Yo howdy all y’all – rejoice, this is the day Creation hath made.
The weather has gloriously changed – a new season’s blend of harvest and preparation. “Gardening with God” presents challenging opportunities for faith, trust and a reliance on Grace.
I’m talking about composting. The piles of leaves and textured cuttings that appear and will be collected in various spots,
gradually gathered together near areas for application through the winter into Spring.
It’s kinda messy if you look at it that way, but I see the wonders of waiting on God – out of garden waste will come nutritious soil, a terraces reinforced for growth.
I suppose, though, the areas where you have to wait on me will always looks kinda messy. They are organized areas, the process intentional if often delayed. Italo has done many of the fall plantings, Cheyenne helped plant a lot of wildflower seeds.
Others – the unhoused and the mentally divergent, have helped – some just once for an hour or so, some a couple hours now
and then. Last week three passersby – visiting from Houston – helped with weeding by the “Be
Prepared” room.
Our winter vegetable garden is planted. Perennial kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, artichoke, eggplant, collards, peppers, peas and cabbage. And herbs. The fresh ingredients are so very welcomed and appreciated by Chef
Mo and the patrons of Angel House Soup Kitchen.
There are so many hungry people, so many more poorly nourished; may our rejoicing guide us to share tangible reasons
for others to know joy. Driving by street-side flowers brings joy to some, driving by and looking into the eyes of a person living on a corner offers dignity to all.
The seed buckets (pronounced “boo kays) that are in the gardens and by the doors are an element of gardening with God.
Berries, grains and other flower seeds to feed the birds – and thus spread the plantings, randomly, gracefully bringing a wild
beauty into barren soil nearby—a gradual wilding of downtown, a demonstration of the ease in sharing abundance.
As God grants abundance to us, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, and prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. For
me, the Second Coming can be only present in our every day as we strive in gratitude to be Christ-like; the Second Coming is
within us, we are planted, now, in this earthly Garden of God.
As always, I encourage each of you to walk about our sanctuary, bring a friend, see what is growing and in bloom. We have
dozens of types of flowers in continuous bloom – Spring thru Fall. A lot of the flowers were planted by birds and breeze –
there are unknown individual plants with delicate blooms or unique texture, and zillions of seedlings to tolerate but thin,
eventually to be accepted as their unique and identifying traits become more evident. Weeds, just a lot of bloomin’ weeds.
Our worship congregation is growing again, inside and beyond our sanctuary. We are God’s garden, let us rejoice and serve
as Christ has shown us.
Phil