How does one know for sure that they have "found their niche" in life? Well, I think I have found one good way for determining that. Yesterday, when I got home from work I did what I usually do. I took off my shoes and went out into the garden to continue working at what I enjoy working at! But no sooner had I stepped out of the door than I felt a sharp stinging sensation on one of my toes. Knowing I had probably stepped on a bee feeding on one of the many clovers now in bloom I quickly shook it off. But I could feel the intensity of the sting was not abating so I took a look at that toe and sure enough, there was the bee stinger still stuck in my toe. Removing it alleviated the pain just slightly and, from past similar experiences I wasn't too concerned because I don't have any allergic reactions to insect stings. I debated whether to go inside and put some baking soda on it (one home remedy) but instead tried another remedy I'd heard of. Plucking the leaf of a plantain plant, which are as common as dandelions in most places, I chewed on it and stuck the wad of chewed plantain between the affected toe and its neighbor. The pain continued for about another 5-10 minutes, but then it quit altogether. One of my sons wasn't convinced that the plantain did the trick. He said his bee sting bites have felt better in that length of time anyway . . .
Anyway, I decided I needed to weed a part of the garden where the weeds were doing especially well (which I haven't minded up until now because those weeds included dandelion, plantain, lambsquarter and violets, all of which are quite edible and which I have been putting into our "green smoothies" every day). I was aware that part of the weed mix included a few stinging nettles but didn't think there were enough of them to bother getting gloves. So I proceeded to weed those nettles along with the other weeds, and sure enough, I felt the effects of those nettles on some of my fingers. But it wasn't that bad, certainly not as bad as the bee sting. Now the mosquitos, which also love lush vegetation, were a bit of a nuisance but I decided I'd put up with them in order to get the job done. I despise mosquito repellants almost more than the mosquitos and I've observed that as the spring and summer wears on my body must develop some sort of its own repellant because mosquitos bother me less and less. So I'll put up with their bites now and let nature take its course. I'm blessed to not have much of a reaction to mosquito bites, unlike others who can get good-sized welts from their bites.
Long story short, after sweating it out in the late afternoon sun and high humidity, fighting mosquitos, putting up with stinging nettle skin irritation and a bee sting, I could still report at suppertime that I had an enjoyable time in the garden. My oldest son's response was, "That's how you know what you're supposed to be doing with your life!" And I heartedly concurred. I knew I had truly found my niche.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
barefoot holiness II
The following is an excerpt from Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem, Aurora Leigh.
And truly, I reiterate, . . nothing's small!
No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee,
But finds some coupling with the spinning stars;
No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere;
No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim:
And,–glancing on my own thin, veined wrist,–
In such a little tremour of the blood
The whole strong clamour of a vehement soul
Doth utter itself distinct. Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude.
Bk. VII, l. 812-826
And truly, I reiterate, . . nothing's small!
No lily-muffled hum of a summer-bee,
But finds some coupling with the spinning stars;
No pebble at your foot, but proves a sphere;
No chaffinch, but implies the cherubim:
And,–glancing on my own thin, veined wrist,–
In such a little tremour of the blood
The whole strong clamour of a vehement soul
Doth utter itself distinct. Earth's crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God:
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,
The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,
And daub their natural faces unaware
More and more, from the first similitude.
Bk. VII, l. 812-826
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
barefoot holiness
Have you ever wondered why God told Moses at the burning bush that he needed to take off his sandals? The reason given was that he was on holy ground. But what does that mean? I haven't read commentaries on this but I do have some thoughts that have come to me since I have taken to gardening . . . barefoot.
One of the first clues I got that God and going barefoot might somehow be related was hearing from someone I highly respected who once commented that God told him that he needed to spend more time off of the concrete (that covers our metropolitan areas) in order to walk on the earth itself. While no mention was made of going barefoot, I put this together with the advice of another spiritual leader I respect who often travels overseas. He claims that if you take off your shoes and spend some time making skin to earth contact (what he actually suggested was to rub your bare feet around in the sand if you are near a beach) it will help to relieve jet lag. Both these comments suggest that the earth, the ground itself, has something to offer us in terms of our health or well-being. I wasn't really thinking about all this when I decided to go barefoot outside more, especially while working in the garden. It was primarily intuitive on my part - it somehow just felt better (once I got over the tenderfoot syndrome). But my anecdotal evidence for the virtue of going barefoot is based on more than just feelings. I've noticed that of my two persistent planters warts, one has completely disappeared and the other has been diminishing in size. Also, the toenail of my little toe on my left foot which has a fungus growing under it is showing signs of recovery as well. Where there used to be a solid mass under the nail, now that mass is like a honeycomb, as if the mass is beginning to dissolve! It looks like the time I tried to kill the fungus by soaking my foot in a vinegar solution. That did the trick too, but the fungus came right back when I quit the treatments. Now the fungus is on the retreat without my having to give it a second thought. All I have to do is to enjoy going barefoot!
