Wisdom from the Garden
I grew up with a green thumb. See, my dad was a gardener, and ever since I could tag along with him, he would have me work with him in the gardens. Cutting grass, clipping hedges, trimming roses, planting annuals, laying new turf, weeding between the plants, watering the flowers. I still enjoy gardening -- seeing seeds become plants and watching things grow.
There is much wisdom we can learn from the garden. Jesus knew that. In the gospels we see Jesus using stories from the garden as he taught about the church and kingdom. There is much we can learn about growing healthy churches and planting new ones just by observing a garden.
One of my favourite garden stories of Jesus is about a man who scatters seed on the ground. This story is only found in Mark's gospel (4:26-29). Every gardener knows that if you don't plant seeds you won't have orange marigolds or green beans growing in your garden. Seed needs to be scattered on the ground. The seed needs to die (John 12:24). The gardener sows his seed liberally. He doesn't save the seed in a box. No he gets rid of it. Gladly. He knows that there will be no flowers or crop if no seed is scattered.
But here is the twist Jesus brings into his garden story: "Night and day, whether the man sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain -- first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." (vv 27-29)
All by itself - the soil produces a harvest. And Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God is like that. Growing healthy churches is like that. Night and day, whether we are asleep or we are active, we notice that growth happens all by itself. The lost are found. People come to believe the gospel. Men and women are born again. People experience new life in Christ. Families and communities are transformed.
But here is the real deal. Experience tells us that this kind of "all by itself" growth doesn't always occur. Conversions are not happening. Churches are in decline. The harvest does not seem to come. Why not? It is here we gain wisdom from the garden. Plants will grow all by themselves if the growing conditions are right. Jesus' garden story of the farmer going out to sow his seed makes this truth crystal clear(see Mark 4:1-12 and parallels). Some seed fell on the path, others on rocky soil, some among thorns, and the rest on good soil. But only the seeds that fell on the good soil produced a crop -- "some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times." (v. 8) Good conditions: good crop. Poor conditions: poor crop.
So what are the right conditions for this "all by itself" kind of growth? Kingdom growth? Church growth? Spiritual growth? In a series of blogs I will explore what these right conditions are by unpacking church health principles we read in God's Word. I will explore these principles around the theme of "Wisdom from the Garden."
For example, in the garden story Jesus gives in Mark 4, if the man never scattered seed, there would not be a harvest. No matter how good the conditions are, it begins by scattering the seed. We know from Jesus' other garden stories that the "seed" is the "gospel" - "the word" (see Mark 4:15, 20 and parallels). If you and I do not broadcast the gospel, in word and deed, then we cannot expect a harvest. Researchers tell us that 95% of Christians do not witness, do not intentionally share the gospel with unbelievers. How can we expect a harvest of souls if we do not share the gospel with others.
The gospel can be summed up in this way: we have been rescued from the penalty and power of sin through the blood of Christ shed on the cross; we belong to our heavenly Father and God's forever family; we have an eternity to look forward to; and the Spirit of God is ever present with us here on earth. This is good news. And any good news worth having is worth sharing. Seed needs to be scattered. Broadcast. That is what the kingdom of God is like. A person scatters seed on the ground. And the gospel once scattered is so powerful it will produce a harvest, all by itself. But seeds need to be sown.
Next: Good Seed, Deep Roots
About the author
Jack De Vries was hired on by the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia and began his work as Ministry Training Coordinator in January 2008. In 2012 this role shifted to that of Ministry Development Coach.
Jack came from Canada where he pastored three Christian Reformed churches: Alliston CRC, Alliston, Ontario(1983-87), a church plant: New Life Community Church, Pickering, Ontario(1987-95), and Bethel CRC, Listowel, Ontario (1995-2007). Jack is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity - 1983) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Doctor of Ministry - 2003) Jack and his wife Jeannie currently live in Petrie, a northern suburb of Brisbane in Queensland. They attend and are members of Bray Park Community Church. They have four adult children and seven grandchildren living in the USA and Canada.
In Isaiah 58:11 we read: "The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your 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." Australia has seen times of drought and floods. There is another type of drought in Australia; there is a spiritual drought. But God promises to provide refreshing rain, a never ending supply of refreshing water. The water he provides will satisfy the needs of all Australians. As we take up the missional vision God has given us we extend the life changing invitation of Jesus: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, come, and take the free gift of the water of life!" (Revelation 22:17)
