From the Pastor

October 2004

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God how gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building." -- 1 Corinthians 3:6-9

Some things in life have a fairly consistent predictability that can be comforting. For example, we know that if we plant seeds in the ground and they subsequently receive the appropriate amounts of light, water, and nutrients, they will grow. If you have driven on the highway or on the outskirts of town lately, you have seen evidence of this, as fields planted in the spring are now ready for the harvest.

Sometimes such predictability is present in the lives and growth of humans, as well. If the seed of faith is nurtured in a child--through worship, prayer, scripture, and fellowship with other believers--that faith will grow to maturity through the power of the Holy Spirit. The child becomes a mature Christian, one who goes on to nurture and support others.

However, sometimes we may plant seeds without realizing we have done so. A friend of mine once noticed some squash growing near her house. She had planted squash, but not in that area. The wind had picked up a seed and dropped it somewhere else, where it flourished. She did not tend the seed; she did not water it or worry about how much sunlight or water it received. All she saw were the results. Nature took care of the details.

So it is with humans as well. We may not realize the tremendous potential we have for planting and nurturing the seeds of faith in others. A kind word, a touch, an offer of symapthy or Christian advise are all ways that we do this. We may not think that we are doing anything extrordinary, and we may not realize what we have done with a simple action--perhaps not initially or even ever. But one day we may see growth, when the person we have touched begins to live their life as a mature Christian. All we may see are the results--the Holy Spirit does the real work, the work of nurturing and sustaining the seed.

Remember that everywhere you go, you have the opportunity to plant those seeds. Your words, your actions, and all the ways both large and small that you witness to you faith are seed planting moments. They may not seem like much at the time; in fact, you may not even be aware of them at all. But the Holy Spirit can and does often work through us, using our actions or words as a chance to nurture the faith in someone. We never know what those actions may bring or where they may help faith flourish!

In Christ,
Pastor Brenda