its rest.

Hearing clearly affects our ability to get the point. Listen carefully to the Word of God. Without a clear hearing, the rest we seek will be hard to find.