We know that the earth was (and continues to be) definitely affected by mankind's sin. It does not produce fruit and vegetables as easily and effortlessly as it apparently did before the Fall. Nevertheless, the Scriptures say some remarkable things about the land. "If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev. 18:28). Sounds like the land prefers holiness or righteousness over sin and evil! Even more amazing is that well known cry of the seraphim, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3)! As affected as the earth is by our sin it seems to have a capacity that we humans don't possess to contain God's glory. Not that we also can't become vehicles or containers for God's glory, but our propensities lie in the opposite direction (toward sin), while the earth or the land seems to more naturally lend itself to the glory of God.
The land, the ground we walk on, speaks to me of humility. To be humble is to always bear in mind that we are but dust. Pride is wanting to shake off the dust, to elevate oneself above and away from the dirt. Yet we are told that "the high and lofty One . . .who lives forever, whose name is holy" chooses to draw close, and live with, "him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15). This is what I call one of those "oxymoronic realities" of life. Two opposite realities that would not appear to fit together somehow coming together and being united. I've heard preachers talk about the "upside-down kingdom", how the way up to God is by going down (humbling oneself and taking up ones' cross). But the lost part of that message is that living closer to the earth (one example being, going barefoot whenever possible) is a very tangible and God-pleasing way to "walk humbly with your God." It may be uncomfortable at first - and yes, there are even dangers involved - but the longer you try it and stick with it you will discover that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Drawing closer to God is never an easy or painless process. But I'm convinced that the land has a vital role to play in that process, however you choose to connect with it (there are other ways to do this than by going barefoot :-). I freely admit we all have different callings and we aren't all called to live with dirt under our nails. But it sure doesn't hurt and I'm discovering it can actually help.
Increase your awareness - go barefoot!
One of the first clues I got that God and going barefoot might somehow be related was hearing from someone I highly respected who once commented that God told him that he needed to spend more time off of the concrete (that covers our metropolitan areas) in order to walk on the earth itself. While no mention was made of going barefoot, I put this together with the advice of another spiritual leader I respect who often travels overseas. He claims that if you take off your shoes and spend some time making skin to earth contact (what he actually suggested was to rub your bare feet around in the sand if you are near a beach) it will help to relieve jet lag. Both these comments suggest that the earth, the ground itself, has something to offer us in terms of our health or well-being. I wasn't really thinking about all this when I decided to go barefoot outside more, especially while working in the garden. It was primarily intuitive on my part - it somehow just felt better (once I got over the tenderfoot syndrome). But my anecdotal evidence for the virtue of going barefoot is based on more than just feelings. I've noticed that of my two persistent planters warts, one has completely disappeared and the other has been diminishing in size. Also, the toenail of my little toe on my left foot which has a fungus growing under it is showing signs of recovery as well. Where there used to be a solid mass under the nail, now that mass is like a honeycomb, as if the mass is beginning to dissolve! It looks like the time I tried to kill the fungus by soaking my foot in a vinegar solution. That did the trick too, but the fungus came right back when I quit the treatments. Now the fungus is on the retreat without my having to give it a second thought. All I have to do is to enjoy going barefoot!
We know that the earth was (and continues to be) definitely affected by mankind's sin. It does not produce fruit and vegetables as easily and effortlessly as it apparently did before the Fall. Nevertheless, the Scriptures say some remarkable things about the land. "If you defile the land, it will vomit you out as it vomited out the nations that were before you" (Lev. 18:28). Sounds like the land prefers holiness or righteousness over sin and evil! Even more amazing is that well known cry of the seraphim, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory" (Isaiah 6:3)! As affected as the earth is by our sin it seems to have a capacity that we humans don't possess to contain God's glory. Not that we also can't become vehicles or containers for God's glory, but our propensities lie in the opposite direction (toward sin), while the earth or the land seems to more naturally lend itself to the glory of God.
