Lessons from the Garden

Our house has professional landscaping. The previous owners had three small children, so the flower gardens were pretty neglected. I got out last Thursday with my cotton gardening gloves and tore out miles of crab grass and other weeds. Since the black mulch had not been "added to" in the four years the house has been here, only the thickest chunks remained as mulch, the rest had decomposed into a very rich looking top soil. The crab grass was really going crazy with all of the rain we've had this spring. After an hour of working in the garden, the black mulch/soil and moisture soaked through to my skin so the gloves came off. (I still have stains on my right hand 8 days later, but they get a little lighter every day). Wednesday we purchased herbs and more mulch to fill in the bare spots but it rained and stormed most of today; I'll get out and plant and mulch tomorrow, weather permitting.

As I was laboring in the initial assault on the weeds (four hours) it occurred to me that the church is very much like a garden. A little crabgrass, if left unattended, can take over a garden. It can choke out the good (plants) and create all kinds of problems. Hmmm, I've known people like that...But, lest I become to judgemental, my hands are stained...Hmmm, sins of commission and omission...

We bow our Hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes from evil things
And Oh Lord we cast out our idols

So give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Give us clean hands
Give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
And oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob
And oh God let us be
A generation that seeks
Seeks your face
Oh God of Jacob