Whatever grows will grow,
Whatever dies will die
Whatever works will work
Whatever flies will fly,
Whatever fails will fail
What’s meant to soar will soar,
I am planting seeds nothing more.
(from Planting Seeds, lyrics by Daniel Nahmud)
When I was thinking and researching this topic of seed planting I learned two things: my job is only to plant seeds, and it matters how the seeds are planted. I know this sounds really simple, and it actually is. So simple and yet I almost missed it. Somehow in all my lessons about what it means to be a disciple, I missed the main point that Paul so clearly says to the people of Corinth: “My job was to plant the seed, and Apollos was called to water it. Any growth comes from God…” (1 Corinthians 3:6, The Voice). That’s right. My job is only to plant the seeds. How someone turns out or the fruits of that seed planting is God’s work.
I’ve thought a lot about the seeds planted in my life. My favorite story of this seed planting was the first time I went to camp. It was a Camp Fire Girls camp – Camp Wilaha – in Idaho Springs, Colorado. I was ten, awkward, painfully shy, and I didn’t know anyone. When I entered the cabin I would live in for the week, my counselor came up and introduced herself as: “I’m Miss Kathy.” What I thought she said was: “I missed Cathy.” This counselor, unbeknownst to her in her simple act of welcoming, had just planted a seed. Who but God could have known how deeply engaged I would become in camps – a place where an awkward and painfully shy girl can be and belong?
I am constantly reminded that discipleship is a partnership. Miss Kathy’s job was to plant the seed. How I turned out in the end was God’s work. As God’s people we plant seeds too. Every time we invite someone to attend worship or a church event we are planting seeds. Every time we listen deeply and compassionately to someone in need we are planting seeds. Every time we prepare a meal for the hungry we are planting seeds. Every time we read a book to a child we are planting seeds. We may never know the results of all this seed planting. Instead we must simply trust that our seed planting is not wasted – that God is at work.
The other part of the message is that it matters how the seed is planted. Mark 4:8 says says “…and the rest of the seeds fell in good, rich soil. When they sprouted, the plants grew and produced a crop 30, 60, even 100 times larger than expected for every seed that the farmer had sown.” Seeds planted in good, rich soil will grow strong and the harvest will be plentiful. If we take great care in preparing the soil, then the seeds we plant will yield good fruit! I think we prepare the soil with love and kindness and patience and compassion and generosity and openness and trust and integrity and honor and gratitude and forgiveness.
Recently, I came to understand the role my father had in my spiritual life. He was a florist and not a religious man. In fact, I do not know what he believed or even if he believed. But he loved beautiful things. We would spend quiet time lying on the terrace in our front yard gazing at the clouds or the stars. It was mostly a time of silence – occasionally commenting on something we saw. My father gave of his precious time, his quiet countenance, and his love of beauty for God’s creation. Rich soil, indeed! Look how the seeds have grown! How about you? How do you enrich the soil of each and every person you encounter in your daily life? How do you enrich the soil at Tumwater UMC so that every person who enters its doors feels loved and honored and receives the seeds of God’s grace?
Our job is to enrich the soil and plant the seeds. God takes it from there. I’d say this is a fair partnership.