JERUSALEM CROSS GARDENING...OF SOIL AND SOUL: January 2011

Friday, January 28, 2011

A Video Vision of Ministry at Leavenworth UMC

Lectionary Reading..................................Daily Reading

Late last year we had surprise visitors to our church. A filming crew from the Conference office arrived to capture on video what God might be doing amongst us United Methodists here in our beautiful valley.

Listen http://vimeo.com/pnwumc and guage for yourselves if the preacher got it right.

About Jerusalem Cross Gardening

In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

(James 1: 21. The Message)

Jerusalem Cross Gardening...of Soil and Soul

...of Soil (Pleasure)

Cilantro. Basil. Mint. Garlic. Planted in the four little crosses of my raised-bed in my potager garden, these herbs will add flavor to family dishes - think picante sauce, pesto and hummus - bringing taste and pleasure to our meals.

...and of Soul (Purpose)

But there is more. The same four little crosses reminds us of the four acts that deepen faith - acts of devotion, worship, compassion and justice - flavoring the pleasures of life with divine intention.

Just as the herbs flavor our meals, regular engagement of the four acts help flavor our witness to the way of Christ in the world, bringing purpose (Bread of Heaven) to pleasure (bread of the earth) and a holy spice to lives God uses to "landscape" the world.

Jerusalem-Cross-Gardening for Small Groups:

To spice up your life, consider joining a weekly small group. Meet regularly with friends for contemplation, reading scripture, and fellowship. Allow the Word to landscape your life. Share how you have "witnessed to Jesus Christ in the world through the acts of devotion, worship, compassion and justice under the guidance of the Holy Spirit" each week as a way of mutually encouraging one another in your spiritual walk.

We're all invited to the divine dance. Join the journey. Jerusalem-Cross-Gardening-of-soil-and-soul invites us onto the "Trinity-mapped" playground of God where Christ plays in creation (Father), history (Jesus) and community (Holy Spirit). (Eugene Peterson).