Grace United Methodist Church Sermon

“Life Grows On”

Sermon Transcript for June 27, 2009

Pastor Jenothy Rather

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts bring you honor and glory, O Lord, as we seek the wisdom and guidance of your Holy Spirit.

When I was asked to take care of the preaching this weekend so that Andy and Bob could attend this year’s highly anticipated, much talked about, could hardly wait to get there, annual conference… I thought about all the things I could say, wanted to say, or hoped I could say. I thought about sharing numbers and percentages of how the children’s ministry has grown and more and more children and families are being impacted and connected through the ministries of Grace. I thought about what it was I could share meaningful and make an impact. I thought, “here’s my chance, you know make it good.” Yet, all I kept coming back to was this: trees and, “life grows on.” After several more attempts at finding something a bit more intriguing, or something with a bit more of a “wow” factor, I gave up and figured maybe God was trying to tell me to tell you to tell me something!
Sooo, let’s start with trees. Growing up, I used to love trees! My grandparent’s place had a HUGE, oldest in the county, cotton wood tree and grandpa built us kids a mansion of a tree house... well, actually it was just a single platform made of two by fours, but it was our castle to defend, our ship to sail, and our fortress to protect and hide in! I loved trees growing up. Since my first move to Indiana however, I began to hate trees! Now, I have what you might call a “love- hate” relationship with trees. I love their stoic beauty, majestic strength and powerful symbolism. I hate their pollen and the way it torments my allergies every spring and fall! I love the way a grove of aspen can ignite the mountain side with color in the fall, or the way they sound as a cooling autumn winds tickle their leaves. And I love the way a forest of pines seem to dance w/one another as the wind sings to them. I hate getting gooey sticky sap on my tent & hiking gear, even my car if I park under one. I love to sit in the shade of a massive oak and let the world go by, or lose my thoughts in the smell and sight of a magnolia tree! I hate, the closterphobic, “someone is watching”, “I can’t see beyond the next tree”, feeling I get when the foliage surrounds me! My husband and father in law give me a hard time because I am convinced I have seen where the “boogy man” lives, and it is in some of the darkest, most dense, trees and foliage filled forests of Indiana!

Why do I tell you all this? Well, we have a new logo for Grace Church, and what is the dominant feature of that logo? A tree! I’ve been thinking about all the different ideas, symbolism, stories, images and illustrations there are when it comes to trees. And one story stands out above the rest. It is the story of a little boy and his relationship to a tree. It’s called The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. The story is about a boy and tree and how they grow up together and the tree gives everything it can to the boy through their life – everything; a place to play, shade to rest in, fruit to eat, a place to hide, and ultimately, it’s very wood to build a house for the boy.

Now you may be wondering how the story that ends with an old man sitting on a tree stump has to do with life, growth, or celebrating our children, but what I want to tell you is that the story doesn’t end there! It doesn’t end because of what lies beneath the tree; because of the spirit of giving illustrated by the tree. The tree loved the boy so much it never stopped giving. Even when the boy returns as an old man simply needed a place to sit and rest.

Today, I want to challenge us to think about how this church has been and is like The Giving Tree. That combined with our scripture passages, remind us of the importance of what the church was meant to be and what we, as children of God, are called to be. One can’t do it without the other. In other words, the church can’t be the church if it’s people are not being the children of God they are meant to be and the children on God can’t be who they are meant to be if the church isn’t what it’s supposed to be! Follow?!

Did you know a tree is as big above the ground as it is below the ground?! Anyone who has tried to pull a stump knows how deep, how strong and how spread out the roots of that tree might go!

Think a moment about the roots of this church; those people who got it all started. You know them better than I do. Think about how they buried their faith deep in the soil of God; what they believed in, what they stood for, and what they accomplished. Without our roots, where would we be? How would we grow? And from those roots, shoots and runners go off in different directions to do what? To start new trees! Pretty soon one pops up over here and then over there in the garden and the neighbor’s yard and even across the street. How many ministries, missions, shelters, food pantries, schools, people and communities have been touched by the roots of this church?

The roots are vital to a tree, and give life to the next phase of growth, the trunk. The trunk is the strong, solid mass that gives the tree its support and stability. It is what keeps us standing tall and protected from harsh winds or stormy weather. Who are those people of this church that have been its trunk; those people who have given countless hours, effort, and money, to see to it, that what the roots started can continue to grow? Those people we know we can count on to serve, pray, volunteer, and give in whatever capacity they can in order that what comes next will honor God; will meet a need, and will create opportunities for growth.

That growth, comes as the branches; those people, efforts and ministries that reach out, above and beyond what the roots and the trunk can reach. The activities, events, and special occasions, that draw people in, help people feel connected, and provide shade / shelter / and encouragement to someone in need. Here is where I want to lift up and celebrate the children in and around our church. The way I see it, the children are the ones hanging, swinging, playing, and climbing all over and around the branches! They are the laughter, the joy, the new life of the tree. Yes, sometimes the noise and frustration, but life and joy none the less! When you walk through the park, or drive down the road and see an amazing tree, what is it you see first? The leaves and branches – that canopy of life, growth, color and beauty!

Now, maybe it’s because I didn’t grow up here, in the Midwest where you have 100’s of varieties of trees, that trees stand out to me so much. Maybe it’s because I wasn’t raised in this church, I didn’t even grow up Methodist, that I can see the good work and healing of what you have and where you are going; where we are going. Maybe it’s because I’ve lived here just over a year – and that year has been one of growth and soul searching. Or maybe it’s because all of us have a place in and on the tree – in and on God – in the church. Whatever it is, it is my prayer that through this illustration of a tree, that you, and you, and you… from the children, youth, and young adults, to those that are married and those that are not, from the sr. adults and retired ministers / missionaries to the church staff and pastors – that all y’all, will see the depth, strength and beauty of God’s church. Not in a vain, selfish, or egotistical way, but in a way that honors God and inspires you to keep going; a way that energizes the roots keep rooting, encourages the trunks keep trunking; and equips the branches, to keep branching; Because ultimately, from root to leaf, we need and feed each other, and we never know where, how, why, or when God is going to use who we are and what we have to touch the life of someone else; Maybe it will be a child at Webb school or a toddler in our preschool program, a single parent seeking a place to belong and feel supported, a retired person needing to be needed again, a young person trying to make sense out of their chaotic and emotional world, a husband longing for forgiveness, a son or a daughter seeking reconciliation, a parent hoping for strength and a few answers to keep going, a senior adult simply wanting a place to sit down and feel at peace. Maybe even some American Baptist Pastor from Wyoming! We are all connected. We all keep the tree strong and growing.

I’d like to close with a brief slide show that captures and celebrates the top of our tree here at Franklin Grace United Methodist Church, but please remember, if it weren’t for our roots and our trunk, we would not have our branches and leaves. Praise be to God. Start slideshow!

Amen, or should I say, “whohoo!”