Today’s readings are filled images of growth and newness. From the cedars of Ezekiel in the Old Testament to the palm tree of the psalm, the flourishing of human beings is part of all creation’s fruitfulness.
What is growth ? Not physical growth but actions that expand God’s kingdom. It would also included new capabilties that we obtain.
We start small like the mustard seed. We can become “greatest of all shrubs” but we must grow. Often growth is not straight path. At times we grow fast. Other times, we are stymieed – we have to step back and do something different
The important is to consider how we might want to expand God’s kindom in our area. This is so important since if we don’t nothing may happen. We might sense the possibilities of God’s kingdom ourselves here and work toward that end. We might get that new idea.
In many cases, we can’t do it alone but must work with others. We scatter seed — that’s our role. Our seed may go to others and get a boost from them.
I can think over my time at St. Peter’s and the remembers the seeds scattered the ones. that successully expanded our vision – the Village Harvest, Shred-it, Sacred ground as well the work the ECW and ECM do. Those don’t exist in a vacuum but are formed by the many. Some have the vision; others can organize; others are problem solvers.
But don’t worry about the efforts that are doomed to failure that you don’t try or the ones you do try that fail. Sometimes failures can be reworked and become successes. Ultimately it depends on God’s grace.
We had a ministry of pastoral care – “Ond Day” where the congregation come together and do pastoral care together. Sounds great but it didn’t last beyond one time and it has not been repeated. What I cam guessing is that existing ministries were doing that jog and no other organization was ndded.