Letter to the Exiles

In my continuing search through the Bible for references to gardens, growing, seeds, etc. I came across this section of scripture, Jeremiah 29:1-14.  It's a letter written to those Jews who were in in exile in Babylon.  In it Jeremiah instructs the people to take up residence.  They are to build homes, grow gardens, give their children in marriage and continue to grow as a people.  The people are also instructed to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city..."  Today we see the church in a kind of exile.  At times being unfaithful and finding ourselves wandering, looking for home.  But God has put us in the place we live for a reason and perhaps his word to us is much the same as it was to them.  To take up residence, raise our children even to grow gardens and certainly to seek the peace and prosperity of where we live.  Now I have to confess that the prosperity part isn't so hard in America, but I do know of lots of people living around me that are in need.  There are different ways in which our community of faith is working at seeking the peace and prosperity for all in the place we live.  We help with unmet bills, child care, food and other outreach to our local community.  We also work at sharing peace with our community and the world by being an active voice for non-violence.  We are working at making our area look more and more like the Kingdom.

What does growing gardens have to do with the peace and prosperity of the city?  I'm not sure what Babylon was like, but if it's anything like American cities today I can see why gardening was part of the seeking peace and prosperity.  I've recently been talking with a number of people at Mechanic Grove about gardening and the importance of teaching the next generation to garden.  As we have "progressed" in society we have moved away from the earth.  We've forgotten where food comes from, the work that goes into it.  We have forgotten the lessons that we learn from the garden like patience, taking your time, life from death.  Perhaps teaching people again to grow food, to work in a garden, to learn basic life skills it part of the "peace and prosperity."

In Jeremiah 29:1-14, verse 10 begins a shift.  God is talking about bringing his people back from exile and restoring them.  To me there's a difference between seeking the peace and prosperity of the place I live and coming to believe Babylon is home.  There's a danger in getting too wrapped up in whatever nation we find ourselves in exile.  Perhaps in some places the Jewish people became content with Babylon.  It was the world power of its time.  It would have been easy to see the affluence and prosperity in Babylon and begin to think that it had been chosen or especially blessed by God.  Babylon is not home.

Well-watered Garden

This Spring has been very warm and dry.  I love the warm part.  We've had some B-E-A-utiful days this Spring.  But after a while of no rain you start to see some consequences.  I have a number of things already planted in my garden.  My lettuce is coming up, my broccoli is starting to do better, my peppers are hanging in and a few others things are doing well.  My trash-can potatoes are doing awesome.  There really hasn't been much rain to keep things watered, so I've had to go out every day either with my watering bucket or the hose to water the garden.  I also planted grass seed in a few bare spots in our yard that I've had to water.  For a while things were looking pretty dry.  The dirt in the garden was dry.  The places I had planted grass were very dry and hard.

But Saturday night it started raining and today (Monday) it's still raining.  I came across this Scripture: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy you needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail" (Isaiah 58:11).  The rain has been great for the garden and the yard and our flower beds.  I'm looking forward to seeing how things will grow once the sun comes out again.  Far more comforting is knowing that God satisfies my needs.  He gives me refreshment and new life when I feel dried out and sun-scorched.  There have been times this Spring, while working in the garden or yard, where I've just reflected on everything God has blessed me with.  My wife and son, my home and food, my church family, my job.  In these times I feel refreshed and renewed.  I know that God has blessed me in order for me to be a blessing.

Thank you God for rain.  For watering the garden and helping things to grow.  Thank you for the refreshment you send into my life and for the way you satisfy my needs.  Amen

Sustainable Living?

Last week I was working on mulching our flower beds around the house. This is the first year that I've been responsible for edging, mulching and maintaining my own flower beds. It's a treat, once it's done. But as I talked about earlier, work is not a bad thing. I was reflecting again on the Creation story that begins in a garden. Today you hear a lot about Sustainable Living. It's a big deal because the way much of the world is living cannot continue. During the industrial revolution the church developed a theology of Dominion over creation rather than stewardship of creation. We've stripped the land, developed unhealthy, unnatural practices and over-all degraded God's good creation. So sustainable living is a step in the right direction.

