Saturday, April 2, 2011

Gardening and parables teach me about sabbath

Garden’s are wonderful examples of God’s work – at work – when we’re not working.

Garden’s are wonderful examples that even when we “stop” from work – from our ceasing – God’s work in Creation continues toward making life fruitful and full.
In a parable of Jesus in Mark's Gospel, Jesus relates the following - which I have chosen to render in "my own translation" simply for consideration and pause - adding periods to slow down our reading:

It is also like this with the Kingdom.

A man scatters seed.

On the earth.

Night.

Day.

He sleeps.

He wakes.

The seed sprouts.

The seed grows.

He does not know how.

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 harvests.

The harvest has come.


One of the things I value about this parable, and the lessons I am learning as I sabbath, has to do with how unimportant I am in "creating" it and "making" "it" happen.

The good of the garden happens mostly -

- without me.

It grows of its own.

I scatter, but I can not make it grow.

In the meantime, I’ll sabbath.

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