"Of Gardens and God"
In worship this past month, we have talked a lot about seeds and planting. The suggested lectionary texts have been a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew that focus on agricultural themes. Each story has invited us to think about how different types of soil, different types of seed, sowers and weeds, all have a role in determining what a harvest will look like.

There is so much that goes into a successful harvest and only a part of it that is visible to us. The seed goes in the ground and we wait. The seedling comes up and we wait. The plant grows throughout the summer and we wait. So much is not under our control, so much of planting and growing calls for patience and trust.

And yet, as I look out at the flowers around my yard I realize the role I have played. I was able to get a good layer of mulch down early this year, so the weeds have been much more manageable. At the same time, I was able to work fertilizer and nutrients into the soil. And, although we’ve had a good amount of rain this year, I have dragged the hoses and sprinklers out during those dry spells.

I have been delighted by some things – the colors of the lilies have been wonderful, the herb garden has been full and lush, and some of my ground cover has really taken off. I have also been disappointed with others areas – only one bloom on my clematis all year, the cardinal flowers have all but disappeared this year, and I continue to be over run with baby oak trees growing throughout my lawn and in most of the flower beds because of the abundant acorn crop dropped last fall.

Gardening is certainly a mix of what I can do to help things grow and what I have no control over and must be patient and let God do what only God can do with it. Gardening is a good metaphor for the work of the church. There is much we can do and need to be doing for the transformation of our lives and our world – and yet there is also a lot of waiting and trusting and allowing God to do what only God can do.

This summer, when much of the life at church slows down, the Growth Task Force has been busy preparing soil. A team has been busy planting seeds to help others outside of Samuel Church become more aware of who we are and what is happening here. Some ideas are new and some build on past experiences and events. All have the purpose of sharing the Good News of God’s love we know in Jesus with others.

At the same time, the Growth Task Force has recognized that growth also includes other areas and aspects of the church’s life as well. Another team of the Task Force is working on ways to invite the congregation as a whole to see the role they play in sustaining a vital and growing church. Using a resource that divides aspects of church life into different focuses they will be asking us to think about the things we do and the things we want to do using different lenses.

They are asking: What are we doing to help people to grow in their faith? How is involvement in the life of the church changing people’s lives? These are signs of maturational growth and vitality, of discipleship development.

They are also asking questions like: How are we making the Gospel real in the world? How is it that our faith gets lived out? What is our mission and witness to those around us in the way that we live. These are signs of incarnational growth and vitality – giving flesh and bones to our beliefs. In the New Testament this aspect of our faith lives is sometimes referred to using the Greek word, diakonia, or service.

Yet another area deals with: How it is we live out this faith together – not just as individuals? How do we support one another, challenge one another, communicate with one another? How do we really get to know each other and live together as a compassionate community? These are signs of communal growth and vitality, or koinonia, as it is often called in the Greek New Testament.

All of these areas are important to the vitality and growth of the congregation as a whole. Each area is inter-connected and influences the other. We often think of growth simply as more of something – but the truth is growth also means a deepening, a widening, an enrichening. In fact, numerical growth often only comes when all aspects of the church’s life are growing and vital. It is important that we not focus only on one area or aspect of growth and vitality and miss the potential in the others.

In the next few months you will be hearing more from the Growth Task Force as they invite us to think about what it is we do and would like to do and as they bring forth new ideas and possibilities. Like a plant needs sun, and water, and good soil to grow – the church needs all areas to be growing and vital if it is to grow. But we also must be patient and realize that alongside our efforts God is also doing what only God can do.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jeff