Calvary Presbyterian Church
The Rev. Debra May Cerra
June 14, 2009

Mark 4:26-34 (NRSV) 26He [Jesus] also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, 27 and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. 28 The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come." 30 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." 33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; 34 he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples.

A Little Bit Goes a Long Way

I know that this is going to date me but – how many of you remember the commercial jingle whose slogan was: “...a little dab'll do ya?” Brill Cream right! Purchased in a tube, Brill Cream was used by men to slick down their hair as well as style it in the latest fashions. The key was to squeeze out just a small amount, rub it between the palms of your hands and apply it to your hair. If you used too much, your “do” was overdone.
            Like Brill Cream, there are a number of things that should be “dished out” in small quantities: horseradish, hot pepper, castor oil to name but a few. Many times the smallest thing makes the biggest impact.
            I’d like to take you on a journey with me. The date is June 16, 2003. We are at the beach of Stone Harbor and it is an unusually blustery, chilly morning for the month of June. Listen to these entries of my “retreat” journal – a place where I write my thoughts, spiritual discernments, and many questions that surface while on retreat or away at classes or doing some serious spiritual direction.
10:15 am:
“As I was driving to Stone Harbor, the sky was sunny in the west. But here the sky is cloudy and it is cool.  Hopefully it will brighten and warm up!  I meet with Ruth, my Spiritual Director, for the first time in about 15 minutes – then I’ll be off to rediscover you in my life. Lord. I know you are here with me but I also know I need to slow down and wait on you. 
Lord, show me how to do that – lead me, guide me, fill me so that you can use me. ‘As the deer pants for water so my soul pants for you, O Lord.’ (Ps 42:1)  Quench my thirst and feed my soul. As I listen to your creation let me hear you calling. As the waves break, let me hear you calling. As the seagulls squawk, let me hear you calling. As the breeze stirs, let me hear you calling. The psalmist writes: ‘Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.’ (Ps 37:7) I will wait – but, Jesus, help me to be patient.
11:05 am
“It feels like 40 mile per hour winds out here. Wow! I’m huddled behind the lifeguard row boat. Thank goodness for it. The wind is whipping the sand around. But it is good to hear the crashing waves and appreciate the desolate beaches.  Can’t say it’s warm, but I can say that the day is demonstrating God’s majesty!  The sky is gray but as I sit here I notice some light, like the pages of my journal are reflecting the sun. Is it so, Lord? I sit here and I ask…”Dear Jesus, please help me to reconnect with you, to sense your Holy Spirit, to accept your guidance. Show me again Lord, your power and your majesty. I know you are awesome. I want others to know that, too. And so I will wait on you to guide me.  Come, Lord, Jesus.
11:32 am
“Just back from my walk –walking in the wind. Yes, wind!  Wow, I couldn’t hear a thing except the mighty roar of the wind in my ears.  And it made me laugh aloud. How fun to hear the roar and know that you don’t speak in roar but in the still small voice – the whisper – the silence. Thank you for the reminder that your mightiness is not as I see it, not as the world wants it, but as you are. Show me ways to appreciate that. 
11:50 am
“I’m at the house now reflecting on the morning. On the way back from my walk, I noticed how much the smallest grains of sand stung as I hiked across beach. Wow! Small yet powerful. And as the winds increased, the momentum of the sand did too. It reminds, Lord, of how you explained the Spirit to Nicodemus. The wind blows where it wills and there is power in the wind. So flows your spirit and there is power in that, too. As I got off the beach and was walking to the house, something else struck me. I’m looking for a mighty act from you, something that will stand apart from all the rest and then I thought about the grain of sand…how small and insignificant it is and yet it has power. It created stinging and discomfort: when it hit my skin, when it got in my eye, when it rubbed against my foot in my shoe. O God, can your acts be as small as a grain of sand and still be powerful? Yes! And will your acts be any less powerful that the stinging and discomfort that a grain of sand can create? No!
“What a lesson you teach. You have shown me that, no matter how small your acts seem, they are never insignificant because they are from you!  Thank you for reminding me that you don’t always work in big things, but in the little things of everyday life.
“Lord, how powerful are your ways: as powerful as a tiny grain of sand blown by the wind, a powerful as the individual drop of water caught in the wave, as powerful as the almost inaudible whisper heard in the crashing of the surf.”
That morning God was redirecting my thinking. The big, mountaintop experiences that I wanted were not as important as I thought. It is the little things that help us experience God. With the power in that tiny grain of sand in our mind, let’s return to our scripture passage for this morning. Jesus compares God’s kingdom to a mustard seed – a tiny seed which seems small and insignificant. But as it grows, it shows strength and power and ability to make a difference.
Through this parable, Jesus encourages us to do what we can for God’s kingdom. Jesus does not want us to underestimate our words and our actions. He does not want us to think that the little things can’t possibly make a difference for the Lord. Friends we need to take that first step in serving – and we need to do that over and over. Attending a bible study, working on a new mission project, or telling other about our faith in Jesus all make a difference. For each time that we connect with God and God’s kingdom, God’s Holy Spirit nurtures us. As we serve the Lord and serve others, we grow in our faith. It may begin as small as a mustard seed or a grain of sand, but the strength and power of the Lord are present. Our words and actions begin to make more and more of a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.
            To support this, William Barkley cites this example of a little bit going a long way: “There is a scientific experiment to show the effect of colored dyes using a large vessel of clear water and a little phial of dye. Drop by drop the dye is put into the clear water. At first it seems to have no effect at all and the water does not seem to be colored in the least. Then quite suddenly the water begins to tinge with the color; bit by bit the color deepens, until the whole vessel is colored.” It may take several drops of dye to make a visible difference in the water but the amount of dye needed is relatively inconsequential when measured next to the amount of water in the vessel.
            Barkley goes on to say: “We often feel that for all that we can do, it is hardly worth while starting a thing at all. But we must remember this – everything must have a beginning. Nothing emerges full-grown. It is our duty to do what we can; and the cumulative effect of all the small efforts can, in the end, produce amazing results.”
 “James A. Garfield, prior to serving as President of the United States, was president of Hiram College in Ohio. One day a father asked Garfield if there was a short-cut whereby his son could get through college in less than the usual four years. He wanted his son to get on with making money. The college president gave this reply, ‘Of course there is a way; it all depends on what you want your boy to do. When God wants to grow an oak tree, he takes 100 years. When he wants to make a squash, he only takes two months.’"
Friends, when we serve the Lord, we don’t have to be overpowering or overbearing; we don’t have to be grandiose or showy. When we serve the Lord in a quiet, simple way, our service can and will make a difference. Remember the Brill Cream – “just a little dab’ll do ya.” In fact, too much at one time and it will spoil the “do.” Remember the grain of sand – it may be difficult to see but if it finds its way into your eye, you’ll surely know it’s there! Remember the mustard seed – it begins small but, over time, “it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (32)
Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed by God’s call to serve. That’s not what God wants. God knows what we can do – and what we can’t do. Almost all things begin small and grow over time – even our service to the Lord. Brothers and sisters, it is our call, our duty, our privilege to do what we can for the Lord. That’s the way God’s kingdom works; that’s the way God’s kingdom grows. Remember – even the smallest efforts will bring about amazing results – for God’s glory!
Amen and amen!