Let us pray: O God, we gather here today, conscious of the stirrings and the sadnesses, the securities and the the searchings that are a part of life in today's world. May we be attentive to the ways in which you occupy our lives – filling us with your presence, filling the voids that surround us, filling the need for solace, filling spaces which we did not even know existed. Come to us, to fill our souls with awareness of your presence, to guide our minds to consider the justice you desire for the people of the world, to stir our hearts to respond with compassion to the pain, hurt and sadness that is a mark of life in this age. Guide these words, or the spaces between them that they may help us to be in communion with you and your people gathered here today and in all the ways we relate to others in each hour, minute and second of our lives. Amen.

I wonder how often we would be like the disciples – coming to a spiritual leader – with the same question or request – Give me more faith. It doesn't seem that outlandish as far as requests go. After all isn't that what being part of a faith community is all about – an opportunity to increase our faith, a decision to be with other believers that we might learn and grow from each other. Don't we in part come to worship to learn about being faithful. Especially us, who see ourselves as people who put their minds and hearts into the quest for faith. We value an educated faith – a mind opening as well as heart opening experience.

It's kind of a kick in the bum for us when we can so often identify with the disciples. I don't know if you've heard about some of the research that's been done in recent years about the portrayal of men in movies and especially on television programs and advertisements. The research suggests that in popular media men are portrayed as part bumbling, part narrow-minded, part perhaps even red necked, naive or just nonsensical. I can quickly think of a number of examples, which at least on the surface seems to reinforce the thesis of the research. I think the portrayal of the disciples in the gospels is similar. The gospel writers aren't particularly kind to the disciples. At times they characterise Jesus' friends and followers as dense, other times naive, other times self-serving. Just a casual reflection on the way in which they are depicted in the stories does not bring to mind a whole lot of desirable qualities. My namesake Peter, the most often named of the disciples, is particularly the subject of this kind of description. In a number of places he is represented as an impetuous and somewhat shallow companion of Jesus. At worst he is a turncoat, denying his friendship with Jesus at a critical moment in the events surrounding Jesus' arrest and trial.

One of the most praiseworthy things said about the disciples is that when the call to be a follower of Jesus comes they drop everything – specifically the fishing which presumably is their means to a livelihood – to travel with Jesus around Galilee. So, in one place they are described as examples of trusting faith, but then as we heard in Luke's gospel today, they come to Jesus with the request that despite this unquestioned allegiance to Jesus, they need more faith.

I don't know if you read the story told by Luke in the same way that I do, but I often interpret it as sarcasm from Jesus. “What do you mean you want more faith”, says Jesus. “You don't need more faith.” And then as if to emphasise the silliness of the request Jesus tells a story full of hyperbole. If you had faith as small as the tiniest seed you can imagine it would grow to something larger than even your wildest dreams.

It works for us as reinforcement and encouragement of the importance of faithfulness, but it doesn't do a lot for our impression of the disciples. Of course the story is true to the way we should expect of Jesus. I've characterised Jesus as one who always gives the unexpected answer. So, while we might think that he would praise the disciples who want to have more faith, instead he holds them up to ridicule by exposing their request as small minded and silly.

I get angry when I consider the research which suggests that screen writing whether it be for a situation comedy or a commercial is unkind and overly demeaning towards men. And I found myself getting similarly angry as I considered the way that the disciples are portrayed in the gospels. I was also surprised. I have to admit that this revelation is new to me – I've never actually considered Jesus friends from this point of view before, but the more I considered the way they are described the more it seemed to me that they are used as foils in the gospel stories.

Men are better than they way they are often portrayed in popular media these days. And the disciples are better than the way they are portrayed in the gospel record. We are all better than the stereotypes that limit our ability to observe and interpret and the biases which cloud our thinking.

Let's take that as a given. Stories as wonderful as they are cannot do complete justice to all the delicately nuanced creativity that God has woven in us. We are each unique, with depth and variation that is infinite in so many different ways. The stories are written to make a point, and in so doing they tell something – but only a portion, of what it means to be human. I have to get past my new found dismay for the way the disciples are portrayed to see the point that the story wants to make.

The story gives an answer to the question posed by the title for this reflection. All that we need? Yes, we have enough. Enough what? Faith. But as Jesus' story within the story tells us, it's not about quantity – it's about quality. Faith is not something you get more or less of – it's something you have or don't have. However, I don't know if you caught the little word play or puzzle that is in the passage. Jesus poo poos the disciples for asking for more faith but then right away talks about faith in terms of quantity even as he makes the point about it being quality not quantity that is important. So, Jesus contradicts himself right away. Faith is a quality, but indeed you can grow in faith. Jesus' story says we don't need a lot – even a little bit can lead to great things, but the mind is left to wonder what if we had faith as big as an apple or pumpkin seed! Of course, the other point of Jesus' story is that it's not about how big faith is to begin with, because even a little bit can turn into something impressive. So, it's not what we start with, it's how it ends up.

In another story Jesus used a similar analogy to the one about seed. He talked about yeast. A small grain of yeast when combined with gluten grows into something much bigger. And that of course draws us to consider another aspect of worship today, namely that we gather as a worldwide community of faith to Circle the Table as today's anthem brings to mind. We might be tempted to think about the desire for faith to be an individual quest, but faith grows in community. We grow in faith by being together, by learning from each other, by examples to each other. The mustard seed takes nourishment from the soil, takes minerals from the moisture, uses sunlight and warmth to grow. We also take nourishment and strength from those around us, and from the elements of this meal shared. Faith grows in community. And when we come into community with openness and willingness to learn with mind and heart directed in the way of faith, then like the mustard seed, we grow.

We gather at this table as people of faith and as a community of faith. And like the yeast that gives volume to the bread, we grow as a community by being a community – learning from each other, being open to the creativity that God has wrought in us. Amen.