No longer is Jesus teaching exclusively in the temple. He's teaching on the lakeshore, in homes, on the street...he's with the everyday people using everyday events to tell about the Kingdom of God. He's trying to make the truth of the Kingdom concrete, in the here and now, by saying "let's observe the sower". Growing up on a farm and now living in a town of orchardists and gardners, I am starting to understand the importance of good soil. If I've learned anything during my short time in Hood River, it's that not all soil is the same. Dirt isn't just dirt. Sometimes, it's full of rocks, sometimes it's got pesky weeds that never seem to go away, and sometimes, it's that rich, volcanic soil that produces amazing plants.
Last summer, our garden didn't really work. Matt & I spent a weekend just digging out the rock garden that the people before us had created. The rocks went deep into the ground. And there were thick roots of weeds that had to be pulled out. It was hard work for such a small garden area! After our labor, we planted some small plants and a few vegetables, but in the end, it was nothing worth writing home about. Even though we had dug out the rocks and weeds, we didn't plant deep enough...so our plants had shallow roots and as soon as something started to bloom, it was overtaken by dry spells and the wind. Our biggest squash was about 2 inches long.
This summer, our garden is slowly starting to show promise. We had planted bulbs, and about half of them produced pretty flowers. We planted herbs and now I have too much cilantro, but no basil. We are trying. Some things are growing and producing, and some aren't. And we'll try again next year.
But that's what a sower does...they keep working on the soil and putting out the seed. I'm sure any of the orchardists would tell me that.
And that's what God does. When we think of God as the sower, we can understand that the Kingdom is available to all...but not all are ready for it. Sometimes the Word is heard, but quickly shut out by a closed mind and the immediacy of the world. Sometimes the Word is heard and beings to grow in a person, but because their spiritual roots have not been developed, they allow their faith journey to end because hard times come upon them...they wither when "God lets bad things happen to good people". Sometimes the Word is heard, but then choked by the worries and anxieties of the world. They can't really take on the call of discipleship because it costs too much, or their lifestyle doesn't have room for it. And then sometimes, when the Word is heard by someone deeply rooted in their faith journey, those seeds begin to grow and spread. Those who hear the Word, are able to open their minds and hearts and souls to the possibilities of the Kingdom, and they are empowered to share it with others.
We are all at different stages of our journey. Some of us are really tied up in the immediacy of the world, some of us aren't yet deeply rooted, some of us feel anxious about being disciples. And some of us are taking in those seeds and starting to grow. There's no judgment in our soil situations if you will. The good news is that God will keep spreading the seed, and our soil will change from one year to the next. Maybe more rocks need to be taken out, or weeds pulled, or water given. Maybe our soil needs time to rest and heal before planting again. But it will get planted again.
God's time is not our time. I think about that statement a lot. God's time is often slow and meticulous, and for those of us on a schedule, it can be frustrating. But it's God's time. Things have to unfold, be revealed and grow. When we try to rush God's time or speed up the journey, we get in our own way...things become muddled, confused, or seem like flashes in a pan...they don't take root. This is a message we need to hear! Church growth, youth programs, warming shelters, community building...all these things should run on God's time...not ours. And that's hard to hear because we want everything to happen now and be fully in place and ready to go! But these things, these programs and concepts, have to be nurtured, developed and cared for.
Let's take the warming shelter for instance. After a couple of months of discussion, the idea came to fruition and suddenly people in need of a warm place to stay had somewhere to go from January to March. It was a great idea and it met an immediate need. But in order for it to grow, it needed to have time to develop its roots. And so that's what we've been doing...working on the roots. The winter schedule has been created and extended to include other churches and the month of December. Various ministries have been identified within the overall ministry, and that's inviting others to participate in new ways. Funding is being secured. The roots are growing. While St. Mark's was one of the initial shelter sites, our ministry of providing food for the shelter will take root this year. Folks will have the opportunity to make sandwiches and cookies, and deliver to site locations. Families and individuals will be invited to work together to prepare and give in abundance. While we won't be a site, we will be contributing to the overall ministry of the shelter. Our roots are growing and becoming more secure. There will still need to be time for weeding and fertilizing, but the foundation is there.
So are we listening to this parable? Are we really hearing it? My guess is that we're growing and hearing it in different ways and a different times. And we'll have to keep listening for it to be fully understood.