Mysterious Growth: Rocks, Seeds, and Trees
A sermon preached on June 14th and 18th at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Longview, WA, USA
Psalms 20, Mark 4:26-34, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10
Mysterious Growth is our topic for today, but before we talk about growth, I would like to consider some symbols many of us grew up with: rocks, seeds and trees.
I think I was in junior high when the rock in front of the church was first brought to the compound and placed at the forefront of the church lot where it could become a focal point. It looked a lot bigger when I was younger!
The rock symbolizes God as a fortress. Seeds represent growth. To me, trees have always represented foundations and being firmly rooted in God's Word.
If we look more closely at each, starting with rocks. We find God is our fortress. The passage in Psalms mentions the encouragement and protection God offers us, His name alone has strength. I have a feeling that when the rock was first placed on the compound, it was done so with great thought. Perhaps some of you even remember the discussions that went on at that time and what the symbol meant to members then.
In this world today, we all need someone to lean on. As humans, we are often compared to swaying loosely like grass in the wind. Often we change with the times, get forgetful, and our attention is claimed by the topics in the news. We spend more time on the latest fashions or crisis that shake our world than we do on God. But rocks are firm and changeless. God's Word is in this world to give us guidance and strength, it becomes a refuge. It never changes and is always there. I think the church leaders a few decades ago wanted to remind everyone who passed by that God and the Church should be our foundation.
I don't know about you, but I need a firm foundation and a steady Rock in my life because I need hope and direction in this crazy world.
I am a history teacher and when I started teaching AP World History in Nigeria over eight years ago I discovered that the course is designed around five themes and it makes so much sense to me that the first two themes center on the physical world we are in and the belief systems we center our lives on. When man was first placed in this world, he had to figure out how to survive, but as soon as he figured that out, he began seeking the Creator and trying to understand what life or death is all about and after some time, religious systems began to form. Worshipping God and establishing a relationship with him was a priority to early man and also to ancient man that lived when our scripture texts were written.
I have come to understand and believe that God created us to crave Him and without Him in our lives there is a vacuum that demands to be filled. God wants to be our rock, our refuge to build our lives on. If we build our life on Him, our foundation can be strong. I think this is one of the main reasons why the Nigerian state has not collapsed; In spite of its many faults, the people still recognize the importance of God in their lives and depend on Him. When Ebola hit, people prayed; when bombs go off, people pray; when elections threaten to turn into riots, people pray. Simply put, Nigerians are praying people and God sustains them.
One of the first things God wants of us is to learn about Him. There must be a relationship, or fellowship with Him before we can fully commit ourselves to Him. God created us with minds to think. Seeking God starts with trying to understand Him. He provided us His Word and his world to teach us about Him. In simple terms, that means that if we want to learn about God, we have to spend time with Him, read His Word, and reflect on its meaning for us in the world today.
In this busy world it is so easy to spend time on what first claims our attention. I know for myself that is is too easy to wake up in the morning and first reach for the world news or social news on the Internet; if I am not careful, before I know it I am running late for work and start rushing into a new day without taking time to connect with God. If we want to be strong, we not only need to seek God and praise Him, we also need to understand His authority and the obedience He demands of us; being obedient can start with thinking about how we spend our time. At the end of a busy day I like to relax watching tv, but then I get absorbed in NCSI or the Food Channel and have to force myself to think about what I have to do to be ready for the next school day and to check in with how the kids are doing.
I think most of us want to be productive people and to grow in our faith. We want to seek God, we wouldn't be here if we weren't seeking to understand Him better and wanting to strengthen the role He plays in our lives. Once we choose to put Him first, we learn the constant challenge to be obedient and try to understand all He promises us. I could spend a great deal of time talking about the virtues of God, but for today it is enough to say that putting our lives in His Hands is so much easier when we claim His authority and place our trust in Him. The words of the psalmist understood this. God is there for us, but sometimes he demands sacrifices of us, that's part of what it means to be in a relationship, relationships often bring about change.
