A few years ago, I was talking with a pastor and wanted him to understand the organic nature of the Church. I asked him,
“If you had a plot of land and wanted to grow a crop of corn on it, what would you do?”
He said, “Well, I would till the land and remove the weeds and rocks.”
I said, “Good, then what?”
“I would add fertilizer if it was needed and make sure it got lots of good sunshine and water.”
“Good; what else?”
“Well, I guess I would take out any weeds that grow up and chase away any pests that try to eat the crop.”
“Fine,” I said. “Anything else?”
He said, “I would reap a harvest.”
I looked at him with a puzzled look and remarked, “All you would have is a pile of wet dirt!”
He had a quizzical expression on his face as his words were rewinding and replaying in his mind. Then, suddenly, a look of “Ah ha!” came over him, and he added,
“Oh, and I would plant seeds.”
Though we long for fresh fruit, many of our efforts at growing it leave us with nothing but mud because we have failed to plant the seed that brings life. It does not matter how good you are at fertilizing, watering, cultivating, and harvesting. If you do not plant the seed, you will never have a harvest-never. The farmer who skips this stage is a hungry fool on welfare.
Neil Cole. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens (Kindle Locations 892-901).
“Now the parable is this. The seed is the word of God.”
— Jesus in Luke 8:11