During today’s scripture reading, we heard the Parable of the Sower, and like all of the parables of Jesus, it has a lesson to teach us through a powerful metaphor, in this case that of the sower who spreads his seeds over both fertile and forbidding ground.

Labor Day is just a week away, and tradition calls for parades, and arts and crafts, and barbecues! But we’d like to offer you a less-intuitive option for honoring this particular holiday: do nothing.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” is something we say every Sunday during church, but while it’s easy to SAY how important it is to forgive and be forgiven, it can be much more difficult to do. This week, make forgiveness tangible with a combination art project/science experiment that’s fun and meaningful for the whole family!

Last week, we shared a new way to express gratitude for our own blessings. This week, we’d like to encourage you to turn your focus outward, and think about blessing others – specifically, using a paper “fortune teller” to spread your blessings in a creative way!

From the hymns to the sermon, the word of the day during today’s service was gratitude. Even when things are difficult, there’s so much to be grateful for! Creating a gratitude tree can help your family tap into that feeling and, even more importantly, help it grow.