Miracles in the earth

If we want a garden

We’re gonna have to sow the seed

Plant a little happiness

Let the roots run deep

If it’s love that we give

Then it’s love that we reap If we want a garden

We’re gonna have to sow the seed

~ Crowded Table by The Highwomen

 

Consider the beauty of a garden – the miracles growing beneath the surface of the earth, the intentional nurturing it requires in order to yield its fruit, and the love it can inspire in those who share in its goodness.

I’ve enjoyed reflecting on gardening and the spiritual life with you this year as I continue to learn, grow and experiment in both my own backyard raised beds and the church’s Giving Back Garden.

Early September is a bit of a slower pace in the garden. I’m joyfully harvesting the last of the summer fruits after much tender care. Sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, cantaloupe and pickling cucumbers are bountiful but slowing by the week. I’m also taking out the last of the summer green beans, squash and tomatoes and prepping my garden with fall seeds and plants that enjoy the cooler weather. Early morning and late evening watering are now bringing nice breezes and milder temps. Slowing down, tasting the sweet juices of the late summer fruits and waiting for new plants to take root, grow and mature is a good life.

As we consider the apostle Paul’s Fruit of the Spirit this Fall here at FPC, I’m especially interested in further contemplating gardening, my relationship with Christ, and living by the Spirit.

I encourage you to join us in worship weekly as we consider together fruitful living through the sermons, music, prayer and liturgy. Join a small group to further explore with others what it means to allow the Holy Spirit to work in your life and transform you from the inside out. Prayerfully consider how and where you might serve the community of FPC and Greensboro to bear witness to God’s light and make a difference in the world.

 

Blessing

God of bountiful love! You remind us that we are much like a garden. When we tend our communities with space, time, and attention, a beautiful harvest is in store. Help us to slow down, to plant seeds of love, to till with patience, and to yield goodness and faithfulness so that we might be a reflection of your love in the world around us.