Sunday, October 5th, 2025, Proper 22

Sunday, October 5, 2025 Proper 22

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" The Lord replied, "If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, `Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. "Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, `Come here at once and take your place at the table'? Would you not rather say to him, `Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink'? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, `We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'" Luke 17:5-10

I have been with the people of the Diocese of Alaska since Wednesday, attending clergy conference and diocesan convention. I feel like I have come home to a place joy and spirit. This is a challenging place to live, yet I have laughed, prayer, cried and sang with these loving people. One of the gifts being shared for everyone are large boxes of seed packets. Folks have been combing through them to see what they can take home, as the daylight is long but the warmth and heat are short lived. And yet, they loved to grow plants and flowers. The desire to find something small and help it survive and thrive is so powerful here. Their faith and experiences prove how powerful a small seed of faith is, and how we are to do what we can even when what we have seems so little.

                                            A Litany for Sunday, October 5th, 2025

Gracious Creator, you plant us here on earth

a place of powerful beauty and great challenges

and promise to be among us in every season.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love.

We grumble and moan about limited resources

we say we would do more if we had more

and we ignore the tiny seeds of faith around us.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love.

You call us to take the smallest gift and plant it

you call us to share the love we have been given

so that love might be planted in others' hearts.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love.

Lift us from our disappointment and fears

and turn us toward your light so we might grow.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love.

Turn us away from despair and hopelessness

for you promise us new joy every morning.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love.

You are the living God, our heart and our home

make us grow in the light of your love.

Precious Savior, make us faithful servant of your great love. Amen.