But in the Creation Story God says "be fruitful" (Gen. 1:28) and the writer states God placed the man in the garden to "work it and take care of it" (Gen. 2:15). It seems that God intended life to multiply for growth and expansion. And for it to be done in harmony with the rest of creation. Today we're just hoping that we can hand something down to the next generation through sustainable living.

A few years ago a the Grove we started a recycling ministry. We recycle paper in the office and used bulletins as well as plastic, metal and glass containers in the kitchen and old magazines. I remember when we started that the group said if anyone should care about Creation and being green, it's Christians. We should be the ones leading the way in being stewards of God's creation. It doesn't mean that we can't use resources that God has provided for us, but that we should use those resources in a responsible way. The way we live should be fruitful and multiply for the next generation. What if all Christians would take a look at our resources and practices and seek for the best way to honor God in those ways. Perhaps we would change from just being sustainable to being fruitful and multiplying.

Resurrection!

I always look forward to Easter. From Palm Sunday through Love Feast and Communion on Thursday, Black Friday and of course Easter Sunday. When I was a little kid I was excited because it meant an Easter basket (or paper bag) with candy. We also would get a chocolate cross from church made of snickers and milky way candy bars fused together with icing decorations on top. But Easter has changed as I've gotten older. Now I have a better understanding of what it means for my faith. This past Palm Sunday we celebrated the coming of the king into Jerusalem. The Jews intended to crown and earthly king. Instead it becomes the inauguration of a different kind of kingdom. This Thursday the Mechanic Grove community will celebrate Lovefeast and Communion. This year will be a little different as we celebrate with hispanic brothers and sisters from Lancaster. We will enact Isaiah 56:7 that says God's house will be a house of prayer for all nations. It will be a new look at the church and seeing different people groups united in communion. Friday I will reflect on Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Not only his sacrifice but also his crowning (I wrote about this previously here).

But this year I am especially looking forward to celebrating Resurrection Sunday. Jesus' triumph over sin and death. New, restored, completed, perfected life. It seems like a different part of Holy Week impacts me each year. And this year it is Resurrection. It's probably because of loss I've experienced this year. In the last year I lost a good friend that I grew up with, went to church with, played baseball with, sang with. I also lost my big brother Bob (Theology of a Hug). Last week we lost my wife's grandmother in a car accident. She was a beautiful woman. Since my grandparents live in Ohio, she was my "Granny" too. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 instructs us not to grieve as those with no hope. Instead we look forward to final resurrection and to seeing those that have "fallen asleep." This year as I get closer to Resurrection Sunday I can't help but be thankful, hopeful, and very, very grateful for Resurrection. Enjoying life everlasting with Jesus, Glenny, Bob, Granny and others.

Thank you God for your Son. Thank you for sending him to restore our relationship with you and for giving us life renewed, restored and resurrected with You. Amen!

It Begins in a Garden

Reading Scripture while growing a garden seems like there is only one logical place to begin. After all the story of God's relationship with humanity begins in a garden. Imagine the beauty of God's perfect garden. I've seen some nice gardens. We have a place near us called Longwood Gardens. It's beautiful with something different in each season, but I know it's not perfect like God's garden.

I always assumed that work came after the Fall. That Adam and Eve just enjoyed the garden without having to do anything. But Genesis 2:15 says, "The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it." So even before the Fall man did work. After the Fall God explains that now they will toil and sweat to work the land. Work in and of itself is a good thing. I'll try and remember that when I'm sweating this Summer or my back hurts from pushing the wheel barrow filled with dirt or mulch all over the yard.

Why does it start in a garden? Why not a city of people where God can enjoy the company of many? Why in a garden? It occurs to me that life happens much slower in a garden. A garden requires patience and time. You can't be in a hurry with a garden. On the other hand, cities are busy. There's always something happening; always places to run and things to do. My life tends to be more like a city. I feel like there's always something to get done. There's something at the church going on. Some family event. Bills to pay, errands to run. But God chooses a garden. He walks in the garden and has long conversations with Adam and Eve. There aren't things to rush off to. Just time to spend enjoying the garden and relationship with God.

