I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it. But God is the One who made it grow. So the one who plants is not important, and the one who waters is not important. Only God, who makes things grow, is important. The one who plants and the one who waters have the same purpose, and each will be rewarded for his own work. We are God’s workers, working together; you are like God’s farm, God’s house. - 1 Corinthians 3:6-9
It’s spring. Which is noticeable because of all the rain we have been provided with recently. Spring is a time to think about growth. We learned early on the proverb “spring showers bring May flowers. This May 19th we are celebrating the 65th anniversary of St. Mark’s. It is an opportunity to recognize all that God has done in the growth period of these 65 years but also an opportunity to see the future growth that God will work in the lives of the people of St. Mark’s. Paul reminds us that the greatest aspect of growth is not who gets the credit but who is responsible for the growth: God.
Yet every good gardner, every good farmer and every good landscaper will tell you that the thing about growth is that it is not a hands off approach. In other words, lots of people are involved in the life of lawns, gardens and farms. And we are God’s workers, working together. We get to participate in the growth that God brings. In the times we open Scripture and grow the depth of our faith; we are participating in God’s growth in our lives. When we reach out to a broken world with the promise of healing; we are participating in God’s growth in life of the world. When we respond to tragedy and despair with hope; we are participating in God’s growth in desolate places. As good stewards of what God has given us we are responsible for participating in it. That’s the thing about growth we cannot simply place the burden on God to make it grow without doing our part. And that may leave us with an open question to ponder as we celebrate the past growth and look at opportunities for future growth: How am I participating in God’s growth? Will I be a planter, a waterer, a tiller, a harvester, a landscaper, a farmer, or a gardner? No matter what, the thing about growth is that we trust and pray that God will make it grow for another 65 years. -Pastor Andy
It’s spring. Which is noticeable because of all the rain we have been provided with recently. Spring is a time to think about growth. We learned early on the proverb “spring showers bring May flowers. This May 19th we are celebrating the 65th anniversary of St. Mark’s. It is an opportunity to recognize all that God has done in the growth period of these 65 years but also an opportunity to see the future growth that God will work in the lives of the people of St. Mark’s. Paul reminds us that the greatest aspect of growth is not who gets the credit but who is responsible for the growth: God.
Yet every good gardner, every good farmer and every good landscaper will tell you that the thing about growth is that it is not a hands off approach. In other words, lots of people are involved in the life of lawns, gardens and farms. And we are God’s workers, working together. We get to participate in the growth that God brings. In the times we open Scripture and grow the depth of our faith; we are participating in God’s growth in our lives. When we reach out to a broken world with the promise of healing; we are participating in God’s growth in life of the world. When we respond to tragedy and despair with hope; we are participating in God’s growth in desolate places. As good stewards of what God has given us we are responsible for participating in it. That’s the thing about growth we cannot simply place the burden on God to make it grow without doing our part. And that may leave us with an open question to ponder as we celebrate the past growth and look at opportunities for future growth: How am I participating in God’s growth? Will I be a planter, a waterer, a tiller, a harvester, a landscaper, a farmer, or a gardner? No matter what, the thing about growth is that we trust and pray that God will make it grow for another 65 years. -Pastor Andy
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