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Sermon June 3, 2018
Darlene Amsler
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Second Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 4)
LESSONS I’VE LEARNED IN THE CHURCHYARD
Our readings for this morning are important, but today I feel called to tell you about some thoughts I’ve had while working in the churchyard. In a class I am taking, we practice mindfulness and relaxation. One of the relaxation techniques we were talking about was working in the garden. There is something therapeutic in it for me. I am not very good at meditation. I have a difficult time sitting still and when my thoughts wander, I feel like I should be doing something. When I am in the garden, my hands are busy, and I feel like I am being purposeful and my mind can think about other things. Now we know that Jesus would go to the garden to pray. He probably wasn’t pulling out hostas, but it gives credence to my theory that a garden is a good place to think and pray!
As you know, I enjoy working in the churchyard. There sure was a lot that needed to be done this spring. The hostas needed to be divided, the bed in front of the porch needed cleaned up, mulch needed spread, leaves needed to be raked, the list goes on and on. And sometimes, the more I do, the more I see. Ask Bill Day – that can be dangerous! I think he gets tired of my “suggestions”.
This year’s weather has been difficult for gardening. Just this week on the news, they said the rain has made it touchy for strawberries. It has also made it difficult to plan work days at the church. Sometimes, a time opens up in my schedule and the weather is cooperative and I come by myself and get a few things done. I feel bad about not letting others know but I just feel I should take advantage of it.
So, one time when Rachel was coming home late from work, I decided to go to the church and get some yardwork done. There were a lot of leaves to rake (and litter to pull out) and hostas to remove from the handicap ramp. It was a rigorous agenda. In my haste, I forgot a garbage bag. I really wanted to get the hostas out from the stones before they got too big, so I felt it needed to get done immediately. I just didn’t know if I could get all this done on my own. Well, sometimes, God answers prayers, even when we forget to ask. When I got to church, Kay was in the backyard and said she would help with the hostas. Wow, that was appreciated! And while I was raking leaves, I found a garbage bag mixed in with the leaves – just what I needed. We got everything done that needed to be done that day – wow, what a wonderful feeling! And it reminded me that God knows what we need even when we forget to ask. I whispered, “Thank you.”
So I got to thinking about other blessings in the garden and how they applied to our faith. Here’s what I came up with.
Sometimes you work in the garden alone. Sometimes you work with others. This is like worship – sometimes we worship or talk with God alone. Sometimes we come together for worship. I hope you have a favorite time or way to talk with God every day. I like to use the Forward Day by Day but there are many nice devotionals out there. Last month I went with a group to see the performance of “Jesus” at Sight and Sound in Lancaster. It was wonderful! I was telling Sue Beamer about it. When I said, “I saw “Jesus” last week”, she told me –“I see him every day!”. Every Sunday, we come together to worship. It gives me a sense of church family. I feel connected and my spiritual batteries are recharged. Sometimes we get together in other ways, too. Just last Sunday, a group of us went to Honamon House after church for a cookout. It was a wonderful way to share our blessings with others.
Another lesson I learned in the churchyard, was share what you have. The hosta we took up and divided went to many different homes, where they will grow and then be divided again. Likewise, the garden in back of Nativity provides fresh vegetables for Perry County families at the food bank. What a wonderful thing to share! Have you seen the garden lately? It is really big. We will have a lot to share with others. Hopefully, knowing that someone cared enough to plant and tend and share this produce with others will not only feed some stomachs, but also feel some souls.
Like different plants, we come in different shapes, sizes and colors. It would be very boring if our flower beds were all the same plant, in the same color all season long. Likewise, if all that was planted in the vegetable garden was zucchini, well, we know how that would go! Diversity is important!
And think about Jesus’s parable about the mustard seed, and how something so tiny can grow into a large tree that provides shade, and branches for birds to sit on. I am thankful that we have Marian and Joann to nurture our mustard seeds, because they will grow up so quickly. Even the tiniest are important.
Like different flowers, we might blossom at different times. Can you imagine if the crocuses blossomed and then that was it? Fortunately, they are followed by daffodils, then tulips, and so on. We shine at different times in our lives and it is important to give each person their time to blossom. We all have different gifts. In the garden, some shovel mulch, some lay landscape fabric and bricks, some plant flowers. At church we all have different gifts – some provide coffee hour, some sing in the choir or play the organ, some take care of our finances, I could go on. It works best when everyone does a task and works to their strengths. Then we can all blossom in our own time.
We all have different needs too. There are plants that grow well in bright sun and others that like the shade. Some plants need a lot of water, and others do better in dry conditions. Likewise, we have different needs, and it is important that we try to provide opportunities for all. For example, some people might like traditional hymns, and others might like singing newer hymns. Some people like the traditional Eucharist, and others might like when we use Prayer C, as we did in Lent. We’ve tried some different tunes for the sung parts of the services, too. Rebecca and our worship committee have changed things up, and this keeps us on our toes, as well as meeting the needs of different members.
Sometimes you get dirty. Yes, believe it or not, gardening isn’t all pretty flowers! On a hot day, you’re sweaty. On a windless day, you’re swatting at gnats. We wear old clothes so we don’t ruin our good ones. Sometimes as Christians we get dirty too. It can be very hands-on. We cook meals for the children at St. Barnabas. We clean at Linda House. We work in the garden. We load up cars and trucks and carry gifts at Christmas and school supplies in September to Join Hands.
Here’s the difficult part – weeding. First you have to know what to pull. Then you have to get it out of the ground. Sometimes it takes a while to eradicate a particular weed. This is like getting rid of bad habits that stand in the way of your faith… jealousy, gossiping, insincerity, bragging, belittling others, you get the idea. It is important to take a good look at ourselves every once in a while and weed our own garden.
So, if you see me in the churchyard, and I’ve got a faraway look on my face, I’m probably just thinking about God and faith.
And if you want to join me, we are going to work again on Wednesday after breakfast. Join us!