Lord, You walked with Adam and Eve in the garden. They moved at the pace of a garden, slowly and intentionally. Help me to slow down and take time to spend walking in the garden with You. Thank you for the gifts and abilities to work!

Lesson in Peace

Last night at the Grove we hosted Beatrice Mambula and her parents, Mosa and Sarah, to talk about what is happening to the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN). Currently they are undergoing persecution at the hands of radical fundamentalist Muslims. They shared a number of stories about the persecution. In 2009 several EYN churches were destroyed in fires. They shared that there is again renewed violence against Christian churches, the government and even schools now. Today Christians going to church on Sunday mornings must be patted down and searched before entering the church by armed soldiers. Women are not allowed to carry purses because it is feared they are carrying bombs. They don't even park in their church parking lot anymore. Instead they park in protected parking lots and walk to church. The president of Nigeria has acknowledged that part of this radical sect has infiltrated different sectors of the government agencies and are funded by powerful politicians, banks and outside organizations. The group has set out to destroy Christian churches bearing the cross, the government, Western education and even moderate Muslims who are sympathetic to the persecution of the Christians.

Despite the stories of persecution there were also stories of hope shared. Back in the 80's when the church first went through persecution and 107 churches were burned the church leaders decided to rebuild. As they collected money to rebuild their churches they decided before they rebuilt their churches to rebuild 3 mosques that had been burned by other Christians. The Muslims didn't know how to respond to this. Many were puzzled by this response. Several of these Muslims became Christians and are now involved in missions to Muslim areas. The Mambula's also shared that Christians and Muslims are beginning to work together to overcome this hatred of a a radical sect. Christians go to the Muslim mosques on Friday to protect the Muslims during their time of prayers. Muslims in turn come and protect Christian churches on Sunday mornings. They are working together.

I've talked about pacifism and non-violence before. But it's a lot easier to say when there's nothing that threatens my life. To hear how the EYN is pursuing peace in the midst of persecution is a testimony to their faith and love of Jesus Christ. When you ask if they want to fight and defend themselves, they say, "We're humans. We want to fight back. But we love Jesus and this love will not allow us to fight." Instead they realize as Paul writes in Philippians 1, "To live is Christ, and to die is gain." They look forward with expectation to be a part of Christ's kingdom with final peace.

I was very blessed by their presence and to see their faith, hope and love. They continue to work at loving their enemies and turning the other cheek.

Growing Disciples

First of all let me start by saying I am in no way a great gardener. I remember working in our family garden when I was a little kid. I've had a garden the last couple of Summers with varied success at growing different things. We've had our garden as a part of the farmer's field at the house we were renting. It was great ground. We never had to till anything. Last Summer we moved into our own home. So this year I'm trying something different. I'll be building some raised beds for my garden. I'm also trying some different things.

So what's this all about and why I am writing blogs about it? My hope this Summer is to learn more about gardening, but in the process learn more about God. Gardening seems like one of the most natural ways to learn about the Kingdom. After all, it begins with a Garden, Jesus talks about the kingdom being like a seed, harvesting and all kinds of agricultural examples of the Kingdom and faith. This is an exercise in faith hopefully as much as it is an education in gardening.

From my garden I'm hoping to provide my family with good, nutritional food and lower my grocery bill. Hopefully my trash can potatoes will turn out ok. I'd be delighted if I manage to get a few peanuts. And I'm looking forward to making my own salsa from my tomatoes, onions and Jalapeno peppers.

I'm also hoping that my garden can help teach me about patience, cultivating faith, how the Kingdom spreads and more. Over the Summer I'm hoping to post progress on my garden with pictures and some insights and Scripture that I'm coming across that pertain to the garden.

I would encourage your comments and insights along the way.