It is MARCH …. YAAAAAAAY! I can smell SPRING!!!
I know… I know… I am fully aware that we can still have snow in March (and April !).
After all, the enormous blizzard in 1888 was in March and it buried gardens of daffodils blooming in Central Park... BUT visions of flower seedlings dance in my head and my fingers are just itching to dig them into soil!
Dorothy Frances Gurney REALLY spoke the truth when she said:
“One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth…”
‘Tis so true! And whenever we plant and tend flowers or shrubs or veggies or trees, we become CO-CREATORS with God. St. Hildegard of Bingen (12th century Benedictine abbess medical practitioner/writer, composer, philosopher, mystic and visionary ) declared that it is not only our responsibility — but our CALLING to co-create with God.
As children of God, every one of us carries the seed of the DIVINE within ourselves — but what we DO with that seed is up to each of us. Remember the parable of the sower? The farmer (God) sowed the seed but where did it actually take root?
Answer: in the good soil ready to receive it…
God calls us to plant that seed of Godself — of Love — within the soil of our lives and to grow — in love ! To blossom — in love ! To flourish — in love!
TO BECOME LOVE…
As Meister Eckhart, another medieval theologian, philosopher and mystic noted :
“The seed of God is in US … the seed of a pear tree grows into a pear tree — and a hazel seed grows into a hazel tree — a seed of God grows into GOD.“
What does the soil of YOUR heart look like???
The words of Sunday’s choir anthem offer a heartfelt prayer for each of us… (no link this week — you are encouraged to come and hear it, or tune in on Facebook) Both the text and music were written by the Rev. Kathy Wonson Eddy, who for 36 years served the Bethany UCC congregation in Randolph, Vermont as pastor AND composer-in-residence.
“God, our gardener, till the soil of our hearts … plant the vine of Christ in us!
Tend our branches of Spirit, make us fruitful and strong,
Abiding in Your Love, may all we do and say flow from Your grace…
In the arbor of Your peace, shady canopy of leaves, we find rest.
In Your vineyard of new life, fragile tendrils curling up, we find Hope.
In the touch of the Gardener’s hands, scarred with suffering, marked with care, we find our healing.
In the garden of Your Love, growing daily in our hearts, we find courage to work for justice and peace…”
Creator of Life,
Awaken love within us.
Christ of Love,
Awaken love within us.
Creator of Life,
Awaken love within us.
Amen
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