Reading of the Day: Colossians 1:5-6
“You have heard of this hope before in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit 10E3 among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.”
As many of you know, I am not much of a gardener – except in my wildest dreams. Yet, when I think of my life here at Gloria Dei, somehow it is the image of planting and sowing seeds that often comes to me, for I have learned from the members of this faith community what it means to have patience in the growing season and to trust in a harvest that is filled with promise.
The privilege of serving the same congregation for more than 20 years has grown my faith, to be sure. Having participated in countless baptisms and funerals, I have learned over and over again the value of grounding all that we are in God’s great promise of grace. On Sunday mornings, I have watched little ones reach up to the font, reminding all of us of our thirst for that life-giving water. In that same place, as we celebrate the end of a life, I have seen hope grow out of despair watered by the promise of God’s grace.
Indeed, we are grounded in that grace… and we see signs of it at work in and among us all the time. In our ministries that reach out beyond our own doors and challenge us to be outspoken on behalf of others who live in the margins of life, I have seen the harvest of compassion and care. In our worship and in our learning, we taste the abundance of the gifts and B3D talents that add to the richness of our life together. In the gathering places of our building and in our communities, we grow a life of friendship, and we build a family of trust. Surely the seeds of God’s great love are continually growing this garden.
I thank God that in this community we call the church, I have been able to see the Great Gardener at work – planting, growing, waiting, and harvesting. In that never-ending cycle, patience and care, sacrifice and strength, vision and love become the hallmarks of a life together. Grounded in grace, we are growing in God’s garden!
PRAYER: God of life, ground us in your grace. Wash us in your promise. Grow in us the seeds of your compassion and love. Make of us your people, O God, and send us out to serve in your name. All this we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Susan Peterson