The land, the ground we walk on, speaks to me of humility. To be humble is to always bear in mind that we are but dust. Pride is wanting to shake off the dust, to elevate oneself above and away from the dirt. Yet we are told that "the high and lofty One . . .who lives forever, whose name is holy" chooses to draw close, and live with, "him who is contrite and lowly in spirit." (Isaiah 57:15). This is what I call one of those "oxymoronic realities" of life. Two opposite realities that would not appear to fit together somehow coming together and being united. I've heard preachers talk about the "upside-down kingdom", how the way up to God is by going down (humbling oneself and taking up ones' cross). But the lost part of that message is that living closer to the earth (one example being, going barefoot whenever possible) is a very tangible and God-pleasing way to "walk humbly with your God." It may be uncomfortable at first - and yes, there are even dangers involved - but the longer you try it and stick with it you will discover that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Drawing closer to God is never an easy or painless process. But I'm convinced that the land has a vital role to play in that process, however you choose to connect with it (there are other ways to do this than by going barefoot :-). I freely admit we all have different callings and we aren't all called to live with dirt under our nails. But it sure doesn't hurt and I'm discovering it can actually help.
Increase your awareness - go barefoot!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
a great privilege
Recently, as I was eagerly beginning to work again in the garden after the long, cold winter, I felt overwhelmed by the privilege of being married to a farmer's daughter. To be able to live on acres of land and to contribute to being a caretaker and "husband" of the land is truly a special honor that I don't take lightly and am learning to treasure more and more. My upbringing, which was typical of many American upbringings, saw gardening as a nice hobby with healthy side benefits. But with God's help I have come to see that working with the land is vastly more than a mere hobby or healthy past-time. In the Scriptures, the garden is not just the beginning point in God's relationship with man; throughout the Bible, references are made to Israel being a "vineyard", or God's people "the garden of His delight." It is a place of intimacy, where Jesus himself is called "the vine" and his father is the "vinedresser", and we are the "branches". The Bible ends with references to a tree (or trees) on both sides of the river that is flowing from the throne of God, which bears fruit continually and whose leaves provide healing for the nations. I believe these are more than just metaphors, but are representations of what actually will one day be a tangible reality. God created us as physical beings who are meant to partake of heaven and earth simultaneously. Our destiny is not heaven, but rather a "new earth" where the physical dimension will continue, only in a greater and more enhanced form.
So what's my point? I feel like a wealthy, incredibly blessed person to be able to live on a farm with acres and acres of land to manage. Only the enemy of our souls could invent a lie that says working with the soil is a dirty profession without any real dignity, best reserved for the lower classes. In my book, nothing could be further from the truth. The bulk of the greatest saints in Scripture lived very close to the earth. They were people who loved doing "dirty" things like tediously planting vineyards, helping a ewe out with a difficult birth, etc., etc. It was the exception, not the rule, for an occasional saint to be in what we would today call "white collar" work. But even those few "white collar" saints would have gotten those collars dirty because it was common for priests or scribes to still have their own garden and grow most of their own food.
It wasn't too terribly long ago when most Americans grew a lot of their own food too - at least those who lived in rural area. But nowadays it is an increasingly rare sight, even in the country, to see a large portion of people's yards devoted to raising food or growing herbs and flowers. Growing money has replaced growing gardens. This is a tragedy on so many levels, not the least of which, is our very relationship with God. Man invented making money, but only God could invent gardening. I would encourage you to rediscover - and keep rediscovering - our Creator's creation.
So what's my point? I feel like a wealthy, incredibly blessed person to be able to live on a farm with acres and acres of land to manage. Only the enemy of our souls could invent a lie that says working with the soil is a dirty profession without any real dignity, best reserved for the lower classes. In my book, nothing could be further from the truth. The bulk of the greatest saints in Scripture lived very close to the earth. They were people who loved doing "dirty" things like tediously planting vineyards, helping a ewe out with a difficult birth, etc., etc. It was the exception, not the rule, for an occasional saint to be in what we would today call "white collar" work. But even those few "white collar" saints would have gotten those collars dirty because it was common for priests or scribes to still have their own garden and grow most of their own food.
