Every year at this time, I'll pull out of my driveway worrying about work and schedules, and be startled by shades of pink and bright green in the trees. While I've focused on my hectic winter routine, there were forces working under the surface, with sunshine and rain and nutrients in the soil, preparing all these buds and blossoms to appear seemingly overnight.
The readings for today start with some kind of cleansing to dedicate a community to God, and then look ahead to "bearing fruit." It's comforting to think that God can be working under the surface in my life, too, even while I'm distracted with errands and meetings.
Still, Paul connects growth to "increasing with knowledge of God." I'm old enough to have heard every word of scripture at least once, but I hope that doesn't mean I've no room to grow in knowledge of God. I think that's why the Scripture emphasizes community so much: we need to teach and work with each other to grow beyond book knowledge.
Thinking of these things, I now imagine walking from the sanctuary down the long corridor as if I were traveling from the roots of a tree up the trunk. In the Parish Hall, I see children, adults, and seniors conversing over coffee and snacks, while Father Ray's Power Point flashes all kinds of learning, worship, service and fellowship opportunities that engage our community every week: branches that shoot off in all directions, bearing fruit.
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