the good, the bad, and our patience and compassionate God

Good and bad seeds are thrown our way.  

Either and both will grow in our hearts if we let them in. 

The seeds that thrive are the ones to which we give most attention.  

Discerning weeds from wheat as they sprout up in our own hearts and become tangled in our own ways of being requires glasses of grace offered to us with patience and compassion by God’s Spirit.  

However, when any of us with haste presume to weed the larger field ourselves, there’s great risk of error from hubris and myopia.  

At the end of all our days, have faith that God will sort out the harvest justly, gathering what is good and throwing the waste to the fire. 

“Let anyone with ears listen!” 

[ref: Matt 13:24-30, 36-43 and RCL reading for Proper 11, Year A]

worms of grace for our godly composting

[ref. Revised Common Lectionary readings for Proper 10, Year A]

e-i-e-i-ohhh... it’s good and godly wise to offer seeds of the Good News widely, 

even seemingly wastefully with faithful flings, 

even upon ground that appears to be infertile or hostile to new life. 

We hope and trust that, through God’s Spirit, some will take hold in fertile soil (perhaps unseen) and yield fruit abundantly (even after we’ve moved on to other mission fields).  

It’s also good and godly wise to be mindful of the rocky roads and thorny thickets of in our own hearts, and occasionally til our own soil, asking for God’s help and worms of grace to make creative use of inevitable natural crap and other compost to better prepare our soulful selves for the acceptance, cultivation, and sharing of Christ-like love. 

liberty for all

Following fireworks and leisure of a day on which we celebrate independence and freedoms (and hopefully remember the sacrifices made in faithful and hopeful pursuit of our liberty).... 

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). 

Jesus never says his way is meant to be a cake walk or that it’s not costly.  

And, when it’s less about continuing to carry the illusion of being capable of doing it all on your own as well as the intellectual hubris and idolatry of having to be right, 

and instead more about surrendering to wisdom and support through community of right relationships with God and neighbor; 

while there’s still labor for us, 

it’s not as complicated, heavy, and seeming hopeless as it’s too often presented and believed to be... 

and liberation and peace become affordable for all.