It wasn't too terribly long ago when most Americans grew a lot of their own food too - at least those who lived in rural area. But nowadays it is an increasingly rare sight, even in the country, to see a large portion of people's yards devoted to raising food or growing herbs and flowers. Growing money has replaced growing gardens. This is a tragedy on so many levels, not the least of which, is our very relationship with God. Man invented making money, but only God could invent gardening. I would encourage you to rediscover - and keep rediscovering - our Creator's creation.
Monday, February 22, 2010
the next step
So, here we are, back in a rural setting - now what do we do? How do we begin to move forward and carry out this vision of combining the spiritual (our relationship with God) with the physical (relating to this earth in a more intentional and harmonious manner)? For Becky the answer to this question is very clear - "Build me a house!" Her mother's house that we are presently living in is on the small side and it is (and alway will be) after all, her mother's. As Becky's husband I have had to face up to my responsibility to give Becky a home that she will truly feel is hers. So I have accepted this challenge and together we are making plans. Originally Becky wanted a "cob" house (an earthen - clay, sand and straw - structure whose popularity is making a comeback in certain circles). My son Emlyn and I took a class to learn how to build a cob house several years ago. But one thing I learned at that class was that a cob structure requires an incredible amount of manual labor, so it would be very difficult to build the size of house we want out of cob. So, we switched gears and began to plan on making a straw bale house. These structures don't have the long history behind them that cob does, but they are still considered an excellent way to build a very well insulated home with natural, inexpensive materials. But then, within just the past couple of weeks, our thinking shifted again. Now we are seriously contemplating the remodeling of an old barn that seems to have a structurally sound foundation, framework and roof already in place. Once we get a professional assessment as to the actual soundness of this idea we should finally be in a position to roll up our sleeves and actually get to work. The barn idea gets us excited because we would end up with much more space than if we were to build from scratch. Also, we can still incorporate straw bale (and even some cob) into this structure, which is really important for Becky who wants the feel (if not appearance) of an old world, Alsatian, home.
Some of our children have asked, "Why do you need such a big house?" Besides just wanting to have a place that could hold all our family when they come to visit, we also envision our home being a place of hospitality, a place of refuge. When our vision was in its infancy we had begun searching for land to buy where we could begin "fleshing out" this dream. It was a frustrating search because our lack of funds was very limiting in what we could realistically consider. But at the same time we wanted to exercise faith to do what William Carey (pioneering missionary) advocated: "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." I do believe there is such a thing as a spirit of poverty that can control us with the thought, "Can I afford it?" But the
right question is, "What is God wanting us to do?" Once God's will or purposes for us are ascertained it then becomes a matter of faith to move forward and engage in the (yes, often frightening) adventure of seeing how He will enable what He has commanded. I will never forget a statement that an Old Testament professor of mine once made: "The commandments of God are His enablements - what He has commanded of us He will also enable."
So, yes, on the one hand I am rather intimidated with the idea of building, not just any home, but a large home that will encompass the "higher vision" we believe we are being called to. I never really wanted to start my own painting business, but by the grace of God I have now been painting on my own for 12 years. As God strengthened Abraham's faith by giving him bigger and bigger tests, so I see Him working similarly in me. I don't want to shy away from this newest test of faith, but rather want to embrace it and continue to grow in the ways Creator is wanting me to grow in. "The whole earth is full of His glory!" I believe we will have difficulty in seeing the fullness of God's glory in creation until we are willing to unite ourselves with Him in that actual creative process. It is a process that requires faith, and to have faith we must have ears to hear what Father is saying, and once we have heard, we must obey. This walk is not for the timid or faint of heart, but rather requires boldness and perseverance. Yet even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. It's all about Him, not us.
"Help us Father, to fully awaken to all that you are calling us, and all of your people, to walk in."
