July 26, 2026

“Cutting the Mustard”

“Cutting the Mustard” A sermon based on Psalm 119:129-136, Romans 8:26-39 and Matthew 13:31-32 delivered on Sunday, July 26, 2026 by the Rev. Alison Dutton Jacobs at the First Congregational UCC of Onekama, Michigan,

Mustard and I have a troubled relationship. When I use it on some type of food or other or cook with it, I somehow get it somewhere on my body or on my clothes. The worst incidence of this was when I flew back from a Mission Trip in Honduras. I was really hungry because we had not been able to eat before we left. So, I got a couple of hotdogs with mustard and onions at the Boston airport. As I walked out of the restaurant, I looked down and realized I had somehow dropped copious amounts of mustard on my light blue dress—everywhere! I needed to change but had left all the clothes I had brought with me at the mission for their distribution for those in need. I only had the Mumu type dress, I had bought as a souvenir, so I had to wear that when we flew to Portland. It was huge, because I bought it as a gift, but at least it didn’t have mustard all over it!
Mustard plants come in three major varieties: White Mustard, also
called yellow mustard (the one I usually have problems with!), which produces mild-flavored seeds that are white to light yellow, you have one taped to your bulletin this morning;. . .