Sunday, August 16, 2020

how it grows anyways

 It's been 26 months since we moved back to our homeland. (Not that we were ever really that far away...) In that time, we pray and dream about "planting a Church" each day. I had some time yesterday at my parent's house to reflect on what has been planted in this time, and I realized that the Church is growing in ways I wasn't noticing.

Like a plant that needs winter rain, our experience of Church has deepening roots. It's been a season of finding nutrients, encouragement from increasingly diverse voices in more than our tiny neighborhood. It's been a season of drinking in the Word like water, prayer like air, and the rocky soil of "home." It's been a time to start small, quite small.

I expected our network to be wide, but it's deep, instead. I expected our support to be formal, like a cedar trellis. But it feels like we're honeysuckle, vining up a tree. The Church is growing and we are here; it's not growing because of us...or anyone. The Church is alive, underground and above ground, and virtually this year. The people who fellowship on our deck are a beautiful representation of the body of Christ.

The Bible is full of agricultural metaphor and example. The Church began in a garden, was tested in a garden, was redeemed because of a decision in a garden, and celebrates forever in a new and perfect garden. And true to the consequences of the curse, gardening on Earth continues to take work. I spent part of our morning in worship pulling ivy vines out of maple trees. The Church is messy and requires constant upkeep.

Every dinner or drop-in guest reminds us that the Church is ubiquitous. Wherever two or more gather in the name of Christ, the Church exists. We mission like it's a verb, as a little team of three. We worship like it's a lifestyle, with friends that become family. We celebrate the death and Resurrection of Christ at every meal, even if there are no visitors, because that's how we read Christ's instructions.

We sow seed indiscriminately. Who are we to decide who is "good soil?" Sometimes the Gospel takes roots in the rockiest of souls. Sometimes the "rockiest" appearance hides a very fertile heart. We seek the living water for our own faith in the Good News. How can we share what we do not celebrate? Who wants to join an angry throng of grouches? We rejoice for we are made new.

This is how the Church grows: like the garden taking root at our house in the Heights. It may look disorganized. It may feel slow to my impatient, Millenial timeline. But, to God be the Glory. The Church grows.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

hey guys