Some of our children have asked, "Why do you need such a big house?" Besides just wanting to have a place that could hold all our family when they come to visit, we also envision our home being a place of hospitality, a place of refuge. When our vision was in its infancy we had begun searching for land to buy where we could begin "fleshing out" this dream. It was a frustrating search because our lack of funds was very limiting in what we could realistically consider. But at the same time we wanted to exercise faith to do what William Carey (pioneering missionary) advocated: "Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God." I do believe there is such a thing as a spirit of poverty that can control us with the thought, "Can I afford it?" But the
right question is, "What is God wanting us to do?" Once God's will or purposes for us are ascertained it then becomes a matter of faith to move forward and engage in the (yes, often frightening) adventure of seeing how He will enable what He has commanded. I will never forget a statement that an Old Testament professor of mine once made: "The commandments of God are His enablements - what He has commanded of us He will also enable."
So, yes, on the one hand I am rather intimidated with the idea of building, not just any home, but a large home that will encompass the "higher vision" we believe we are being called to. I never really wanted to start my own painting business, but by the grace of God I have now been painting on my own for 12 years. As God strengthened Abraham's faith by giving him bigger and bigger tests, so I see Him working similarly in me. I don't want to shy away from this newest test of faith, but rather want to embrace it and continue to grow in the ways Creator is wanting me to grow in. "The whole earth is full of His glory!" I believe we will have difficulty in seeing the fullness of God's glory in creation until we are willing to unite ourselves with Him in that actual creative process. It is a process that requires faith, and to have faith we must have ears to hear what Father is saying, and once we have heard, we must obey. This walk is not for the timid or faint of heart, but rather requires boldness and perseverance. Yet even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. It's all about Him, not us.
"Help us Father, to fully awaken to all that you are calling us, and all of your people, to walk in."
Sunday, February 21, 2010
"permanent-culture"
Permaculture is a term coined by Australian Bill Mollison to define a new (yet also very old)endeavor that encompasses a wide variety of things from such academic disciplines as ecology and environmental science to very ancient wisdom pertaining to agriculture and living in harmony with nature. Three of my sons took a 10-day course on permaculture last Spring, thoroughly loved it, and then convinced me to do the same. So, several months later I was enrolled and took a similar course myself, and also thoroughly enjoyed it! On the one hand it felt overwhelming because permaculture is such a big topic covering such a wide range of ideas and information. That course was only an introduction, truly just a scratching of the surface. But it opened a door that I wish I could have walked through years ago and begun exploring at a much younger age. But here I am at 56, deciding to settle down in a rural setting and asking the question, "How do I combine my quest to know God, to draw closer to Him, with this other newer passion to have a closer connection with the land, with my Creator's handiwork?"
One of the things I so appreciate about permaculture is its inherent assumption that all of life is interrelated and interdependent. As Christians this shouldn't be a new concept, but I fear the Church has contributed to a disjointed view of our relationship to the physical world instead of promoting a harmonious one. Even though the apostles and the early church fathers rejected gnosticism (which taught that the physical world was evil) it is my observation that this earliest of Christian heresies has continued to plague the Church to the present day. Instead of celebrating and embracing this earth that Creator prepared for us to live in and be caretakers of, as Christians we have all too often been suspicious and wary of it. We will quote such Scriptures as "Set your minds on things above,not on earthly things" (Col.3:2) to support this mindset, yet ignore ones like Psalm 115:16 - "The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man." Fortunately there are some Christians - and I trust that this is a growing number - who have continued to affirm the inherent goodness and value of the physical creation. Personally, I would take it a step further. Not only is God's creation a good one, it is central and vitally important to the gospel itself. Just as ecology and permaculture, from a purely human perspective, affirm the "wholeness" of nature, so the Scriptures affirm the connection between the holiness of God and His creation: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And what can be more affirming of our physicalness than the incarnation itself - God himself took on our physical form! There is an incredible mystery here and it's no wonder that the earliest defenders of the faith fought tooth and nail to defend the truth of Christ's humanity. The whole movement in Scripture is from heaven to earth, not visa-versa: "I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven . . .'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them . . .'" (Rev.21:2-3) . . . we are looking forward to a new . . . earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Pet. 3:14)
Permaculture is the combination of the two (or three) words, "permanent (agri)culture". The modern originators of this concept were motivated out of a desire to find ways to integrate agriculture and human lifestyles with the very fabric of the natural world in such a way that the environment would be enhanced - and therefore maintained permanently -rather than degraded and destroyed. In this paradigm I have found the closest thing yet to explain and give definition to the developing vision I believe God is working within me.
