It is almost November as I write this, and I have been thinking of seeds. In my garden, I usually sow seeds in the spring. But I know there are some plants, such as tulips, that are sown in the fall, so I guess that’s not such an odd thing to consider planting seeds in November. The seeds I’ve been thinking of are the seeds in Jesus’ parables and in Paul’s illustrations. Jesus talks a lot about seeds. There’s the mustard seed, that small seed that grows surprisingly into a big shrub. There are the seeds sown by the sower, some that fall into good soil, but many that do not. And there’s the words written by Paul in 1st Corinthians about seeds. Paul is speaking to the church about the different leaders who have helped that church to grow. It was not all Paul’s effort. It was not all Apollos’ work. He writes,
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Cor 3:5-7)
One plants, another waters, but only God gives the growth. It is a reminder that the church we are today is the result of many faithful workers over the years.
November is traditionally the time when we dedicate our pledges to the work of the church here in Edmonds for the coming year. We will do so in worship on November 18th this year. As I considered another year of faithfulness in this place, I was filled with gratitude.
Thank-you for planting seeds this year. We plant seeds when we give freely of our time, our talents, and our resources, not sure of what will happen. It’s like the sower scattering the seed. Some will fall on good soil, some will not. It’s an exercise in generosity. Others’ generosity provided us with this property, building, and ministry. They did not know in 1964 what ministry would happen here, but they trusted and planted. We continue to do the same.
Thank-you for watering seeds this year. Thank-you for your service in so many ways – your gifts of talent that we enjoy on Sunday morning, the gifts of baking that bless us following the service, the gifts of servanthood that make so much of what we do possible.
Thank-you for sharing your gifts of compassion, caring for our homebound and those in need. Thank-you for your prayers. Thank-you for your financial gifts that keep the doors open and the heat on. Thank-you for carrying the hope that there is a future for this congregation – and that hope is now bearing its own fruit.
Thank-you for reaping the harvest. This year we have begun preparing this place for new ministries of service and compassion. I am overjoyed that we are on our way to becoming a multi-use facility, with our worshiping congregation at the center of it all. There will be more details soon on what that will look like and the next steps we will need to take. Thanks to the generous bequest from Cindy Jacobson’s estate, we are able to take the time necessary to live into this new reality. The doors will stay open, our worship will continue to be spirit-filled, ministries of compassion will continue, and our lives will be enriched by the study and fellowship we share together in this place.
As you can tell by the many uses of the phrase “thank-you,” I am feeling very grateful to God for this congregation, for the discernment process we have undertaken, and for the future God has in mind for ministry in this place. Let’s continue to sow and water the seeds, and prepare for the new crop of blessings God has in store for us.
In Christ, Pastor Amy
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Cor 3:5-7)
One plants, another waters, but only God gives the growth. It is a reminder that the church we are today is the result of many faithful workers over the years.
November is traditionally the time when we dedicate our pledges to the work of the church here in Edmonds for the coming year. We will do so in worship on November 18th this year. As I considered another year of faithfulness in this place, I was filled with gratitude.
Thank-you for planting seeds this year. We plant seeds when we give freely of our time, our talents, and our resources, not sure of what will happen. It’s like the sower scattering the seed. Some will fall on good soil, some will not. It’s an exercise in generosity. Others’ generosity provided us with this property, building, and ministry. They did not know in 1964 what ministry would happen here, but they trusted and planted. We continue to do the same.
Thank-you for watering seeds this year. Thank-you for your service in so many ways – your gifts of talent that we enjoy on Sunday morning, the gifts of baking that bless us following the service, the gifts of servanthood that make so much of what we do possible.
Thank-you for sharing your gifts of compassion, caring for our homebound and those in need. Thank-you for your prayers. Thank-you for your financial gifts that keep the doors open and the heat on. Thank-you for carrying the hope that there is a future for this congregation – and that hope is now bearing its own fruit.
Thank-you for reaping the harvest. This year we have begun preparing this place for new ministries of service and compassion. I am overjoyed that we are on our way to becoming a multi-use facility, with our worshiping congregation at the center of it all. There will be more details soon on what that will look like and the next steps we will need to take. Thanks to the generous bequest from Cindy Jacobson’s estate, we are able to take the time necessary to live into this new reality. The doors will stay open, our worship will continue to be spirit-filled, ministries of compassion will continue, and our lives will be enriched by the study and fellowship we share together in this place.
As you can tell by the many uses of the phrase “thank-you,” I am feeling very grateful to God for this congregation, for the discernment process we have undertaken, and for the future God has in mind for ministry in this place. Let’s continue to sow and water the seeds, and prepare for the new crop of blessings God has in store for us.
In Christ, Pastor Amy
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