That's where seeds come in. If we claim God and want to be used by Him then we become seeds where He sends us. See the thing is, God not only created us to seek Him, He also created us to live in community with the rest of His creation. He didn't create us to live as hermits or only connect with Him through Internet devotions or TV churches, but to come face to face with others and find ways we can encourage and strengthen each other. Sites on the Internet can be great tools, but the church should provide our base.
God strengthens us in different ways, but we are not created to simply survive, but to thrive. We must interact with His Word and His people. God calls us all to plant seeds. We all have others in our lives: family, friends, colleagues, and other people he calls us to interact with. Many of us are parents. I believe God calls us to first be there for our children and other family members. Family should be a priority. Another thing I appreciate about Nigeria is the importance they place on both immediate and extended family. Taking time off from work or a busy day for weddings, thanksgiving celebrations, or funerals is a priority. Invitations are sent out, food is organized, many guests sew the uniform, and come ready to dance at the reception. The whole community comes together.
God also calls each of us to be a part of a community and to serve Him in the world. The receptions in Nigeria celebrate how God is blessing, or blessed, the celebrants. Likewise, God calls us to celebrate and serve Him every day of our lives. This could mean in our place of work, the community we grew up in, and for some of us He calls us to places far away. He calls us to both nurture others and be nurtured by those we meet.
Wherever God calls us, we are called to be trees. Trees and other plants provide nourishment and shade to others. We are nourished and refreshed by God's Word and the ways we interact with people. When God created this world and the people in it, He used great diversity in the races and ethnic groups. If we don't look beyond our own people, we lose so many blessings and opportunities to grow and be challenged in the way we think and act.
My question for you today is how do you use the Rock in your life? How do you plant God's hope and promises in your life and the life of others? And finally, how do you nourish and provide shade for others to become rested and refreshed? Most people assume God calls us to only serve, but God also calls us to be served. I have found that those who only focus on giving, end up drying out quickly and they can't effectively serve for long. That's why we have a day or two of rest each week, holidays, retreats, vacations, and for missionaries there are furloughs.
I remember years ago, when I was growing up here, leaders of Emmanuel recognized that for the church to grow, it must look beyond itself. Mission became a priority. Programs reaching into the world and community were developed and are still here. So as you ask yourself how you consider the symbols of rocks, seeds, and trees in your life, use the programs the church offers and make sure you challenge yourself to get involved because if we aren't growing, we are starting to die.
I remember when my dad retired from Safeway, the doctor's first advice to him was to stay active. Physical and mental growth, and connections to others is critical to claiming God's Kingdom today, tomorrow, and for eternity. Taking time for others should be a priority. A third area I have learned to appreciate in Nigeria is in the area of hospitality, but I mean more of a spontaneous hospitality. Americans can be great hosts and hostesses when plans are made and guests are expected, but in Nigerian culture it is perfectly acceptable to drop in for a visit. Friends may drop in a for a few hours, family members may come for a few days. All guests are received warmly and accommodated. It would be rude to turn a traveler away. I had to learn early on to welcome visitors warmly and abandon the more Western approach of worrying how my plans or household would have to adjust. To be honest, I am still more Western in this area and sometimes rely on my husband or sisters-in-law that live with us to help remind me how to be a gracious hostess in a Nigerian home.
Growth is not usually easy and I think real growth demands that we move out of our comfort zone and have our habits, ideas, or sometimes eve our values challenged. Often it means accepting a new role, considering new ideas, and meeting new people. Even after twenty-four years I am still considered a visitor in Nigeria and sometimes am still challenged. That's why my time in the US is necessary. Even though I am not the same person I was when I first left, this is still my first culture.
Like you, I must ask myself daily how God can use me anew. The writer in Corinthians points out how our time in this physical world is not our permanent home, but we are called to live a life where our purpose should be to point others to God. As you go out to do this, seek out the Rock, plant those seeds, and be trees in God's world wherever He calls you. Live for Him and He will strengthen and refresh you daily. It is a mystery how God calls, strengthens, and renews us but a little mystery in our life adds much needed spice to each day. I don't know about you, but I like an abundance of flavor and diversity in life.
I pray these words have been a source of encouragement to you and a reminder to reflect on how you can grow closer to God today. Amen.
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