One of the things I so appreciate about permaculture is its inherent assumption that all of life is interrelated and interdependent. As Christians this shouldn't be a new concept, but I fear the Church has contributed to a disjointed view of our relationship to the physical world instead of promoting a harmonious one. Even though the apostles and the early church fathers rejected gnosticism (which taught that the physical world was evil) it is my observation that this earliest of Christian heresies has continued to plague the Church to the present day. Instead of celebrating and embracing this earth that Creator prepared for us to live in and be caretakers of, as Christians we have all too often been suspicious and wary of it. We will quote such Scriptures as "Set your minds on things above,not on earthly things" (Col.3:2) to support this mindset, yet ignore ones like Psalm 115:16 - "The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man." Fortunately there are some Christians - and I trust that this is a growing number - who have continued to affirm the inherent goodness and value of the physical creation. Personally, I would take it a step further. Not only is God's creation a good one, it is central and vitally important to the gospel itself. Just as ecology and permaculture, from a purely human perspective, affirm the "wholeness" of nature, so the Scriptures affirm the connection between the holiness of God and His creation: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!" And what can be more affirming of our physicalness than the incarnation itself - God himself took on our physical form! There is an incredible mystery here and it's no wonder that the earliest defenders of the faith fought tooth and nail to defend the truth of Christ's humanity. The whole movement in Scripture is from heaven to earth, not visa-versa: "I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven . . .'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them . . .'" (Rev.21:2-3) . . . we are looking forward to a new . . . earth, the home of righteousness. (2 Pet. 3:14)
Permaculture is the combination of the two (or three) words, "permanent (agri)culture". The modern originators of this concept were motivated out of a desire to find ways to integrate agriculture and human lifestyles with the very fabric of the natural world in such a way that the environment would be enhanced - and therefore maintained permanently -rather than degraded and destroyed. In this paradigm I have found the closest thing yet to explain and give definition to the developing vision I believe God is working within me.
clarifying the vision
Giving precise definition to this new vision has proved to be quite a challenge. I feel like the blind man, who, after Jesus's initial touch, saw people "like trees walking". As the healing process continues and I can see more clearly I'll let you know. But for now I have to say that it still feels like "seeing through a glass darkly." It feels very much like a pioneering process, trying to chart a course through unexplored territory. I believe this "territory" is, on the one hand, extremely vast and needing to be explored, yet on the other hand so familiar and simple that it should be as easy to recognize as the nose on our face.
What am I referring to? In the simplest language, my vision is to affirm and strengthen the connection between the physical and the spiritual (non-physical) aspects of life. One of the greatest weaknesses, I believe, of Western Christianity is its over-emphasis on the non-physical aspects of our faith. The history of the Church in the first few centuries reveals a Church that became increasingly Greco-Roman in its outlook. Much of that shift involved a jettisoning of its Hebraic roots which, by their very nature, were much more physical and literally connected to the land. More and more believers today are recognizing that this was a terrible mistake and needs correcting. But I am getting ahead of myself, so let me try to explain it more chronologically as these ideas actually began to unfold for me.
My initial awakening, if you will, to this vision that was forming within me happened when I did a word study in the Bible. I wanted to see what the Scriptures had to say about such things as "earth", "land", "countryside", etc. Just my choice of these words as a topic for Bible study obviously revealed something about me. But the more I looked at what the Bible had to say about these things the more fascinated I became. This was a huge topic in the Bible! But I had never heard any sermons or teachings on it, and the more I explored this theme the more convinced I became that there was something here that was critically important and was stirring up something deep within me. Also, a key reason for this direction that I was taking was the fact that I knew that this was a very important aspect of Becky's life. I knew that whatever vision I was developing needed to include Becky and what was vital in her life. The longer I was married to her the more aware I became that the land was part of the warp and woof of her very being. Her study of geneology has revealed to her that she comes from a long line of farmers, of country people who have lived and worked very close to the earth. My ancestry is different in that the outstanding element in my line is its involvement with the Church. For example, one of my Scottish ancestors was a mentor (to some degree anyway) to the great Scottish reformer, John Knox. But gardening must have been mixed in there somewhere because I had grandparents on both sides who loved gardening and I developed a similar interest rather young in life. But the spiritual emphasis in my background was by far the strongest factor and whatever interests there may have been in working with the land were certainly relegated to a much lower status.
