Scripture: Luke 17: 5-10
Prop(s):
- Different Mustards: Yellow French’s, Spicy Dijon from France, tangy Herlocher’s from Germany, sweet potato mustard from right here in Mt. Pleasant, spicy Chinese mustard, course brown mustard from India, honey mustard salad dressing from Chic-fil-a
- Photo of a HUGE mustard tree like this one:
Photo credit: http://allfearless.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/GiantMustardTree-1024×581.jpg
It’s World Communion Sunday so I’ve brought some of my favorite things from all over the world. [point out the different mustards]
What do all of these things have in common? [mustard] That’s right! And they all came from this tiniest tree seed in the world. [hold up a single mustard seed].
How much mustard do you think we can get from this one seed? Enough for a sandwich? Enough for a hot dog or hamburger? Probably not.
So how do we get enough seeds to make enough mustard? [take various answers]
We plant one seed to make a tree of more seeds. Now, from what I’ve read, it takes 3-10 days for a mustard seed to send up its first stems and leaves.
When we come to church, we often talk about faith and that helps our faith grow from a teeny tiny seed into a giant tree. And Jesus tells us that if you have just a teeny tiny bit of faith – like this teeny tiny mustard seed – and you share that faith with others, then you can grow a faith tree just like this teeny tiny seed can grow a huge mustard tree. [show picture of mustard tree with house underneath to illustrate how big it can become]
What’s really cool is that churches all over the world, in all different languages, are celebrating communion today, the same as we are, and that’s what it’s like when we have and share just a little bit of faith and help it grow – a faith tree that’s a big as the whole earth.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, you showed us that faith starts small, as small as the tiniest mustard seed, and grows into a huge group of believers when we plant it and share it with others. Help us to show others our faith every day. Amen
Delivered on Sunday, October 2, 2016 at Palmetto Presbyterian Church in Mt. Pleasant, SC.
Singing about Cooking 
