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Nurturing Soil & Soul: MCC Kids in the Garden |
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Lesson 2: The Seed and the Sower Growing Point: Garden lessons in the Bible Soul Water: Nurturing your soul through prayer Earth Explorations: Nurturing Connections to the Soil Seeds for Thought: Additional Resources to Nurture Soil & Soul Garden lessons in the Bible A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it cam up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. -Matthew 13: 3-8 The Message In the garden, we are careful about where and how we plant our seeds. Each seed prefers different conditions – type of soil, how deep to be planted, how much water, how much sun, how warm the soil needs to be. When we provide the seeds in our garden with the conditions they like, then they grow well and provide a good harvest. If, on the other hand, we plant seeds in clay when they prefer sand, or we plant them in shade when they prefer sun, or we water them too little or far too much, the seeds either will not germinate at all, or at best they will struggle to survive. So, as gardeners, we add compost to the soil so the seeds have lots of food to eat; we walk only on the garden paths so the soil does not get too compacted; we water the garden if it does not rain enough each week; and we weed the garden so the plants we really want to grow don’t have to share any water or nutrients with the weeds. The Parable of the Sower, found in Matthew 13, tells this same story. Jesus points out that birds will come eat seeds that fall on the path, that seeds will get scorched by the sun where there is too little soil, and that seeds will get choked out that fall amongst the thorns (weeds). Jesus then points out that it is the seeds that fall on good soil that will thrive and produce grain. In Jesus’ story he talks about seeds, but he is really talking about people. We are each like a seed and depending on the environment we have around us (food, shelter, love, education, faith) we will be happy and healthy to a greater or lesser degree. Many of Jesus’ stories are not explained at all in the Bible, but Jesus does explain the Parable of the Seed and the Sower in Matthew 13: 18-23 (The Message): “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. “The seed cast in the gravel – this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” At MCC, we strive to have each person firmly rooted in good soil. We offer opportunities, such as Nurturing Soil & Soul: MCC Kids in the Garden, for you to nurture yourself, your faith, and the earth. It is our hope that you will not only hear the news, but you will understand it and incorporate it into your very being, and produce a harvest beyond your wildest dreams. back to top of Lesson 2: The Seed and the Sower
Nurturing your soul through prayer still coming... back to top of Lesson 2: The Seed and the Sower
Nurturing Connections to the Soil still coming... back to top of Lesson 2: The Seed and the Sower
Additional Resources to Nurture Soil & Soul still coming... back to top of Lesson 2: The Seed and the Sower
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Madison Christian Community • 7118 Old Sauk Road • Madison, WI 53717-1099 • Phone: 608-836-1455 |