So here I was: discovering that what I had viewed as being not much more than a hobby, according to the Scriptures, was actually at the very heart and core of the Biblical story and message. That was a revelation of epic proportions! It was like God was giving me permission - actually more than permission - I felt like I was virtually being commissioned to pursue doing something that deep down inside I really liked doing but was not considered (by the Christian community) "spiritual enough" to be considered a valid vocation for someone who wanted to "serve God" or be involved in "full-time Christian ministry".
As I tried to describe my newfound vision or "calling" to others I was usually greeted with a blank look that said, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but I'm glad you've discovered what you want to do." Occasionally we'd run in to individuals who "got it" and showed genuine enthusiasm, but they were few and far between. The leader in the church we were in who had challenged me to clarify my vision, had virtually no comment or further helpful suggestions when he heard what I had come up with. That was my first clue that this church was not going to help me realize my new goal in life. I'm sure there are churches out there that have a better grasp of this vision than I have. But I am done with pursuing other people's churches or ministries. God has placed us where He has (back on Becky's family's farm) and I believe He has a purpose for us right here in the middle of the corn and bean fields of Illinois. Maybe the best single word to describe that purpose would be "permaculture". But I will explain what I mean by that in my next posting.
What am I referring to? In the simplest language, my vision is to affirm and strengthen the connection between the physical and the spiritual (non-physical) aspects of life. One of the greatest weaknesses, I believe, of Western Christianity is its over-emphasis on the non-physical aspects of our faith. The history of the Church in the first few centuries reveals a Church that became increasingly Greco-Roman in its outlook. Much of that shift involved a jettisoning of its Hebraic roots which, by their very nature, were much more physical and literally connected to the land. More and more believers today are recognizing that this was a terrible mistake and needs correcting. But I am getting ahead of myself, so let me try to explain it more chronologically as these ideas actually began to unfold for me.
My initial awakening, if you will, to this vision that was forming within me happened when I did a word study in the Bible. I wanted to see what the Scriptures had to say about such things as "earth", "land", "countryside", etc. Just my choice of these words as a topic for Bible study obviously revealed something about me. But the more I looked at what the Bible had to say about these things the more fascinated I became. This was a huge topic in the Bible! But I had never heard any sermons or teachings on it, and the more I explored this theme the more convinced I became that there was something here that was critically important and was stirring up something deep within me. Also, a key reason for this direction that I was taking was the fact that I knew that this was a very important aspect of Becky's life. I knew that whatever vision I was developing needed to include Becky and what was vital in her life. The longer I was married to her the more aware I became that the land was part of the warp and woof of her very being. Her study of geneology has revealed to her that she comes from a long line of farmers, of country people who have lived and worked very close to the earth. My ancestry is different in that the outstanding element in my line is its involvement with the Church. For example, one of my Scottish ancestors was a mentor (to some degree anyway) to the great Scottish reformer, John Knox. But gardening must have been mixed in there somewhere because I had grandparents on both sides who loved gardening and I developed a similar interest rather young in life. But the spiritual emphasis in my background was by far the strongest factor and whatever interests there may have been in working with the land were certainly relegated to a much lower status.
So here I was: discovering that what I had viewed as being not much more than a hobby, according to the Scriptures, was actually at the very heart and core of the Biblical story and message. That was a revelation of epic proportions! It was like God was giving me permission - actually more than permission - I felt like I was virtually being commissioned to pursue doing something that deep down inside I really liked doing but was not considered (by the Christian community) "spiritual enough" to be considered a valid vocation for someone who wanted to "serve God" or be involved in "full-time Christian ministry".
As I tried to describe my newfound vision or "calling" to others I was usually greeted with a blank look that said, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about, but I'm glad you've discovered what you want to do." Occasionally we'd run in to individuals who "got it" and showed genuine enthusiasm, but they were few and far between. The leader in the church we were in who had challenged me to clarify my vision, had virtually no comment or further helpful suggestions when he heard what I had come up with. That was my first clue that this church was not going to help me realize my new goal in life. I'm sure there are churches out there that have a better grasp of this vision than I have. But I am done with pursuing other people's churches or ministries. God has placed us where He has (back on Becky's family's farm) and I believe He has a purpose for us right here in the middle of the corn and bean fields of Illinois. Maybe the best single word to describe that purpose would be "permaculture". But I will explain what I mean by that in my next posting.
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